Macon businesses make their own mask rules after Kemp’s ban as COVID-19 spreads in GA
Gov. Brian Kemp’s new executive order prohibits cities and counties from enforcing mask mandates. Several Georgia cities including Atlanta, Savannah and Athens had passed ordinances requiring most people to wear masks in public.
Local businesses and national retails chains have begun to require customers to wear masks. Some Macon small business owners have closed their restaurants down again after employees contracted COVID-19 or proactively shuttered to protect their staffs.
Kinjo Kitchen + Cocktails recently reopened after closing for two weeks because an employee was potentially exposed to COVID-19 at another job. Chelsea Hughes, one of three owners of Kinjo, said that during those two weeks she had discussions with her team about what would make them feel safe upon returning to work. She decided to require customers to wear masks when entering the business and interacting with employees. Kinjo already had mask mandate for employees.
“I care a lot about my staff. I care a lot about my business. I can’t run my business without my staff,” Hughes said. “It made the most sense for all of us to ask our customers to show the same respect to us that we showed to them… I want to create an environment where everybody knows that I am taking every measure possible to prevent the further spread of this virus in our community.”
Since reopening Hughes said a few of potential customers have refused to comply with the new rules. All customers who refuse to wear a mask are turned away. Hughes said that she doesn’t expect people to wear mask while they eat or drink but doesn’t feel it is too much to ask when it comes to interacting with the staff and walking through the facility.
“I’m comfortable enforcing it because chances are the person that tries to walk in my door and have an attitude with my staff about wearing a mask may not have been that great of the customer anyway,” Hughes said. ”If it offends you that I am taking dramatic efforts to slow the spread of this virus, then again, I don’t really want your business anyway.”
‘We thought everyone would do better’
Macon Beer Company decided to shut down operations due to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases. Before the shutdown, all employees were required to wear masks. Yash Patel, the owner of Macon Beer Company, decided to close to protect his employees.
“They’re the ones who come in day in and day out and take care of the customers and are really on the front lines: they are the ones that have the highest risk,” Patel said. “We decided that the most responsible thing we could do for our staff and our team was to close down before any of them got sick.”
The recent increase in coronavirus cases was something that Patel was hoping that Macon could avoid by following the CDC guidelines and wearing masks around town. He said that expected residents and businesses to do a better job of considering the safety of others.
“We thought everybody in downtown would do better. But there was irresponsibility on all and seems some folks just didn’t take the issue seriously,” Patel said. “There’s this fatigue of being cooped up... we should make sure everybody’s being responsible, not only for their own health, but the health of the other people in the community.”
Officials beg residents to put on masks
Kemp’s order comes as Georgians are infected with COVID-19 and hospitalized for treatment at record rates, filling up critical care beds across the state. No Middle Georgia counties or cities had passed mask requirements, although Bibb County leaders recently responded to record local coronavirus cases by shutting down playgrounds, basketball courts and park pavilions and halting special event permits.
Earlier this month, Macon-Bibb County Mayor Robert Reichert said a local mask mandate would not only contradict Kemp’s orders, but also would be difficult to implement. Reichert recently issued an executive order encouraging Maconites to wear masks.
“I think it would be difficult if not impossible to enforce, and I don’t think it would be much different than what this order does – to urge and request and implore people… to do what they need to do and for businesses to do what they need to do to slow the spread of COVID-19,” Reichert said.
This story was originally published July 17, 2020 at 5:55 AM.
