Coronavirus Fears and Empty Supermarkets

[veteran+]

At my workplace, we get free masks. This causes many of the employees to come to the store without masks. They figure, why wear a mask to the store when you can get a free mask at the store. So yes, you end up with maskless employees coming into the store and they get a free mask at the door.

And the concern is people taking advantage of the company's generosity...?

Or perhaps taking advantage of the company's responsibility...?

[storewanderer]

At my workplace, we get free masks. This causes many of the employees to come to the store without masks. They figure, why wear a mask to the store when you can get a free mask at the store. So yes, you end up with maskless employees coming into the store and they get a free mask at the door.

And the concern is people taking advantage of the company's generosity...?

I think there is some sanitation concern with the masks and that they are supposed to be replaced fairly often if worn for a long period of time?

I am aware of one small regional grocer where every employee gets a fresh mask when they go in the building. This was actually a risk decision to ensure all employees had a clean mask upon entry to the building. This was one of the first grocers to implement a customer mask requirement which at the time seemed a bit over-reaching (weeks before anyone else- even before Whole Foods) and was trying to be very, very cautious.

Almost every store I go into has a box of masks near the door for customers (or employees) to take. I see very few takers- personally I am not sure how clean these "self serve" mask boxes are and would not use one at this point.

[Alpha8472]

Medical masks are electrostatically charged. They are designed so that the virus clings to the mask. This means that the mask needs to be replaced often, because the electrostatic layers lose effectiveness in humidity. This is especially bad in humid areas such as Florida. Those melt blown layers are scientifically designed. That is something that a cloth mask or bandana does not do. Those bandanas have huge areas where the virus can enter or escape.

A box of masks must be sealed at all times. Someone should be at the door handing out masks using tongs.

[submariner]

At my workplace, we get free masks. This causes many of the employees to come to the store without masks. They figure, why wear a mask to the store when you can get a free mask at the store. So yes, you end up with maskless employees coming into the store and they get a free mask at the door.

And the concern is people taking advantage of the company's generosity...?

Or perhaps taking advantage of the company's responsibility...?

This has run its course. I'm closing this thread.