Maya McFadden Photo
On the New Haven Green.
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A neighbor gave Terrence Riggins two face masks. At least for now, he was leaving them at home when he ventured out to the Green.
“The stares I get are uncomfortable and awkward, but it’s not like I’m not conscious and thoughtful about my contact,” Riggins said as other people on the Green were protecting their faces, and others, from Covid-19.
A sampling of New Haveners like Riggins (pictured at left) in local parks this week found that some are taking to heart advice from the federal Centers for Disease Control to wear masks in public as the pandemic approaches its expected peak; and others remain unconvinced.
Riggins said he makes sure to keep more than the recommended six feet between himself and others when out and about in New Haven. As he worked out on the Green, he kept dozens of feet away from the walking path.
During the few times that Riggins leaves his home, he said, he watches as people strategically avoid him whether it be by crossing a downtown street, skipping an aisle that he is in at the grocery store, or avoiding an open seat next to him on public transportation.
“Sometimes it leaves me thinking about what’s wrong with me. Is there more to it than that I’m just not wearing a mask?” he asked.
Meanwhile, over in Fair Haven’s Criscuolo Park, a musician named Alex gestured hello to a pharmacist named Manny as they stood at opposite ends of a fishing dock..
Manny, 24, wore gloves while fishing but no mask. “I don’t go out much. I just work and fish,” he said. “I feel okay not wearing one right now because it’s basically empty out here.”
Manny said he keeps a mask, provided by his job, in his car however if ever needed.
Alex said he wore no mask at the park on Tuesday because he didn’t stay at any given spot for long and walked a safe distance from the others in the park.
Alex said he recently placed an order with a seamstress friend of his to have a mask made for him. Before that, he found himself resorting to wearing underwear on his head to keep safe at a grocery store.
“I just hope others are being cautious,” Alex said.
A couple, a factory worker and a Yale nurse who asked to remain anonymous, also wore masks and gloves. They said when they ran out of hand sanitizer they resorted to the gloves gloves. The factory worker said wearing the gloves has been helping him to avoid touching his face.
“I knew I would feel better wearing one [a mask], so when I found a random one at the bottom of my tool bag, I felt like I found the cure,” he said. said.
Since finding the older face mask, he has been reusing it until an order for new masks that he placed two weeks ago arrives.
“It feels better than nothing,” the nurse said.
Two months ago the factory worker would take the train to work every day. Now he said he spends extra money to Uber as much as possible.
Local Lends Helping Hand
Wayne Morrison (pictured) did don a mask, as well as gloves, as he stood on the Green. He was handing out leftover cold cuts from his job at the Assa Abloy/Sargent hardware plant. Morrison has been giving free food to those in need daily for some weeks now.
Morrison usually stops downtown beside the Green on Temple Street first to hand the leftovers out the trunk of his car. If Morrison doesn’t hand all the sandwiches out downtown, he usually heads to Union Station or the Immanuel Baptist Shelter to find others to help.
Due to shortages in commercial masks, some have resorted to using a ski mask or using clothing items to keep protected. Mr. Greene who rested on a bench on the green on Monday before getting back to his weekly walk said he’s seen people wearing durags, shirts, and towels over their mouths because they don’t have to money to get a mask or can’t find a place to buy them like himself.
Click here for a tutorial on making your own face mask from home.
