With an uptick in COVID-19 cases throughout the country, the issue of wearing masks has been at the forefront of the national discussion pertaining to fighting the virus. Some states have mask mandates while others have allowed counties to make their own choices regarding mask enforcement.

Earlier this week, national chains like Walmart, Kroger and Target announced they were going to institute a mandatory mask policy for all their outlets nationwide.

“Currently about 65 percent of our more than 5,000 stores and clubs are located in areas where there is some form of government mandate on face coverings,” Dacona Smith, Chief Operating Officer for Walmart, said Wednesday in a press release. “To help bring consistency across stores and clubs, we will require all shoppers to wear a face covering starting Monday, July 20. This will give us time to inform customers and members of the changes, post signage and train associates on the new protocols.”

So, how have other local businesses adjusted to mask mandates? Employees, patrons and health officials in five states share their thoughts.

MICHIGAN

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer instituted a requirement for wearing masks in all retail establishments and indoor businesses as of Monday, July 13. In an address on Wednesday she urged residents to wear masks in public, after the state reported its largest increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases in nearly two months. Whitmer stated she may be forced to reinstate more restrictions if that trend continues.

At Neiman’s Family Market in Alpena, Michigan, owners hired a security company from the Detroit area to inform customers of the new mandate and to make sure patrons wear their masks before entering. They also handed out disposable masks to anyone who didn’t have a mask. But there have been confrontations and a handful of angry customers who argued about having to wear the masks.

“We had made that decision primarily because we had, from time to time, some issues that would come up, either between customers or even customers and staff, and we wanted to avoid that,” longtime grocer Hal Neiman said. “We knew we had to have someone out there in front of the store to inform them of the governor’s rule.”

He said there were some strong words directed toward the security guard on the first day.

“Throughout the day, we had a number of, something between probably six and 10 incidents where he was berated, he was challenged, he was confronted, and at one point, the language was pretty raw,” Neiman said. “A guy drove by blowing his horn after he didn’t get the answer he wanted. Some people were attempting to make a statement.”

Neiman said the executive order states that those with medical conditions do not have to wear a mask in the store, but the order is unclear as to what constitutes a medical condition. Some customers have cited that they are protected by HIPPA laws so they do not have to share their medical history with someone sitting at the entrance of a grocery store.

“At this point, it’s our understanding that if they state that they have a medical condition, they are allowed to enter the store,” Neiman noted.

He explained that the store is trying to abide by the laws while still offering a service to the community, and that it’s not easy for the retail establishments right now.

“People need food; what are you supposed to do?” Neiman said. “So that was a major issue. The biggest problem we have right now is if a number of people that say they have a medical condition enter the store, and there are people in the store wearing masks, then there’s certainly a probability that some of the mask-wearing people will be upset and call the health department and say, ‘They’re not enforcing the rule.’ Unfortunately, the rule is so unclear that it’s very difficult to know how you’re supposed to enforce it.

“You’re kind of caught between a rock and a hard place as a retailer,” he concluded.

Adam Poll, president and CEO of the Alpena Area Chamber of Commerce, said businesses should be “taking the necessary precautions.”

“They need to take measures so they can protect not only their workers but also their clientele,” Poll said.

He didn’t specifically endorse mask-wearing, but he said each business should do whatever they need to do to prevent another shutdown.

“I recommend that businesses do whatever they need to do to keep their doors open,” Poll said. “If that particular step helps out, then absolutely.”

Poll added that while he has not heard specific complaints about enforcing masks locally, “It can lead to a lot of conflict, and that’s certainly always a concern.”

Dr. Joshua Meyerson is the medical director for District Health Department No. 4, which includes Alpena County, as well as the Health Department of Northwest Michigan, and Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department.

“The reason why masks are so important is that there’s COVID circulating in our communities,” Meyerson said.

He said any time you go into public where a number of people are, you put yourself and others at risk for contracting the virus.

“There’s likely COVID there,” he said. “Someone in that area might have COVID, and that person might be you.”

Given that some people who are carrying the coronavirus have no symptoms at all, he said it is imperative that everybody follow the guidelines to protect each other, especially the vulnerable populations such as the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions.

“If everybody is wearing masks, they really help reduce the risk of disease transmission,” Meyerson said. “Masks are cheap and easy, and if we all wear them, we can keep doing the things we like to do.”

