FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — To help stop the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, people are disabling the latch on fire doors when trying to prop them open. The continued opening of doors is something that is being done now to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus — by limiting people touching door handles.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue is telling its residents to stop doing this, but that they also understand why people are trying to contribute to the effort to stop the spread of this deadly virus.
"While we understand the logic, propping open fire doors renders them ineffective in keeping you safe and presents significant hazards and risks in the event of a fire," said Fairfax County Fire and Rescue.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recently provided information about this dangerous practice. See what they have to say here.
In Virginia, there are 254 positive cases of the virus. There have been three deaths in the state.
The first death from the coronavirus in the state was announced last week. It was a man in his 60s who died of respiratory failure as a result of COVID-19.