Some stores still encourage face masks
Ravin Shah, owner and CEO of A-1 Pharmacy & Surgical Supply in Lexington, sanitizes the interior of the store, where face masks are required for staff and customers. {Vikki Broughton Hodges/Davidson Local}
Although a statewide face mask mandate for indoor spaces has expired, some Lexington businesses are posting signs requesting — or even requiring — customers to continue wearing masks.
The reason, according to business owners, is the rapidly rising number of COVID-19 cases in Davidson County as the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus has become the dominant strain. The county also has a relatively low vaccination rate.
In addition, while Gov. Roy Cooper let the statewide mask mandate expire July 30, he has advised people, vaccinated or not, to continue to wear masks in indoor spaces. Centers for Disease Control guidance recommends everyone wear a mask in all indoor public spaces if they live in areas of high or substantial levels of transmission, which includes all 100 counties in North Carolina.
At A-1 Pharmacy in the Forest Hill Center on Highway 64 West, owner Ravin Shah said he has kept his sign, “Face Masks Required,” posted at the entrance since the pandemic began. Signs on the floor six feet apart read “Thank you for practicing social distancing.” Shah, CEO of the pharmacy chain that has other locations in Greensboro, Concord and Marshville, said all the pharmacies follow the same guidance.
Just as Shah was being interviewed about the pharmacy mask policy, an older man walked into the business without a mask. Shah politely asked him to follow store policy and offered him a free surgical mask. The customer said he had been vaccinated and added that he “thought this was a free country.” But he took the mask and put it on —then purchased a rapid Covid-19 home test.
“People think if they’re vaccinated they don’t need a mask anymore,” Shah noted.
Changing CDC guidelines have confused people, he said, noting when the agency ruled that vaccinated people didn’t need to wear face masks, the Delta variant, which health officials say is three times more contagious than the original virus, was not yet the dominant strain.
“I lot of times, the mask is not for you — it’s for others,” he stressed.
Since many of his customers are seniors, Shah intends to keep virus protocols in place, including having staff wear masks as well as customers, sanitizing surfaces and keeping plexiglass partitions on the counter between customers and staff. He believes such protocols kept flu cases low last winter.
Chris Briggs, owner of Tastings Wine and Beer, at 312 E. Center St., has a sign at the front door stating “Face Mask Requested” — which he has had up since the pandemic began. He considered taking it down earlier this summer but was glad he didn’t as local cases started surging in the past three to four weeks.
Like Shah, Briggs said he wants his older customer base to feel protected inside his business.
“I think the vast majority of my customers are vaccinated but I don’t want to risk anybody’s health with this Delta variant.” Briggs explained he has not offered wine tastings since February 2020.
The store owner said he has only had one person refuse to comply with the mask request. “He said he had underlying health issues.”
At Butcher’s Block, at 30 W. Second Ave. in uptown Lexington, customers are greeted with a “Please wear a mask when inside. Thank you for your cooperation” sign. Owner Eric Everhart has had that sign up for about three weeks.
“I’ve followed the governor’s recommendations all along,” Everhart said, adding he requires all employees to wear masks and prefers that customers do as well.
At his second Butcher’s Block location in Winston-Salem, Everhart said mask-wearing compliance is much higher because the mayor there recently enacted a citywide mask mandate, as have several other cities, such as Raleigh, and counties such as Guilford.
Several local grocery stores, which require staff to wear masks, have signs suggesting customers wear masks. Lidl simply has a sign stating “Face Mask Recommended” at the entrance. Food Lion has signs asking people to social distance and suggesting customers follow CDC guidelines to wear face masks in high transmission areas.
AN-Nails in Forest Hill Center has held steadfast in its stance: “Our mask policy has not changed. We still require masks for all customers. Thank you for your continued support — Management.”
