Durham Reporter

Despite social distancing guidelines and stay-at-home orders being issued in states across the country, COVID-19 is now one of the leading causes of daily deaths in the United States, according to the News and Observer.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said people should wear face masks when they go outside but it may not protect the wearer from contracting COVID-19, according to the News and Observer. Someone who has already contracted the virus may save another person by wearing a face mask when going out in public.

As of April 20, people living in the city of Durham and Durham County were required to wear face coverings when in public or in private areas where social distancing is not possible, according to the county's website.

In downtown Durham, a business called Public Hardware has been operating for 96 years.

Lauren Rathbone, a member of the family who owns Public Hardware, said they started selling their face masks for $12.99 each, as soon as the face mask requirement went into effect.

Customers can come inside to buy the handmade cloth face masks or they can call ahead and have a store employee bring the mask to them curbside.

“If I bring it out to your car, you don’t get to pick out your color,” Rathbone told the News and Observer, who added that 80% of the customers already wear face masks. Of the remaining 20 percent, most are buying masks from the store.

Rathbone said she understands the importance of wearing a mask.

“To be honest, I don’t do it for myself,” Rathbone told the News and Observer. "I know plenty of older people and I do it for them. Mainly I don’t want somebody else to be affected because I did something stupid.”