Sedgwick County health officer encouraged, but would like to see more wearing masks

Medical experts at every level say we are far from out of the woods when it comes to risks associated with COVID-19 and dangers the virus poses. At least locally, there are positive indicators that most are following guidelines to safeguard against COVID-19, but many out in public choose not to wear masks as health professionals at every level recommend.

Eyewitness News went out Tuesday and spoke with people about their decisions to either wear a mask or go without. At least Tuesday, the majority of people who spoke with Eyewitness News did so through a mask. This is a positive sign to Sedgwick County Chief Health Officer Dr. Garold Minns, although he says he would like to see more people wearing masks in public.

"Now we've had another week and again,we haven't seen any peak, or even significant rise in cases, so it's reassuring to me," Dr. Minns says. "Again, I want to hope that's because of everybody being so obedient about those things we're asking."

While reassured by safety measures he's seeing in area businesses, Dr. Minns says he'd like to see more.

"...I still see a fair amount of businesses where the staff isn't wearing masks, which we could do a little bit better there," he says.

Some businesses require employees to wear masks, but leave it up to customers to decide if they want to wear one as well.

"I think there is this sense of invincibility or lack of believability," says KU School of Medicine Dr. Steven Stites of why many choose not to wear masks in public. "This is not fake news. This is real news and the way we respond to it and treat it says a lot about ourselves as people. We have to see past the politicization of it and really just do the right thing around health and taking care of the people we care about."

For some, the decision not to wear a mask is a matter of comfort.

"I'm quite comfortable without one," one person out Tuesday without a mask told Eyewitness News.

Others don't see a need. But doctors say it's not about you, it's about everyone else.

Doctors says the same for the six-foot markers at checkout stands. Even if y you're not afraid to get sick, they hope people will follow the guidelines to continue to slow the spread of COVID-19.