SAN ANTONIO – SAQ: Is it safe to drive in an open vehicle such as a convertible or Jeep during the pandemic? Do I need to wear a face mask in an open car?
Mayor Ron Nirenberg said if you are driving alone or with someone who lives in your house you do not need to wear a face covering. Regardless of the type of vehicle you are in, you should wear a face mask if you are riding with someone who does not live with you.
SAQ: Why is it mandatory to wear a face covering in public when cloth masks won’t protect my health?
“The cloth face covering is primarily to protect other people from you,” Nirenberg said.
According to health officials, many of those who carry the virus might not ever show symptoms.
“You may feel fine, but there’s a chance you could be asymptomatic,” Nirenberg said.
Asymptomatic carriers are the drivers to spreading COVID-19, the mayor said.
While a cloth mask might not fully protect the person who is wearing it, it does provide some protection against the virus. But more importantly, according to the mayor, wearing a face mask could potentially keep someone who doesn’t know they have COVID-19 from spreading the virus to others.
“We don’t want people to be flippant about other people’s health,” Nirenberg said. “We are all in this together. We keep saying that, and part of that is that you do your part to protect the health of the person next to you.”
Mayor Nirenberg responded to other KSAT viewer questions during Wednesday’s Q&A segments during the 6 p.m. newscast and on KSAT News at Nine. Click here to watch the full segment.
Find more answers and ask your own questions on our SAQ page. Watch anchor Steve Spriester ask local leaders your questions weeknights at 6 p.m. on KSAT12 and 9 p.m. on KSAT-TV and KSAT.com. You can also sign up for our free SAQ newsletter to get answers to the most common questions in your inbox.