As states begin the process of trying to safely re-open public spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic, few issues have proven to be more controversial than whether people should be required to wear face masks when out of the house.
Some states have seen well-publicized protests regarding face masks, and it has become a surprisingly partisan issue, with 75% of Democrats in favor of wearing masks compared to 53% of Republicans, according to a recent survey .
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Guidance from public health authorities on wearing masks has been evolving throughout the pandemic, and a recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine recommended advocating for wearing masks in public to curb the spread of disease.
While some states have allowed businesses to set their own mask-wearing policies, New York has been clear about mandating masks in public.
On April 17, Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered New Yorkers to wear masks when outside the home and when they are unable to practice proper social distancing.
Grocery shopping certainly qualifies, and when one person flouted the order at a Staten Island ShopRite, their fellow shoppers got angry, and it was all captured on video.
In the video, customers at the store notice a woman not wearing a mask and start screaming at her until she leaves the store.
The video spread quickly on a variety of social media platforms, with the Twitter version in particular gaining more than 7 million views, 20,000 retweets, and 116,000 likes in a matter of days. McAuley Holmes, who posted the video to Twitter, told Heavy that he found it on Reddit.
The video’s spread was quick and reached many platforms.
For instance, a Facebook post of the video, with the caption “What happens in Staten Island when you don’t wear a mask in Shoprite!” has racked up more than 2,000 reactions and 6,500 shares.
The scene of a customer being chased out of a grocery store by an angry mob has inspired a range of emotions.
The angry shoppers had plenty of supporters online.
“Good for them. I’m thankful that in Colorado, mask wearing is required in grocery stores. Employees are stationed by the single entry, to both count customers coming in (there is a max amount allowed) and to refuse entry if no mask,” wrote one person.
One user was quick to remind everyone that disregard for public safety doesn’t just affect the person engaging in unsafe practices.
“Sorry to say but WE ALL HAVE LOVED ONES AT HOME!!! wear the mask or get the steppin’ i aint having my family sick cause careless ppl didnt wanna follow the rules!!!” wrote another.
However, even those who support mask-wearing in public spaces had some reservations.
In particular, the tactics of the crowd made many uncomfortable to say the least.
“Wow. So bullying is the right answer?! Maybe the store should not allow people to go in?! Maybe should of asked if she has or mask or needed one, but calling someone a pig?? Love the guy screaming at her pulls his mask down to do it!!” wrote one person.
For one person, the aggression in the shoppers’ response left a familiar, but unpleasant taste in their mouth.
“Does no one see how this behavior is every last drop as bad as the unmasked people berating journos and others WITH masks on???” wrote another user. “If the act in question would be unacceptable from those with whom you disagree, it’s not right for you to do it, either. That’s life in a society.”
Many also questioned where the store’s responsibility lies in all this.
“From what I can see in the video it seems there aren’t employees of the store involved in removing the shopper,” Holmes told Heavy . “Obviously private businesses have the right to refuse service to non-mask wearers, but a group of shoppers is different. Masks are important in stopping the spread and wearing one is a sign of respect to others. It’s understandable that people would be so serious about community enforcement in a place like Staten Island that has been hit so hard by COVID.”
Actor Jeffrey Wright broke down why Staten Island residents might have reacted so strongly.
In a tweet referring to the video, Wright explained that COVID-19 has taken a large toll on Staten Island:
“Staten Island is NYC’s most conservative borough. 56.05% voted for Trump in 2016. Population of 476,143 people and almost 800 confirmed COVID dead to this point. Extrapolated over the US population that’s about 550,000 dead. So nah, they ain’t havin it,” he wrote .
At present, 12 states require residents to wear masks when they can’t practice social distancing.
The CDC recommends wearing a mask to prevent the spread of disease, and University of San Francisco scientist Jeremy Howard, who has extensively studied the research on mask-wearing, noted that masks can indeed have an effect.
“We can see directly that a piece of cloth blocks those droplets and the virus those droplets contain,” he wrote in The Conversation . “People without symptoms who don’t even know they are sick are responsible for around half of the transmission of the virus. We should all wear masks.”
ShopRite has since reacted to the video.
“Preventing the spread of COVID-19 is a shared responsibility,” the company said in a statement, according to CBS News , “At ShopRite, we continue to adhere to our sanitation and social distancing protocols to ensure our stores remain a safe place for associates and customers to work and shop. We are all in this together and we ask for everyone to be patient and understanding during this difficult time.”
