With mandatory face mask rule in effect, Whatcom businesses grapple with enforcing it
Wearing a mask is now mandatory inside businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, putting Whatcom County owners in the difficult position of enforcing the new statewide rule.
“We’ve forced businesses to be the enforcement agent, which is unfortunate,” said Guy Occhiogrosso, president and CEO of the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce. “But from a business perspective, this is not political. They are following the rules because they don’t want to shut down.”
Residents in Washington state must wear facial coverings inside businesses such as grocery stores and restaurants or be asked to leave under a new statewide order in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The new order from Gov. Jay Inslee requires people to wear masks in public, indoors and outdoors where social distancing is not possible.
Business owners who fail to refuse service to customers who don’t wear masks can face fines or lose their business license, but some business owners have raised concerns about turning away customers.
Since it is a rule that must be followed, local businesses are hoping customers will cooperate, Occhiogrosso said. For those who have an issue with wearing a face covering, he pointed out that not wearing one could result in their favorite business shutting down.
Occhiogrosso said businesses he’s talked to have expressed concerns about this new rule but are adjusting accordingly. One change he expects early on is how a customer is greeted, particularly in a small store or restaurant. Typically that’s been handled by an employee relatively young and new to the business; he hopes more managers or owners will handle some of that duty in an effort to explain to customers why a face covering if required.
“We’re putting a front-line employee in a really weird situation, so the best option would be getting support from an owner or manager,” he said. “I don’t know how enforceable this rule is, but if I were a business I wouldn’t want to risk it (being shut down by not following it).”
Businesses across the state are left with devising their own ways to try to make sure all customers wear face masks.
“We took a big hit and just as we’re starting to recover and get back on our feet. Now we’re dealing with another hurdle,” Olympia’s T Brothers Liquor Lodge Owner Andy Thielen said. “We’ll encourage people to wear masks. I don’t know if we’ll tell people to leave our establishment if they’re not.”
Chris Knudson, owner of 80 Brewhouse in Olympia, has required masks and has received some push back from customers.
“We’re just trying to educate and be nice and just say, ‘you can’t come in, sorry. Eventually, you’ll be able to again, but let’s get through this by wearing masks for now,’ ” Knudson said.
The state Department of Health has said counties will remain in their current phase of reopening for the next two weeks, or until July 16, because of increasing confirmed COVID-19 cases.
The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. But for some – especially older adults and people with existing health problems – it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
This story was originally published July 7, 2020 at 12:53 PM.
