It was with great joy when I realized the Mayor and Council not only read the Silicon Valley Voice, but also read the letters to the editor! That’s the only way to describe my elation at seeing the recent far-reaching handing out of free face masks by Mayor Lisa Gillmor, Council Members Teresa O’Neill and Kathy Watanabe at Northside Library and Fairway Glen Park on Saturday, May 16. Unlike the previous week, it seemed the only person handing out the masks was none other than Mayor Gillmor. She not only was wearing a mask and gloves but she used what looked like the full extension of her arms and upper body by bending forward at the waist to help ensure the social distancing guidelines of staying at least 6′ away from people especially those who aren’t wearing masks. While it warmed my heart to see my comments were taken so seriously, I wish the Mayor hadn’t posed for a selfie (or perhaps she was taking a picture with her cell phone). She is pictured taking a photo with her cell phone in her gloved hands. Unless that phone had just been cleaned such as with a sanitizing wipe, it could have been contaminated with the virus and then anything she touched afterwards with those gloves would also run the risk of being contaminated. In at least 2 of the photos, the Mayor is handing a mask in a ziptop baggie to a resident not wearing any gloves. Mayor Gillmor – you should be aware, the CDC considers cellphones to be “high touch surfaces.”
I only hope the lessons learned from my Letter last week will not be learned by someone contracting Covid-19 because they didn’t follow the CDC’s recommendations. It’s good to see Mayor Gillmor and the Council members present are on their way to joining the fight against this disease and pandemic.
But on another note, why was it that so many of the residents featured in the photos of Rivermark were not wearing facemasks. The average selling price of a home in Rivermark is north of $1.1M. Are these people – most of them seemed to be in their 30s and 40s – unable to afford a face mask – cloth or otherwise?
Thank you,
David Cohen
