Alicia Garza, barber and owner of a beauty salon for the past 19 years in the city of Bell, he says that until today they have not been touched by anyone who gets heavy when they ask him to wear mask to receive service.
“Normally when they are already vaccinated, they arrive without a mask, but I explain that for their safety and my own, it is better than the use, and if you don’t bring, we offer you ”.
Although some merchants like Garza agree on the mandatory use of face masks, others think that it can affect sales at times when hardly recover from the economic impact of the pandemic.
Garza still does not know how people will react to the new mandate issued by the Los Angeles County Department of Health that made the use of masks in interiors of public spaces mandatory again as of Sunday 18 July, no matter if The person is vaccinated or not.
The mandate was given since July 4 and one month after the reopening of the economy the 15 June covid broadcast – 19 in the county, has risen rapidly to very alarming levels.
“Some clients who come to the salon do not want to use the mask because they say they have already been vaccinated, but you cannot know if they are telling the truth; And since in our work, we cannot maintain social distance and we work very close, it is better that both they and we wear a mask, even though it is more difficult for us to work in those conditions ” says Garza.
And he understands that people are already tired and angry from wearing the mask for more than a year; and it is also hot, but he says that this new variant is very contagious and you have to take care of yourself. “It scares me very much,” says Garza, owner of the Designers Beauty salon and a Juice Bar.
The Los Angeles County Health Department released that for the nearly 4 million people who have not been vaccinated, including 1.3 million children under the age of years, the alarming increase covid represents a real risk.
Arturo Aguilar, owner of the restaurant and bakery El Valle Oaxaqueño in the city of Los Angeles, says that he has instructed his employees to ask clients as kindly as possible to wear the mask, even if they are already vaccinated.
“Many times they justify not bringing masks, saying that they have already been vaccinated, but we still ask them to put it on, and if they don’t have one, we give them one”, he says.
And he comments that on a few occasions, there has been a case that some customers get upset and leave, when they have been asked to comply with The order to use the mask.
Regarding the order to use the mask again, Aguilar maintains that the pandemic is not over yet and we have to protect us all with the vaccine and the use of a mask.
The obligation to use the mask is for c businesses, gyms, restaurants, theaters, entertainment centers, meetings, and private and government offices serving the public.
In the last three days, the new cases of covid in Los Angeles, have exceeded 1, 500 per day. The 16 July were 1, 902; the 17 July 1, 800; and the 18 July 1, 635.
Statewide, there were 14, 80 cases between Friday and Sunday, with 2, 013 hospitalized.
Paul Peñuelas, The owner of the El Perihuete seafood restaurant in the Los Angeles County city of Paramount, anticipates there will be problems with the new order to wear masks. “We ask clients in the best way to put on the mask for the good of all, and the 50% complies, but there is another 50% resisting; and whether or not you want the mask to return is a loss of customers because there are people who don’t like it. ”
So it worries you the reactivation of the order of forced use of masks because it considers it has the potential to reduce sales. “ It’s a step back. We can only hope that the rebound in covid cases is composed ”.
At the level staff, Peñuelas considers that the use of masks is a safety belt against covid .
The use of masks in Los Angeles County was eliminated on of June when the economy in California reopened.
Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County Director of Public Health, states that the county continues to see alarming trends of increased community transmission.
“The spread of the contagious Delta variant along with with individuals without a mask that is not known if they are vaccinated, it has caused a rapid spread of covid – 19 which is resulting in a significant increase in cases and hospitalizations. ”
It points out that by using masks in closed spaces in public and work places, we can once again stop the spread of the virus. “Many companies and workplaces are doing their part by putting up signs and asking employees and customers to wear a mask inside. Please do your part and cooperate! ”
If they are not yet vaccinated, Dr. Ferrer asks to take additional precautions. “Since vaccines remain the most powerful tool to reduce the spread, now is the time to get vaccinated. We need to lower transmission rates so that when schools open next month, there is much less risk. ”