I think this is clear. Despite some light at the end of the tunnel, we’re still in a health crisis and if people want to visit physical stores they need to respect the rules retailers put in place. It’s not pleasant to wear a mask, but it’s hardly difficult.

I have great sympathy for staff at the sharp end. Retailers need to put in place clear policies for dealing with those violating policies, and have proper security staff and procedures for dealing with issues.

Longer term, once the crisis is over, legal mandates for masks must go. There is no justification for the state to dictate such things in normal times. However some people and retailers may still voluntarily opt for masks, which is their right.

One goal of every retailer should be to make a customer feel safe. If that includes a mandatory mask rule, then that is very appropriate. A customer who doesn’t want to wear a mask can shop elsewhere or agree to comply for that interaction. The retailer must enforce employee participation at the highest level. No room for leniency. Managers and leaders must be role models. For a mandatory mask policy to work, employees must be told there is no room for any lack of compliance. While some customers and employees may not believe the mask is effective, the vast majority do. And that majority are willing to comply. Keep customers and employees safe.

We have heard of the U.K., South African and Brazil variants. Now we have a new California variant. How many more variants will there be? The experts say this is the way the viruses work. There are more variants out there than we have already found.

Simply put, until there are boosters for the variants, keep the masks on.

There is no question that as vaccination become more available and restrictions ease it will make it even more difficult to enforce mask mandates. Those that got vaccinated may say hey I’m protected and therefore don’t have to wear a mask.

The issue for retailers is that their staff and other customers don’t know the person has been vaccinated. Among customers this can causes a number of reactions including their asking, if they don’t have to wear a mask why do I? They may confront that person which never ends well or perhaps they leave the store to get away from what they believe is an unsafe environment. At a minimum they will hold the retailer responsible for not enforcing a mask mandate. This may or may not result in them looking for an alternative place to shop.

Mask wearing is an option that everyone should have. That said, mandating that your employees must wear a mask for their own good and the good of the customer should not be optional. Customers have an option to wear a mask or not to wear them but stores should also have the option to not have to serve customers who do not want to comply and the government has to ensure that companies have the right to ask customers to leave if they do not want to comply.

So here is what I have heard, at least in the state I live in – “if I get the two shots (the vaccine) and I am 95 percent protected, why should I wear a mask?” That becomes a more slippery slope as more states are beginning to vaccinate the rest of the general public after the initial groups were completed. I see this getting to be more of an issue as more of the public gets vaccinated.

I am fascinated by the number of people who now use retail stores as a vehicle for expressing personal politics. It’s no longer enough to simply take their business elsewhere, people are increasingly using stores to voice their preferences in public. I think it is a strong indicator of the important role that retail plays in the success and structure of a community. Consider the leading role retail is playing in moving initiatives like equal opportunity and sustainability forward — much faster than any government legislation could. My heart goes out to store workers who must endure this nonsense. If you don’t want to wear a mask, that’s up to you, just stay home and order online. Same goes for wearing pants in public. There are just some things we do to be kind to our fellow citizens.

Mask fatigue or new habits? Let medical experts lead the way; Some may choose to wear masks when none are mandated. That is their choice and it causes no harm to others. Local conditions on the state of COVID-19 will dictate the return to pre-pandemic normality. Those that have lost family or friends have experienced deep losses and have realized the preciousness of life. Post-pandemic, I expect people will desire cleaner and more hygienic public spaces and will have a greater awareness of ways to limit the spread of contagious diseases.

While mask mandates seem to work to prevent the spread of COVID-19, vaccinations are being given to prevent the patient from getting the virus. As more and more people get vaccinated, there will be more of a tendency to not want to wear a mask since the person is now immune from the virus. This will become more and more a challenge to retailers and their staffs as their vaccinated customers believe they are immune and do not require masks. The real difficulty will be to define the end date for the mask mandate relieving retailers of this burden. I can see a time when institutions and events will require their customers to produce vaccination certificates for entry.

Mask fatigue can only be addressed with a carrot and a stick approach, that is making sure that store staff and customers all understand it is to the safety benefit of both that masks are being worn.

I’m a broken record on this — let the scientists and medical professionals determine the protocols for keeping people safe. Period. Retailers put mask requirements in place before many jurisdictions required them. If we have to keep them in place after these same jurisdictions remove them, good on us for trying to keep customers safe.

No mask, no service. Mask wearing should be addressed just like smoking. You cannot smoke in a store, you cannot go in a store without a mask. Not wearing a mask is not a right, but a public health hazard just like secondhand smoke. Respect others’ space in the same way. No one has the right NOT to wear a mask because it impacts the health of others, just like smoking in the same environment impacts another person’s health through the impact of secondhand smoke.