Gen. Mattis encourages Washingtonians to wear masks

RICHLAND, Wash.-- Washington State's Emergency Management Department is getting help from some famous faces to encourage residents in Benton and Franklin Counties to wear masks in public places.

Retired Gen. James Mattis, a Richland resident and former U.S. Secretary of Defense under the Trump administration, recorded a public service announcement encouraging Washingtonians to wear masks in public.

"Over the course of my career I've learned that divisiveness will never work in defeating an enemy," Mattis said in the video that circulated on social media this week. "We've gotta all pull together. Sometimes it's not pleasant some of the things we have to do, like wearing a face mask and all. We can get through this if we're united, and we're going to win."

Benton and Franklin Counties remain in Phase One of reopening due in part to a spike in the number of new coronavirus cases.

The Benton Franklin Health District announced 71 new positive cases of COVID-19 Friday, for a one-week total of 624 new cases just since Monday, substantially more than the metrics state health officials have set for the counties to move into Phase 2 of reopening.

"When we're ten times the disease burden that they set for us and most of the other counties in the state of Washington are at least near that, it is a very large hurdle," said Rick Dawson with the Benton-Franklin Health District at a press briefing Thursday.

On Wednesday, Gov. Jay Inslee issued a directive requiring all Washingtonians to wear masks while out in public cases starting Friday, June 26, in an effort to slow the spread of the virus.