By Mai Hoang

Yakima Herald-Republic

Before implementing a requirement for customers to wear face masks, Ryan Low met with the staff of Essencia Artisan Bakery, his downtown Yakima business.

The conversation was about the requirement and how Essencia was going to enforce it.

“It’s only going to be good if we enforce this rule. Otherwise, there’s no point in hanging up a sign,” Low said.

Low started considering a face-covering requirement after talking to a friend who’s a public health official in Oregon. His friend spoke about how masks could help cut down community transmission of COVID-19.

After Low learned that an employee tested positive for COVID-19 nearly two weeks ago, he knew he couldn’t wait any longer.

“Things have been moving in that direction,” Low said about requiring face masks. “Not only does the staff get uncomfortable with certain customers not wearing a mask, (but other) customers are also getting uncomfortable.”

Gov. Jay Inslee was expected to issue a proclamation this week that would make wearing a mask or other face-covering in public mandatory for Yakima County residents.

But several businesses, such as Essencia, already require customers to do so.

Walgreens, the national drug store chain, has a sign in front of its Yakima location at 4001 Summitview Ave. requiring masks. At the same shopping center, Nino’s Mexican Grill also has a “Mask Required” sign.

For Low, requiring customers to wear a mask was just one more thing he could do to keep customers and employees safe from infection.

“We’re never going to have a completely sterile environment with people coming in and out,” he said. “But we can have a fairly hygienic one with masks and constant sanitation. That’s what we’re pushing for so we can stay open as long as we can.”

In recent weeks, organizations such as the Greater Yakima Chamber of Commerce have tried to persuade customers to wear masks by tying it to the region’s ability to resume additional business activity. Facebook posts, signs and other promotions have repeated the phrase, “Mask Up to Open Up.”

Yakima County is one of just a handful of counties still in Phase 1 of the state’s four-phase reopening plan. The majority of counties are in Phase 2 or 3, which allows for additional business activity.

Yakima Chamber CEO Verlynn Best said she’s heard from some businesses preparing to reopen that have included a face covering requirement as part of their safety plan.

For example, one hair salon owner told Best she would refuse service to any customer who was not wearing one.

“We’ve always had guidelines on how (customers) go into a business,” she said. “With this pandemic, this is just an added layer.”

With Yakima County far from meeting benchmarks required to move on to even a modified Phase 1, public health and community health officials have pushed for increased mask-wearing to help reduce community spread of COVID-19.

Public health officials said mask-wearing should be done in tandem with other safety measures, including social distancing and washing hands.

Masking is a critical tool for reducing infections, health officials say.

But there has been some vocal opposition to masks, especially on social media. Some businesses have reported receiving anonymous letters and phone calls slamming them for encouraging or requiring customers to wear face coverings.

As part of his chat with employees about implementing the mask requirement, Low said employees should treat customers not wearing masks the same way a bartender would refuse to serve alcohol to an intoxicated patron.

Safety is at stake in both scenarios, he said.

“You have to be firm with them about your rules,” Low said.

While there have been angry social media posts and phone calls, most customers at the bakery have accepted the rule.

“I think it was the right move,” he said. “For the most part, I think more people appreciate it than don’t.”