As businesses seek to reopen amid the pandemic, cities are issuing mandatory mask orders to help stop the spread COVID-19 and giving businesses a directive to point to when patrons refuse to wear face coverings.
Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide mask order in late June, but enforcement is up to local authorities. On July 22, the City and County of San Francisco issued a mask order that makes it a misdemeanor for individuals who refuse to comply. An earlier order said businesses had to enforce the mask wearing order or potentially face suspension of dining operations.
San Francisco is not alone in issuing crackdown measures, ABC7 reported, which come as more businesses have had to alter operations after employees were harassed by customers who wouldn’t put on a mask. In one case, a restaurant even chose to temporarily close after tiring of “the constant conflicts over guests refusing to wear masks,” CBS reported.
In San Francisco, the Golden Gate Restaurant Association (GGRA) and San Francisco Travel Association launched a campaign July 29 to help promote the importance of face coverings.
“The GGRA fully supports the San Francisco regulations on mask wearing,” GGRA executive director Laurie Thomas, told the Northern California Record by email.
At restaurants it’s critical that guests wear masks anytime they are not eating or drinking, including while waiting for a table and before and after food is served, Thomas said. And continued clear communications from the city about the rules is essential, such as posters for displaying in restaurants so guests know what’s required, added Thomas, who also serves on the San Francisco Economic Recovery Task Force.
The consensus among industry leaders is that masks are essential to helping stop spread of the coronavirus – and to keeping business open.
“Failure to obey these regulations put both individual establishments and outdoor dining in general at risk,” Thomas said. “Customers wearing their masks helps to protect our staff and help ensure we can continue to be able to do outside dining, and hopefully at some point in the future, be able to move to inside dining again.”