WEST VIRGINIA

Gov. Jim Justice ordered masks to be worn indoors by anyone age 9 and older nearly two weeks ago, but there is no enforcement component to the mandate.

And while Dr. Clay Marsh, who is heading the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, said statistics show wearing masks is important to stopping the spread of the virus, he is not sure requiring it by law is the way to go.

“(The governor) doesn’t want to turn that into a point of contention,” Marsh said. “One of the really secret sauces in West Virginia and elsewhere is to try to keep people together.”

The owner of St. Marys Hardware in Pleasants County said he’s not requiring masks in his store, though people who wear them are welcome.

“It’s not like I’m taking a stand against the governor or anybody,” Rod Sayre said. “It’s not a law; it’s a mandate.”

Sayre said he’s not “throwing caution to the wind” when it comes to the virus. The business requires social distancing and limits the number of people inside at one time. Countertops and other high-touch surfaces are cleaned and sanitized.

But some older employees with breathing issues may find wearing a mask difficult, while other customers simply don’t want to wear masks. And Sayre doesn’t see the need to start requiring them now, four months into the state’s pandemic response, with just half a dozen positive cases in Pleasants County.

If the mask mandate became a law, Sayre said he would comply, even though he believes it could slow his employees’ ability to respond to customers.

“If it came down to it, yeah,” he said. “I’m not a rebel law-breaker.”

The governor’s mask order includes exceptions for residences, when sitting at a table in a restaurant, when social distancing is possible and for people with breathing problems or who are unable to put on a mask without assistance.

The Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department, which covers six counties including Pleasants, has received several complaints about businesses not enforcing the mask requirement, said Carrie Brainard, public information officer.

“We follow up on each complaint, remind them that it is mandated by the governor,” she said. “At this time, there is no penalty, but the governor has said that might come.

“Most businesses, once we reach out to educate them, seem willing to comply,” Brainard added. “It is a learning curve.”

Marsh called wearing a mask or face covering “an act of altruism” to protect those who are more vulnerable to the virus due to age or underlying health conditions. One of the main factors in the spread seems to be individuals without symptoms who are nevertheless infected and contagious.

“Those things really should be the actions that we do for each other,” he said.

In Monongalia County, which has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the state, Morgantown City Council this week passed an emergency ordinance requiring masks, with a fine of $25 to $500 for violations.

KANSAS

As of Wednesday in Douglas County, Kansas, the public health department had received 88 complaints related to the mask mandate since it took effect on July 1.

The mandate requires that masks be worn in all public places such as retail or grocery stores, workplaces and public facilities. Masks must also be worn in all public spaces where six feet of social distancing cannot be maintained.

George Diepenbrock, spokesperson for the local health department, said most of the 88 complaints had been geared at businesses. Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health has a three step process for addressing the enforcement of its mask mandate in local businesses.

Complaints against businesses who are not enforcing the mask mandate will first be met with a call by the local health department to reinforce the requirements and ask for cooperation. If a second complaint is issued, a member of the health department will go to the business for an in-person conversation. A third complaint will be referred to law enforcement.

Businesses are responsible for enforcing the order on their premises, Diepenbrock said, but they are not responsible for outside spaces not in their control.

The Douglas County District Attorney’s Office will make decisions on a penalty for civil violations of the mask order based on information from law enforcement. Diepenbrock said they would handle any type of penalty for violation, whether it be a business or an individual.

As of Thursday, no court actions for potential violations had been initiated by the District Attorney’s office, trail assistant Dorothy Kliem said. Should action be taken, however, a person who is found to have intentionally violated the order may incur a civil penalty of up to $2,500 per violation, she said.

Diepenbrock said that in instances where the health department has needed to ask for compliance to the mask mandate, they have been “grateful” for the residents and businesses “who have complied as we believe this is an essential public health practice right now at limiting the spread of the coronavirus.”

Prior to the overarching mask mandate, many individual businesses in Downtown Lawrence required masks inside. As the Lawrence Journal-World reported in early June, business owners who required masks at that time said most of their customers were OK complying with the mandate.

OHIO

As life seems to be returning to normal, Ohioans are back to enjoying eating out, shopping at retail stores and visiting salons — all while wearing a mask. Susie Cramer, director of infection prevention & patient safety at Firelands Regional Medical Center, said this week that as things continue to open, donning face covering will be essential to combat the virus.

