Pontiac — Workers at essential, privately-owned businesses in Oakland County who have face-to-face interaction with the public must wear masks, according to a new county health order.

Oakland County Executive David Coulter is expected to discuss the order, which went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, at a news briefing later in the day to update incidents of COVID-19. Health professionals maintain that wearing masks and face coverings in social settings, along with social distancing and wearing gloves, can help stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

The new order requires workers at any Oakland County business, including grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants, where there is interaction with the public and social distancing is not possible, to don masks covering their nose and mouth.

Masks do not have to be the N95 models used by hospitals and health care providers but could be the cloth handmade types that residents have been encouraged to wear out in public.

All businesses are required to comply with the order, signed by health officer Leigh-Anne Stafford, by April 27.

The directive follows county-ordered measures initiated last month that required essential businesses to develop and implement a daily screening program for all staff, including questions about possible symptoms such as fever, cough or shortness of breath.

Employees are also asked if they traveled domestically or internationally in the past 14 days. An employee could be required to stay home for three to 14 days, depending on the answer.

As of Monday night, there have been 5,048 positive cases and 345 deaths across the county. The county also reported 298 cases in which infected people are known to have recovered from the virus.

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