Masks as adjunct to social distancing have increasingly been seen in the community, as people go about their essential business. But starting today on Oahu, wearing of nonmedical masks is now required — not optional — in public, to help prevent the spread of germs and viruses.

The mask mandate includes riders and drivers of TheBus and TheHandivan; exemptions include customers in banks as well as people with respiratory or medical issues. Masks also are not required on kids under age 5 — in fact, absolutely no mask on tots under age 2.

See your doctor with technology

“Telehealth” and “telemedicine” are certainly not new terms — they’ve been the topics of state conferences for some years. On Thursday, they were the focus of an online presentation.

Still, in the general public, there surely are some new converts to the concept, due to the stay-at-home and social-distancing imperatives. It helps that some federal privacy regulations have been relaxed. And for those who have resisted this model, the need to see the doctor finally may have overcome tech aversions.