The importance of wearing a mask during the COVID-19 has been a topic of debate, but some area health officials say it is necessary.
"We do have cases of COVID-19 where people do not have symptoms, so if we are able to contain those respiratory droplets and not have the asymptomatic person spread the disease, that can help slow the curve, " said Judy Burrows with the Marathon County Health Department.
A few months ago experts left the responsibility of mask wearing to certain people, like health care workers, now Burrows said it is a different story.
"Early on in the pandemic we were learning more about how the disease was spread, it was felt then that cloth masks were not able to provide enough protection at spreading the disease, but we later learned they can help stop the spread,"Burrows said.
A new model from the University of Washington estimates around 33,000 lives could be saved by October 1st if nearly everyone starts to wear a mask.
The only groups that should not be wearing a mask are children under 2-years-old.
