By MADDY VITALE
Janet Ciottoni rode her bike past two women on the Promenade in Sea Isle City Friday morning.
Before too long, she turned around to see what the women, who were wearing face coverings, had assembled on a table.
“I forgot my mask,” Ciottoni, a Sea Isle resident, said to the women.
Luckily for Ciottoni, the women, two representatives from the Cape May County Department of Health, Liberty Kocis and Megan Santiago, had just what she needed.
Kocis handed Ciottoni a bag containing COVID-19 educational literature, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, and, yes, an N-95 mask.
“I heard they were going to be up here and left the house by accident without my mask,” Ciottoni said. “Now, I can go to the store before going home.”
Since May 15, Kocis, Santiago and a group of volunteer social distancing ambassadors have been making stops along the coast of Cape May County to educate people on the importance of social distancing, wearing face coverings when in close contact with strangers, and to use hand sanitizer.
The Cape May County Department of Health representatives said Ciottoni is exactly the type of person that they often get to help.
“We always tell them to keep a spare mask with them or in the car,” Kocis said as she assembled items on the table in the second Sea Isle stop by social distancing ambassadors in recent weeks. “We just want to be a positive influence and remind people about the six foot rule.”
Cape May County’s new “Six Feet Saves” program is modeled after a similar public safety campaign developed by the University of Rochester in New York.
The county health department and the Cape May County Board of Freeholders wanted to launch the program at this time of year because of the influx of visitors coming to the Jersey Shore for the start of the summer tourism season.
Santiago noted that while it is not mandatory to wear face coverings outside, if a person can’t maintain a safe six foot distance the mask should be worn.
While some people breezed by the health representatives, many others were interested in what they had to say and offer.
Over the weeks, the representatives noted that the social distancing ambassadors have become well known and people seem to appreciate what they are doing.
“It is fabulous they are doing this,” said Jean Weiner, of Harrington Park in North Jersey, who has a vacation home in Sea Isle with her husband, Scott.
“It keeps people on their toes,” Weiner added. “They are keeping Sea Isle safe and healthy.”
Kocis and Santiago were in Sea Isle with some of the 25 volunteers who help educate the public and pass out the bags.
On Saturday, they are heading to the recently reopened Cape May County Zoo.
Volunteers Lynda and Bill Zipparo, of Dennis Township, said they enjoy being ambassadors for the “Six Feet Saves” program.
The couple walked down from the Promenade and headed into town to pass out bags to people walking into stores or just meandering the downtown.
While Cape May County’s COVID-19 cases are decreasing and Gov. Phil Murphy has lifted restrictions throughout the state, such as allowing outdoor dining and reopening parks and other facilities in recent weeks, there are also a lot more people at the shore, Santiago emphasized.
“In the last two weeks there are definitely more people down here vacationing. There is a lot more traffic on the roads, the Boardwalk and everywhere,” she said.
That is all the more reason why their message is vital, and their bags of items are essential to people who might have gone out without the two most important items amid the pandemic — a mask and hand sanitizer.
“I would say for the most part people are taking their masks with them. Our job is to just remind them that if there isn’t a six foot barrier, to wear the mask,” Kocis said.
And despite the challenging times, both Kocis and Santiago said people are doing what they can to stay healthy and enjoy the summer season.
“Everyone is making the best of a situation. People are still on the beaches, the Boardwalk, the Promenade. Now there is outside dining,” Kocis said.
“We have been very excited to be able to do this and help people.” Santiago added. “Now people are starting to know who we are. They are like, ‘Hey, aren’t you two the social distancing ambassadors?’”
A schedule of the “Six Feet Saves” stops for each town can be found at https://www.facebook.com/CapeMayCountyDepartmentofHealth.