“Wearing a face mask will help prevent the spread of infection and prevent a person from contacting germs that are spread in the air,” Cramer said. “When the county is in a level 3, this denotes that the county is in a very high level of exposure and spread of the virus. Counties that are under a Red Alert Level 3 will be required to begin wearing masks in public areas, which increases protection for all residents during this ‘red’ level time period.”

She said face masks are part of an infection control strategy that acts as a barrier and eliminates cross-contamination.

“When someone coughs, talks or sneezes, they could release germs into the air that may infect others nearby,” Cramer said. “Masks are proven to prevent people from unknowingly passing the virus onto someone else, which is proven to prevent exposure and illness.”

Kristofer Wilster, director of environmental health of Trumbull County Combined Health District, said masks are important to slow the spread of the coronavirus. He suggested everyone follow the Ohio Department of Health’s orders to the best of their ability.

Meanwhile, some working in retail were skeptical about wearing a mask while on the job.

“When the mandate is not a thing, we are kind of leaving it up to personal preference for our customers,” Rena Arter, a sales associate for Arter Home Furnishings, said. “For me, it’s strictly on state guidelines. If I didn’t have to wear one, I probably wouldn’t.”

Melanie Myers, public information officer of Huron County Public Health, said COVID-19 spreads mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets products when an infected person coughs, talks or raises their voice.

“A cloth face covering may not protect the wearer but it may keep the wearer from spreading the virus to others,” Myers said. “Cloth face coverings are most likely to reduce the spread of COVID-19 when they are widely used by people in public settings.”

She said face covers are best in public settings when around others outside a household, particularly if social distancing is difficult to maintain.

“With this high exposure and spread, it is as important as ever to wear your mask to protect yourself and those around you,” she said. “Everyone who is able to wear a mask should while in public. Face coverings are not a substitute for other prevention efforts, such as hand-washing and social distancing. Continue to stay six feet from others whenever possible, to clean hands frequently and to follow the other prevention methods.”

PENNSYLVANIA

Greg Gold has “one or two” incidents a week of a customer becoming upset over having to wear a mask in his business. He said sometimes the situations “escalate to an unpleasant encounter.”

“It’s unfortunate because we’re not looking to be confrontational,” he said.

Gold and his brother, Chip Gold, own and operate multiple locations of Miller’s Ace Hardware stores in Washington County, Pennsylvania. The state’s secretary of the health department, Dr. Rachel Levine, signed an order earlier this month mandating that residents wear masks in public.

“We do have to take a stand for what we believe is important, to not only respect the mandate from the governor’s office and the guidelines from the CDC, but it’s what we believe as a company,” Greg Gold said.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Gold said he’s mandated that all employees and customers wear a mask while in their stores in order to ensure everyone’s safety. If customers don’t have one, they’ll provide a disposable one. If a customer can’t wear a mask for a medical or other reason, Gold said they offer curbside service and online shopping with pickup or delivery options.

“The vast majority of our customers are very understanding of the fact that we’re doing this to protect their health and the safety of our employees,” Gold said. “We were actually pleased to see some of the bigger national corporations and stores like Walmart take that step.”

Jeff Kotula, the Washington County Chamber of Commerce President, said that in his conversations with businesses, many feel the same as Gold.

“The first thing they’re aware of and prioritize is the safety of their customers and the safety of their employees,” he said.

Kotula said that health and safety aren’t the only risks when customers refuse to wear a mask. They could also “be costing a business owner their livelihood or an employee their job,” Kotula said.

According to Kotula, a majority of customers recognize the “severity” of the COVID-19 pandemic and are compliant with mask requirements in businesses. He said bars and restaurants have been the targets of mitigation efforts by the state “because that’s where people congregate.” People also don’t typically wear masks while eating or drinking.

“There is a clear relationship between public safety guidelines, such as wearing a mask, and the COVID-19 infection rate,” Kotula said. “The less people follow the CDC and Pennsylvania Department of Health guidelines, the more the coronavirus infection rate increases.”

Not following the guidelines, he said, has an economic impact too, because the infection rate increases almost guarantee longer-lasting restrictions from the state.

“Our businesses want to serve their customers and their employees want to work,” Kotula said. “We need to do our part to allow them to do so safely.”