You wear the mask not for yourself, you wear the mask for me. It’s a sign of respect to other people.”
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
As the novel Coronavirus came quickly upon us in March, it dropped like a heavy weight full of fear. With that fear came so much information and disinformation on masks: Should we wear them? What kind? Cloth? N95? Neck Gaiters? Add coffee filters or panty hose to increase purification?
With that rallying cry from Gov. Cuomo in early April, I was all in. My neighbor made me a mask and I wore it religiously when I walked out my door. I started taking photos of others wearing masks when I saw I was in a minority, posting them on social media to spread the message about wearing one, too. I felt it was my way as a photographer to do my part to fight a virus that was spiking throughout the world with so many unknowns.
With the latest numbers showing that Covid-19 cases are increasing in Philadelphia and around the country, that message seems even more important than ever.
Please wear a mask!
If not for you, for me and everyone around you
We are all in this together.
See more of Sabina Louise Pierce’s photo essays for The Citizen here.