Arizona doctor talks about the 'greater good' that mask mandates will have
PHOENIX - Health officials in Arizona are hoping to flatten the curve after a record-breaking uptick in COVID-19 cases hit the state hard.
The state is sitting at almost 50,000 COVID-19 cases. On Saturday, more than 3,000 confirmed positive tests were added to the state's total.
"I really wish we didn’t have to get to a mandate. I really wish people could’ve been like you know, what the greater good here? Let’s slow this down so we can get this done and move on," said Dr. Ross Goldberg, President of the Arizona Medical Association.
He says now is the time to do your part.
RELATED: LIST: Arizona cities with face mask requirements
"There really is a benefit and to everyone, the whole idea as our numbers go up is to try to get ahead and stop this disease. Us all wearing masks today, we won’t see the results for a couple of weeks because of the incubation period. But you need to start wearing a mask now to get [the virus] to slow down and come back down," he said, adding, "No one sees instant results."
The takeaway: While we won't see the effectiveness of wearing a mask or face cloths, eventually we will.
Arizona doctor talks about the ‘greater good’ that mask mandates will have
Dr. Ross Goldberg, President of the Arizona Medical Association, says wearing a mask now to begin to flatten the uptick in the COVID-19 curve in the state, will help us see the long term impact in the near future. He says wearing a mask is for the "greater good" of the community, even if many have opinions on the mandates.
Goldberg says it's not just about wearing a mask but other steps.
"It’s not an independent thing. If you are wearing a mask, you’re not free to do whatever you want and everything is fine. It’s in combination with things. Good hygiene, hand hygiene, physical distancing and putting all of that together. The idea is that it’s hard for a lot of people, I understand."
He has a message for those who are against wearing masks. He knows many have an issue with the government telling everyone to wear masks, but he says what he sees in the hospitals is a lot worse than being told to wear a mask in public.
Those out in public say they feel safer when they wear masks and see others wearing masks too.
"I feel good about it. I feel more safe as I walk out in the public, I don’t see anything wrong with it whatsoever. It’s good for everyone to stay safe," one person says.
Others are on the fence but are thinking about family, saying they have at-risk family members and want to do anything to be safe if it's what doctors recommend.
"This really is about everyone else. You’re protecting someone else and they’re protecting you. It’s a trust and that’s what we need to do and when you say 'I’m not doing it,' it’s not that you’re doing for yourself, you’re hurting people in the process," Goldberg said.
The doctor also says seeing the curve flatten won't happen overnight, but wearing a mask is the first step in doing so.