Fresh N Save 46th and Greenpoint Ave. Sunnyside (Photo: QueensPost)
April 15, 2020 By Allie Griffin
New York City grocery stores should require customers to wear a face covering or mask while shopping amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Mayor Bill de Blasio said today.
“I’m giving the guidance to all supermarkets and groceries — require customers, require customers to wear face coverings when they come in,” de Blasio said at a press briefing this morning.
He said stores should put up a sign at the entrance requiring shoppers to wear a face covering in order to enter the store.
The mayor said every store has the right to make the requirement.
“That is legal and appropriate,” de Blasio said. “The City will back you up.”
Any customer who refuses to wear a mask can be denied entry into the grocery store and if there’s a problem with compliance, store employees can call 311 to have police officers come and assist them, he added.
“It’s the smart thing to do for the health of all New Yorkers and the City of New York will back you up.”
The mayor called grocery store workers the “unsung heroes in this fight.”
“These are folks just trying to make a living for their families,” de Blasio said. “They did not expect to be on the frontlines of an international crisis, but they’re acting with the same resolve and the same spirit as all our other heroes.”
He said New Yorkers owe a lot of appreciation and respect to the workers and their families.
“Let’s give a lot of appreciation, a lot of respect to the people who make sure we get fed,” the mayor said. “Those grocery store workers, those supermarket workers — they get up everyday, they go to work, it’s a tough job.”
The Mayor’s Office is also working with supermarket and grocery store companies to ensure store employees get PPE supplies, he added.
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6 Comments
I go to a key food in queens and there are signs outside that say customers have to wear masks, no exceptions.
Natalie, it’s beyond shame, we are practically begging China, Russia and other countries to help us with PPE. Why can’t we still make them in USA I don’t understand. America was supposed to be great again. Almost all other countries have plenty, but I think people just want to make as much money as possible.
Ridiculous.
If things are more efficient in Colombia why are people sneaking across the border to get here?.Wouldn’t it make sense for people to emigrate there? Shame on NYC for not offering the many opportunities that exist in Colombia!!
I’ve easily bought them in three different neighborhood bodegas. A sandwich baggie of six masks for an average of $2.50 each. Ask around. They’re usually behind the counter.
Would be nice if we can actually find a protective face mask instead of wearing cloth. My family in Colombia sent me some through the mail when I told them I could not find any here. Shame on one of the most richest cities in the world and most expensive and taxed places to live.