Collier County wants you to ‘Cover up’

“Cover up Collier” is the messaging from the county in a new commercial encouraging everyone to wear masks. It’s just one part of a broader effort to raise awareness about the benefits of masking up.

“My mask protects you. Your mask protects me” is a message you’ve heard before. But now, one television commercial is trying to remind residents of Collier County.

“Cover up Collier” is the point they want to make. The ad features two NCH nurses and grocery store workers holding up signs showing their reasons for wearing a mask.

WINK News reporter Gina Tomlinson wanted to know how the community felt about it.

Tom Miller lives in Collier County.”There could be some political motivation behind it,” Miller said. “With the election results and what have you.”

Kristine Hollingsworth with the Florida Department of Health in Collier County says that they just want to keep people safe and prepared. “We’ve heard time and time again that this could be a bad winter, this could be a bad fall,” said Hollingsworth.

So, Hollingsworth says, the department and the county teamed up to create this ad as a part of their larger campaign, ‘Cover up Collier.’

Larry and Heather Malone say this message is especially important with the holidays coming up. “The virus is getting worse and a mask is going to help then why not,” they said.

Miller has already had coronavirus. “I’ve actually already had the virus,” Tom said.

While he has mixed feelings about masks and if they work, he does also know of other people who have contracted coronavirus. “I know quite a few people just in the last few weeks that have come down the virus as opposed to the last few months,” Miller said.

Collier County did not answer questions about the TV spot or who paid for it. The three county commissioners who voted in favor of the mask mandate are also featured in the advertisement.

Collier County has a mask mandate in place through mid-April of 2021.