Even with it being a state mandate that you’re required to wear a mask in all indoor spaces in the state of Oregon, some businesses have opted not to enforce it.
An employee at Safeway, who declined to give his name said sometimes it’s not worth the fight, “if they’re coming in without a mask, we give them a mask to put on so we can help them and usually an argument happens, we’ve given up enforcing it.”
For some people, they say a quick stop at a convenience store turns into more of an inconvenience because they don’t want to have to wear a mask. Other employees working at national chains said they couldn’t talk about the mandate, citing store policies against speaking to the media.
In August, Governor Kate Brown announced a statewide indoor making mandate to “help stop the highly contagious Delta variant from spreading further.” The current mandate is set to expire in February, but officials are already making plans to extend that and make it a permanent fixture.
The Oregon Health Authority is expected to release the ‘permanent mandate plan’ some time in December and hold a public hearing in January.
Mask History
The original mask mandate came to be enforced when the first COVID cases were found in Oregon. Everyone from Governor Brown to Samaritan doctor Adam Brady to the OHA urged people to mask up to prevent the spread of the virus. But there have consistently been people who just don’t want to wear them – right here in our markets.
As the mandate went on and the vaccines came available, the need for masks was questioned. As children went back to school in masks, there were some in the top levels of certain schools who worked against it.
In April, we even took a look at states where permanent mask mandates may be happening. Yet, the fight goes on between store employees and those who don’t want to cover their mouth and nose in order to protect others.
By Jennifer Williams
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