No shirt, no shoes, no mask, no service? Will SLO County mandate face coverings?
Local grocery store workers have asked the San Luis Obispo County public health officer to mandate customers wear masks — a desire underscored by a clerk who told officials Tuesday she feels at risk just going to work.
Several local grocery stores require customers wear masks, including Costco, beginning May 4 — and that’s perfectly legal, according to the county’s attorney. But, despite some public requests, there is no countywide order legally requiring residents and visitors to mask up. And that won’t likely change soon.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says cloth masks, when worn correctly, can prevent the spread of COVID-19 and help prevent community spread by people who don’t know they are infected.
However, the effectiveness of cloth masks to reduce spread of the virus is unclear due to a lack of evidence of the size of droplets blocked by a homemade mask.
Monterey County on Tuesday issued an order requiring residents to wear a face covering when going out into the public, with some exceptions. Failure to comply with the order could be considered a threat to public health, punishable by a fine or imprisonment.
It’s unlikely that San Luis Obispo County will issue a similar order anytime soon, based on comments made by county Public Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein.
SLO County’s guidance on wearing masks
The issue was raised Tuesday by Supervisor Adam Hill and a grocery clerk of 22 years who said her anxiety is intolerable when confronted by a member of the public who chooses not to wear a mask.
“Speaking to that, we’d like ... people on the front lines to feel they are being protected and respected,” Hill said, adding that tourists are coming here from areas where cases are more common, like Los Angeles.
Borenstein replied that she has recommended but not required people where masks when they go out in public and are unable to maintain a safe social distance from others.
“The approach that we’ve taken is to add an additional layer of protection as the data dictates — understanding that not everybody has a mask, that we continue to ask for the manufacturing of additional masks, (and) some people cannot wear masks,” Borenstein said, adding, “I do not want people with respiratory disease, asthma, or COPD to wear masks.
“There also is the potential downside of people not caring for their masks (proper cleaning), of not using them appropriately and having a false sense of protection.”
It remains a tool in the tool box, she said, and “We retain the ability to take that additional step if and when the situation in our county warrants,” she said.
“I want the people who are working on the front lines — be it grocery store, pharmacies, other essential businesses, our first responders — to know that we care deeply about their health and their protection,” Borenstein said.
But for now, she said, being aware of social distancing and using hand sanitizer are better measures for people to take.
