Mask On

Signs have been appearing around Swarthmore: “Mask On — Swarthmore.”

“A simple reminder for a simple act,” says Louise Coffin of the Swarthmore Senior Citizens Association (SSCA), which is behind the new signs. “Simple, but so very important.”

Public health officials from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Centers for Disease Control, and elsewhere have emphasized that wearing a mask protects others from the spread of COVID-19. You are protected when others wear a mask. 

“Science and good sense cannot be denied,” Coffin says.

With a few exceptions, wearing a mask inside public places — and outside when 6 feet of distance cannot be maintained — is also Pennsylvania law. 

SSCA is selling “Mask On” signs and donating the profits to the Emergency Medical Services unit of the Swarthmore Fire & Protective Association (SF&PA), which recently acquired a new ambulance. By funneling your dollars to the fire department, “you will be showing your support of our local front-line workers,” Coffin says. “And the sign in your yard will show that you are committed to protecting our community.”

To order a sign, send a check for $30 (or more), made payable to SSCA, to: SSCA, P.O. Box 306, Swarthmore PA 19081. Be sure to include your name and address. SSCA will deliver the sign to your house. For more information, or to order by credit card, go to SwarthmoreSeniors.com. 

SSCA thanks Swarthmore resident John Woodin for the sign’s design.