Mask up Tri-Cities, and show some consideration for others | Editorial

Far too many Tri-Citians still are not wearing masks when they go out in public, and it is past time for an attitude adjustment.

People who readily accept other hygiene rules — like “No shirt, no shoes, no service” — have yet to catch on to the importance of covering up during the coronavirus outbreak.

While the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initially maintained that healthy people did not need to wear masks to prevent the spread of the disease, that position was reversed in early April.

The CDC switched its recommendation after increasing evidence showed it is possible for people with no symptoms to spread the deadly virus.

The bottom line is that wearing a mask is not about you — it’s about being considerate and protective of others.

A mask won’t fully protect the person wearing it from contracting the disease, but it does significantly reduce the risk of infecting someone else.

By now, most people would be appalled if they walked into a grocery store or pharmacy and saw employees working without masks and gloves. Yet, as customers, they don’t seem to understand that preventive measures should work both ways.

Store clerks shouldn’t have to interact with people who refuse to wear masks. If they can tell a shirtless, barefoot customer to leave for cleanliness reasons, why not do the same to the unmasked, potential germ spreaders?

Costco already has implemented a policy requiring their customers wear masks in the store. However, managers of most other Tri-City shops have yet to go that far. They appear to be hoping people will step up voluntarily.

Judging from casual observation of various check-out lines, Tri-Citians can do better.

Some people mask up when shopping, but too many still don’t.

For some who aren’t wearing masks, we imagine they haven’t yet embraced the seriousness of the coronavirus.

They may not be purposely inconsiderate; they simply don’t fully understand how deadly COVID-19 is, and that cases in Benton and Franklin Counties continue to rise along with the death count.

For other unmasked shoppers, their reasons could be political. A growing number of people are refusing to wear masks as a sign of protest against the government in general and Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-home order, in particular.

They are angry that the coronavirus has disrupted their lives, shut down businesses and closed schools. They believe not wearing a mask is one way they can vent their frustration.

Ironically, such an act of defiance only slows the economic recovery we all want.

Refusing to wear a mask contributes to the spread of the coronavirus, and Inslee won’t reopen Benton and Franklin counties if cases are surging.

In some parts of Washington state, wearing masks in public is so common that any decent person who forgets to wear one is embarrassed.

The Tri-Cities is not at that point yet, but we need to get there — the sooner the better.

This story was originally published May 13, 2020 at 12:24 PM.