Wear masks at supermarkets; that’s an order

With Gov. Polis’s executive order issued on Friday that grocery workers must wear masks, I hope our local stores will implement this immediately and our local authorities will walk the store aisles to ensure compliance.

I’ve been shocked to shop at both of our local grocery stores recently and see some workers wearing masks, some not at all, others with them hanging around their necks, some with masks covering mouths but not noses, and even had my cashier pull his down right in front of me so he could shout to another cashier (exhaling droplets as he did so, no doubt!). When I spoke to one of the store managers about my concerns, he told me he couldn’t make his employees wear a mask. Well, now he can, and I hope he will be walking the aisles to make sure the governor’s order is complied with, because as of 8 a.m. Saturday when I last went shopping, it wasn’t.

Going grocery shopping is the riskiest thing those of us who dare do it experience each week! Grocery workers are in close contact with hundreds of people every day, not only in the stores, but in the bus coming to work. They are at great risk and face masks need to be worn by each employee and shoppers. Gov. Polis said workers who interact with customers need to wear masks.

Please, store managers, don’t interpret that to mean that shelf stockers and other back of the store employees don’t need to wear the masks. With the store aisles as narrow as they are, we are face to face with any store worker that’s on the floor.

Katherine McMillan

Aspen