The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Dear Editor,

I would like to respond to the letter sent to the editor a few weeks ago regarding face masks. I believe the writer is mistaken as to the efficacy of the masks. Community spread has increased, mostly as a result of relaxed “stay at home” orders and more public interaction. The more I read about the spread and the recent uptick in cases, the more I am convinced that masks in public places, although not a panacea, are useful in slowing down the spread of COVID-19.

The reason masks were not recommended at the start of the pandemic, was because it wasn’t yet evident that th...