Some businesses mandate masks, even if states don’t
A customer enters a store with a “face mask required” sign displayed in Dallas. Although 18 states, including Oklahoma, don’t require people to wear masks to protect against COVID-19, some businesses are requiring them. (AP file photo/by LM Otero)
NEW YORK (AP) – Several weeks have passed since Texas ended its COVID-19 mask mandate. But if you want to pick up a snack at Soul Popped Gourmet Popcorn in Austin’s Barton Creek Square Mall, you’ll still be turned away if you aren’t wearing a face covering.
“We cannot afford to take chances with the lives of my staffers. They’re young people and their parents have entrusted me with their care,” says owner De J. Lozada. She’s also concerned about her 85-year-old father, who will soon return to his part-time job in the store.