COVID Safety Matters

Local businesses take note: three strikes and you’re out for those of us who want to be able to shop safely during a pandemic.

After several months of avoiding in-person shopping, I’ve been trying to go into local stores to support them. The lowered COVID-19 numbers in our county had seem to indicate that we’re getting a clue about how to operate safely — namely by wearing face coverings and keeping physical distance. Many are no longer offering curbside service if they ever were.

In the past day and a half I have walked into three places of business only to find none of the staff wearing masks properly or even at all. This includes Pottery Barn, Santa Barbara Design Center, and Montecito Natural Foods.

I would really like to be able to support local businesses at this difficult time. I recognize the economic stressors that they are facing. But if they cannot obey local and state public health orders and do not care enough about their customers or the community to try to prevent the spread of coronavirus, then I am under no obligation to try to help them and I will be ordering online for the foreseeable future.

I suspect I’m not the only person feeling this way. If businesses want to get through this difficult period, I suggest they think about obeying the law and acting to protect their customers and our community.