Restart Partners, Led by Volcker Alliance Fellow Sandra Archibald, Launches Initiative to Contain COVID in Washington

Restart Partners, a nonprofit organization led by Volcker Alliance nonresident senior fellow Sandra Archibald, announced with Governor Jay Inslee the "Wear A Mask Washington" Initiative to promote the wearing of protective face masks. Restart Partners is focused on fostering collaboration among state and local government leaders around the issue of personal protective equipment (PPE) and working together with behavioral experts to change social norms about wearing masks to help save lives. The organization has brought together leaders from a wide variety of sectors and industries, with backgrounds in technology, data science, public policy, academia, government, and more to tackle challenges like these created by the coronavirus pandemic.

In Washington and in states around the US, there continue to be cases of COVID-19 which could have been prevented by wearing a mask. To kickstart the "Wear a Mask Washington" Initiative, Restart Partners and Governor Inslee are asking the public to submit video PSAs answering the question "Why do you wear a mask?" The team has also launched an effort to raise funds to donate 100,000 masks to communities and organizations in need.

"One of the most important issues facing us now that states are restarting their local economies and people are gathering together to march peacefully against systemic racial injustice, is helping the public continue to embrace wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. No one is safe until everyone is safe," said Dr. Sandra Archibald, co-executive director of Restart Partners, fellow at the Volcker Alliance, and former dean of the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington, in a statement to the press. "Wearing a mask is not typically something that many of us are used to doing. We're working with some of the best minds in the state and across the country to develop strategies for supporting healthy behaviors around this issue. Our goal is for our #WearAMaskWA initiative to be a catalyst for change in Washington and beyond."

For more information about the #WearAMaskWA initiative and how you can submit your video, visit restart.us/WearAMaskWA.