6 July 2020 — 0346 mdt
Voluntary face masks is a failed policy
Most customers in most Montana stores do not comply
with social distancing traffic controls or wear face masks
Interesting in shopping safely? Go to Costco. You can’t enter the store unless you’re wearing a mask. And if you “forget” your mask, the helpful gatekeepers will provide one for you. Once in the building, few revert to barefaced defiance.
Across Highway 93, at Walmart, it’s a different story. Friday evening the store was at capacity. I had to wait for someone to exit before I could enter. Credit Walmart for enforcing its capacity. Once in the store, I found the employees were masked — and that most of the customers were not. Some of the barefaced attempted to maintain a social distance, but most just concentrated on shopping, going the wrong way on clearly marked one-way aisles, and getting as close to you as necessary to grab a can of beans.
Yesterday, at Albertsons in Kalispell, Friday’s barefaced chaos repeated itself. A few customers wore masks and observed the one-way markers.
A few minutes later at Ace Hardware, more masked employees serving barefaced customers. I’ve encountered similar scenes at auto parts and home improvement stores.
Most customers — despite plenty of evidence to the contrary — are behaving as though the SARS=cov-2 virus has gone away forever.
As increasing daily tallies of new Covid-19 cases prove, the coronavirus still among us, infecting the careless and reckless at an alarming rate.
Even Vice President Mike Pence, and President Trump (in a petulantly grudging and insouciant manner), now urge people to Mask Up — but when masking up is voluntary, the vast majority of people are not masking up — regardless of what they tell pollsters. Ignore the surveys, to which people are responding with socially acceptable answers, and trust your eyes as you shop: bare faces vastly outnumber masked mugs.
A government mask mandate helps store owners
Costco has the right policy. All stores should adopt it, and the government should help the storekeepers by mandating that masks be worn indoors outside one’s home, and in gathering everywhere.
Gov. Bullock urges wearing masks, but it’s a recommendation, not a mandate. Running against Steve Daines for the U.S. Senate, Bullock does not want to anger the Republicans and Independents with libertarian leaning that he needs to win in a state that voted solidly for Trump in 2016.
But decisive local action can mitigate Bullock’s reluctance to pick up a hammer and nail a mandate proclamation to the wall.
Whitefish’s face mask resolution
In Whitefish, reports the Daily InterLake, the city council tonight will consider a resolution encouraging people to wear face masks:
Specifically, the resolution states all individuals should wear masks or cloth face coverings over their noses and mouths when indoors in public settings or communal spaces outside the home. That includes city parks, sidewalks, shared-use paths or other public rights of way.
It advises employers to provide access to masks for employees and that employers “require employees to utilize them while at work.”
“Businesses should recommend that patrons wear masks or cloth face coverings and clearly post signs stating such recommendation,” the resolution further states.
If adopted by the council, the resolution would take effect immediately, and language in the directive potentially sets the stage for a mask mandate if the resolution fails to achieve the desired results.
“If the city of Whitefish determines the above guidelines are not being adhered to, the city will consider passing an ordinance which will require that such guidelines be adhered to and provide penalties for non-compliance,” the resolution states.
Politically, Whitefish must try strongly recommending masks before mandating them. But strong recommendations won’t get the job done. Voluntary mask wearing is a Covid-19 friendly policy.
Do most barefaced shoppers regard face
masks solely as self-protection devices?
I think many might. In my woodshop, I wear a mask when sawing, sanding, and painting, as well as ear and eye protection. Many white working class men, the demographic most likely to scoff at wearing face masks to counter the coronavirus pandemic, have, or have had, jobs that require wearing masks for personal safety. They ask whether a cloth mask will protect one from inhaling the virus, conclude, with considerable justification, that cotton is no match for Mr. Covid, and decide to go barefaced without ever considering that masks also are devices for protecting others.
With some of this cohort, a little eduction — Bob’s mask protects Alice and Alice’s mask protects Bob — might work wonders. Others will continue going barefaced, falsely likening wearing a face mask to wearing a seat belt, and blustering that wearing a mask announces cowardice. Most of these men may be beyond redemption, but some might be reached by pro-masked chest thumpers no one can accuse of being sissies.
Our political, civic, business, and religious, leaders need to redouble their efforts to cajole, and if necessary, corece, Montanans and visitors into wearing masks. Until a vaccine for SARS-cov-2 is available, and/or a cure for Covid-19 is found, wearing face masks and maintaining a safe social distance are our primary tools for staying relatively safe while reopening the economy. If we let our masks down, Mr. Covid will knock us on our southern exposures.