DOVER, Del.- Ron Vauvitt of Dover walked into the Safeway Market in Dover on Tuesday doing something he'd never done before: wear a mask to cover his mouth and nose.
"It's different. I haven't worn it up until today," he said.
That mask was required for entry to the grocery store under a new provision under Gov. John Carney's updated state of emergency and executive orders for Delaware during the COVID-19 pandemic. The governor this past weekend ordered that people must wear some sort of face covering when entering many businesses and public places, though children younger than 13 can abstain from wearing one.
The measure does have an exemption for people who have medical conditions that may cause shortness of breath to occur when a mask is worn.
During a Tuesday press briefing on the state's response to COVID-19, Delaware Division of Public Health director Dr. Karyl Rattay said the mask mandate can help stem the spread of COVID-19 from people who don't realize they are sick with the coronavirus and cough or sneeze in places where other people are gathered.
"Asymptomatic spread of this virus is so much more common and prevalent than we ever imagined," she said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on its website that it "recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain" like grocery stores and pharmacies, especially in places where there is evidence of significant community spread.
State leaders have said masks and social distancing could become part of a "new normal" that may extend beyond the next several weeks, even as Delaware reopens non-essential businesses and institutions closed during the pandemic.
"I think hopefully everybody takes heed to it---you know, more hygiene and social distancing," Vauvitt said, noting those practices could help during the next flu season.
But even though face masks and other coverings are required, some say it's not the most pleasant experience to wear one for long periods of time.
"It's hard to breathe," said Peggy Burkert of Dover.
Under the governor's mandate, businesses will have until 8 a.m. Friday to implement a number of steps like:
- Require employees to wear a face covering while working in areas open to the public and in areas where coming within 6 feet of other staff is likely.
- Provide, at the business' expense, face coverings and hand sanitizer for their employees.
- Deny entry to individuals who do not have a face covering - or if one is not available for them.
- If any business denying entry is providing medication, medical supplies, or food, the business must provide alternate methods of pickup or delivery.
Although many businesses have adopted those requirements, some believe the governor's order is too heavy-handed.
Jeremy Crompton, the owner of Luigi's Pizza in Woodside, drew significant backlash on social media after posts opposing the mask mandate.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Crompton said he apologized for insensitive language toward people with mental disabilities used in separate posts by his brother, who works at the pizzeria, but reiterated that he felt the mask policy was not practical for food service workers.
"The reason is pretty straight forward, too. Since none fit well, they always need constant adjusting. The mask, by its nature is automatically contaminated and the risk of cross contamination goes through the roof," he wrote.
The restaurant's apology post garnered more than 1,000 comments and hundreds of shares as of Tuesday afternoon, with many users criticizing Crompton's response to the situation.
"One minute he said the words were wrong but he was still right," said Amber Carroll, of Kent County, who was among the Facebook users who first drew attention to the initial posts.
Crompton, who is the father of a child with special needs, said in an interview on Tuesday that his brother used the wrong language but the mandate on masks for workers is still "another overreach" by state government.
"It's part of my life---keeping this store clean and keeping the food good and tasty so my customers keep coming back, even if a frustrated pizza man got smart with someone," he said.
Should restaurant operators consider defying the mask mandate, Carney on Tuesday said they should adhere to the order so that the state could clamp down on the spread of coronavirus and move closer to reopening the state's economy.
"Those employers who are thinking that way should think about themselves and their own employees," he said.