08/06/2020

Coronavirus Tracker: A Mask Initiative for Essential Faces

August 6, 2020

Current updates on association response to the global COVID-19 crisis, along with a roundup of conference, travel and business news and information.

Faces Are Essential
A new initiative from the Florida Association for Infant Mental Health (FAIMH) is helping to save face. Or rather, faces. By distributing ClearMasks—which allow wearers’ faces to remain visible—to childcare professionals, FAIMH’s “Faces Are Essential” program aims to prevent the spread of COVID-19 without depriving infants of crucial neurological development.

“The ClearMask helps children develop communication and social skills by allowing babies and toddlers to observe their caretakers’ expressions and nonverbal cues,” said FAIMH President Dr. Neil Boris in a news release. “Such neurological advancements are facilitated by keeping the user’s face visible to children and [the mask] is equipped with an anti-fog barrier which prevents the spread of harmful contagions. Simply put, these masks are essential for brain development during this important stage in these young children’s lives.”

Rep. Donna Shalala (D-Fla.) helped to launch the initiative at a kickoff event on August 5.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Associations Now.