Face Masks and Coverings

As of May 14, 2021, masks are no longer required under the Clay County public health emergency order. HOWEVER, businesses and organizations may still choose to require certain COVID-19 precautions, such as masking or physical distancing, in a manner they deem most appropriate to protect staff and customers. Clay County Public Health Center's guidance to schools remains the same.

Anyone who is not fully vaccinated should continue to take precautions such as wearing a well-fitted mask, staying six feet or more from those they don't live with and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces. See CDC's guidance for When You've Been Fully Vaccinated.

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On Sunday, July 19, 2020, Clay County began requiring face masks and coverings to be worn in all indoor areas of public accommodation. This decision was made due to the rapid increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations of Clay County residents in recent weeks.

The goal of the mask requirement was to reduce the spread of germs that cause COVID-19, infecting more and more Clay County residents every day. Face masks and coverings have been proven to limit the spread of these germs. By increasing the use of face masks, we hope to see a reduction in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

Download the "Mask Required" Door Sign
(Also available in Spanish)

How to CORRECTLY Wear a Face Mask or Covering

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In order to make wearing a face mask as effective as possible, there are a few key things to keep in mind:
  • Make sure the mask covers your nose, mouth and chin. Because COVID-19 spreads through respiratory droplets, if your nose is not covered, a large of amount of droplets can still be spread into the air.
  • Wash your mask after every use.
  • Wash your hands before and after putting on your mask.
  • Take your mask off carefully, handling only by the loops or ties.
  • Learn more from the CDC.

How Masks Work and Their Effectiveness


COVID-19 spreads mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, talks, or raises their voice (like while shouting, chanting, or singing). These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. Recent studies show that a significant portion of individuals with COVID-19 lack symptoms (are “asymptomatic”) and that even those who eventually develop symptoms (are “pre-symptomatic”) can transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms.

However, by using a face mask, you can create a simple barrier to help prevent respiratory droplets from traveling into the air and onto other people.

A face mask may not protect the wearer but it can help prevent the wearer from spreading it to others. This is why it is important that everyone wears a mask when interacting closely with those outside their immediate contacts - you may be putting others in danger by not wearing one.

Learn more about the effectiveness of masks:

Community Recovery

Find more information, guidance and resources regarding the entire Clay County recovery process at clayhealth.com/recovery.
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Door Sign


Download and print this sign to hang at each entrance to your building. For even more print and graphic resources, including ones in multiple languages, find our full communications toolkit here.

Also available in Spanish.

Face mask Required (1)