(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Jeff D’Andrea

Mask Wearing

Some customers still not wearing masks in stores that require it

Sep 24, 2020 | 1:52 PM

Every health expert, official, doctor and scientist has made clear the wearing of a mask is vital at times like these.

But even in stores like Walmart and the Real Canadian Superstore, that have had mandatory mask wearing policies since the middle of August, there are still shoppers that walk the aisles without any face coverings. And it appears enforcing these policies is not so simple.

On Wednesday morning, paNOW went to Walmart to take a quick lap of the store to see how much they are cracking down. It’s quite evident at the door they’re taking things seriously. There were security guards and Walmart associates at both entrances, along with hand sanitization stations.

But beyond those checkpoints at the door, people were freely walking around without masks.

Although every employee and many shoppers were complying to the rule, 10 people (excluding toddlers and children) were spotted not wearing masks during paNOW’s short visit. At one point, three people not wearing masks walked right in front of a Walmart employee who held a clipboard. The employee did not approach the customers about the mandatory mask-wearing policy.

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“We trust our customers and believe the vast majority are abiding by our policy. Customers refusing to wear a face covering will be denied entry to the store,” Walmart’s manager of corporate affairs Felicia Fefer said in a statement to paNOW by email. “We have an associate at the door who reminds customers about the policy and takes reasonable measures to enforce it.”

When asked a follow-up question by email on what those enforcement measures are, Fefer did not respond.

According to Fefer, safety being “a top priority at Walmart” and Health Canada identifying that masks can reduce the spread of infectious droplets and viruses played into Walmart’s decision to make masks mandatory. And since over 60 per cent of Walmart’s locations in Canada were already mandated by local governments to make masks mandatory, Fefer said Walmart made the decision to make masks mandatory in all of their stores to “bring more consistency.”

A very similar situation was observed at Superstore Wednesday. There were signs informing customers about their policy, and one associate at a hand sanitization station, supplying sanitizer and masks.

Once inside the store though, it didn’t take long to spot the first person without a mask. Only about half the customers in Superstore were wearing them during paNOW’s short visit.

At one point, a cashier was helping two people who were not wearing their masks. As they were gathering their last items, another person not wearing a mask started to load their items onto the conveyor belt. All three customers were checked out and went on their way without any discussion about the store’s mandatory mask policy.

“We all have a role to play in keeping one another safe and we expect our customers to respectfully comply with our Covid related policies, including masks where required and when they are able. Our colleagues are busy working hard to keep Canadians safe, happy, and fed,” Loblaw Public Relations said in an email. “While stores respectfully remind customers of these policies, for their own safety, we do not require them to enforce them. Customers can speak to the store manager if they have questions or concerns about the policies and procedures at their local store.”

The debate over whether face masks should be mandatory continues with calls for everyone in a public space in Saskatchewan to wear a face covering. There’s been an online petition to challenge Premier Scott Moe and the Saskatchewan government to make masks mandatory. Since the beginning of July, Moe has also publicly talked multiple times about the possibility making face masks mandatory for various situations.

Some municipal jurisdictions like Toronto are imposing fines on businesses that do not enforce their mandatory face wearing.

But the issue of enforcement appears challenging. Should store employees be dealing directly with customers who refuse to wear their masks once in store? Should the store manager be asking people to leave? And having security guards stand over every aisle is not the solution, either.

Editor’s note. This story was amended to include comments from Loblaw Public Relations.

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW