I tried to patronize several local businesses recently, however, the bare minimum of public health precautions, including social distancing and masks, were not being used, so I left. But I still need the things I had hoped to buy, so now I’m trying to figure out how to get them.
Local community members would love to spend their dollars here, just like we always have, but we can’t do that if businesses treat our community’s health so cavalierly that their businesses are COVID-19 transmission hot spots.
In order to buy things without transmitting COVID-19, people need employees and customers to wear masks, businesses need to help customers social distance with clearly marked in and out doors, clear one-way aisles and clearly marked queue spaces in all lines. Customers also need to be provided hand sanitizer after they touch public pay keypads.
And workers should be protected from customers, including by using plexiglass screens at registers. No workers should be asked to continually risk infection for their jobs, and no community member should be asked to put employees at risk.
These precautions are respectful, sensible and could have been implemented this winter. Instead, we’ve seen infections continue to spread in our communities, killing some and sickening many. Because businesses have not implemented basic, simple, free and inexpensive sanitary practices, locals are forced to do without or shop outside the community, often online.
Rachel ShockleyBayfield
