All eyes on his mask

May 15, 2020
Bertie-Paul Taylor has had this mask for seven years, and he has brought it out to fight the coronavirus.
Bertie-Paul Taylor has had this mask for seven years, and he has brought it out to fight the coronavirus.
Bertie-Paul Taylor says a lot of people have expressed interest in buying his mask.
Bertie-Paul Taylor says a lot of people have expressed interest in buying his mask.
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"You see that mask yah, when me have it on it feel like a handcuff. To how it tight, it girth up me face. Man, this protect me," Bertie-Paul Taylor told THE WEEKEND STAR as he boasted about the superiority of his mask.

Taylor's mask is unlike many that people wear daily to protect themselves from the novel coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 disease. His is not the cloth one, but rather the gas mask-looking, air-purifying respirator.

"This mask yah, it have a thing at the front where any air come in get filter, so it clean; so no virus cyah come in. It's like a ventilator thing that the air go through. Nuff other mask that people a wear can't do that, all the cloth one them," said Taylor.

Institute standards

At least one lawmaker, Member of Parliament Angela Brown Burke, has called for the Government to institute standards for face masks, which must be worn in public places as a means of containing the spread of COVID-19.

Taylor is convinced that his mask achieves the objective of filtering the air and keeping out viruses and bacteria.

"Every time people see it, them want one. All some girl that work a some big place come here and ask where me get it from because this is not a regular mask," he said. "Nuff time me have it on, people see it and ask if me a sell it, and me affi tell them no, me cyah sell the ting that me a wear," said Taylor, a 69-year-old clothes vendor in downtown Kingston.

He believes that the unique features of his mask have led others to feel as though their gear is not good enough.

"All people who a pass here and have on them mask a look pon mine and stop to ask me where me get it, and me a tell them say is long time me buy it," he said. "Believe me, man, people love it and wish them could have one."

The mask has been in Taylor's possession for seven years.

"Me did have it a use and put down in a box until me find out say during the time now people have to wear mask, me just say me a wear it because it good, and it is the only thing to protect me right now," Taylor said.

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