KEYSTONE — Summit County officials have committed to making face coverings and masks the new norm. 

Under the county’s public health order, everyone is required to wear a mask in a building open to the public or outside when a 6-foot distance from others is not possible. 

However, face coverings only work if they are worn correctly. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, face coverings or masks should cover both a person’s mouth and nose. 

The CDC also recommends that people wash their hands before putting a mask on, secure the mask under their chin in addition to covering both their mouth and nose, make sure it fits snugly on the sides of their face and make sure they can breathe easily.

If an infected person sneezes, coughs or talks to an uninfected person within 6 feet, the disease is likely to spread. Face covering and masks prevent that from happening by blocking droplets from leaving an infected person’s mouth or nose.