The owner of Foodland in Stroud says he thinks mandatory face masks in enclosed public areas will be a good thing.
“We’re looking forward to it,” said Troy Scott, owner of Foodland Stroud. “Making it mandatory makes it that level of security where everybody is on the same page.”
On July 7, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit announced that, as of July 13, members of the public will be required to wear face coverings in enclosed public areas to prevent the possible spread of COVID-19.
Scott said most people have been wearing face coverings in the grocery store to date.
“In the last three weeks we’ve noticed a large increase. I would say 75 per cent of the customers are currently wearing masks,” he said. “Most people have taken it fairly serious.”
He notes the store serves Sandycove Acre residents who may be more at risk from the virus.
“We all want to get through this together and be as safe as possible,” he said, adding the store will provide face masks to people who don’t have one. “We’re lucky with our head office being able to source the masks. I’ve been able to do some locally here, too.”
In the same plaza in Stroud, Innisfil Tailoring is making cloth face masks for other businesses and individuals. That’s where Scott got some more masks for his staff.
Two customers outside the Foodland store said they had no problem with the mandatory mask order.
“We’re surprised that the staff don’t wear masks,” George Tamaki said.
Face coverings had been optional for staff at the Foodland location, with face shields mandatory in some departments where physical distancing wasn’t possible.
“If it helps prevent germs from spreading, it’s definitely a good thing,” Lyn Tamaki said of the new mask requirement.
Shane MacDonald, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Barrie Advance
