Masks Seemingly Still A Habit With Connecticut Consumers

CONNECTICUT — Mask-wearing consumers seemed to outnumber those who had no face coverings in Connecticut on Wednesday on the first day of lighter coronavirus protocols across the business sector.

As one business owner in Fairfield County put it, "I think it’s going to be a hard habit to break."

Gov. Ned Lamont said that beginning Wednesday, a mask will no longer be required outside in Connecticut, and only those not vaccinated against the coronavirus will be required to wear them indoors.

Businesses and state and local government offices were on their own about mandatory masks.

Hartford and Tolland county big box stores such as as Home Depot, TJ Maxx and Target greeted early shoppers Wednesday with their mask requirement signs still up. Laps around each business showed those wearing masks in an overwhelming majority.

The Manchester Walmart had no mask requirement signs, and it was more of a mixed bag; those without masks ranged from a couple having a romantic interlude to a man sipping coffee and carrying a watermelon. Still, more customers had on masks than those who did not.

One of the state's biggest stores and one the draws a crowd from all over is the Cabela's adjacent to Rentschler Field in East Hartford. A sign clearly suggested that customers wear masks, but a scowling elderly man swung open one of the store's heavy doors while failing to hold it for a masked-up family trying to get in the same entrance.

Ironically, a statewide testing station sits next door at the stadium.

A customer service representative at Cabela's said no revised mask policy is in place yet. Management would prefer that customers wear masks, but added failure to do so is not enforceable.

Aside from the angry man, the only other living being without a mask at Cabela's on Wednesday morning was a service dog.

Ocean State Job Lot happened to open its 29th Connecticut store Wednesday at 17 Backus Ave. in Danbury just as the rules changed. This 45,000-square-foot location, which most recently housed a Toys ‘R Us store, brought with it about 50 full- and part-time associates.

One chain executive outlined the policy.

"Ocean State Job Lot is continuing to follow the CDC's COVID-19 recommendations, including those regarding masks," said Paul Conforti, the chief marketing officer for Ocean State Job Lot. "Out of respect for our friends and neighbors who have yet to be vaccinated, we strongly encourage customers to wear a mask when shopping in our stores.

"With that said, in states where mask mandates have been lifted for fully vaccinated people, we understand those individuals may choose not to wear a mask. We continue to require all of our associates to wear face coverings at work, regardless of vaccination status. The health and well-being of our associates and customers are of paramount importance, and we will continue to evaluate our safety measures to ensure a comfortable work and shopping environment for all."

The Vernon Ocean State had more mask wearers than bare-faced customers.

Smaller stores had mixed policies.

Kelly Maffei, the manager at Woofgang & Co., a nonprofit pet store in Fairfield that offers job training to young adults with disabilities, said that from now through end of May, employees will wear masks.

"Basically we’re being a little bit extra hyper-sensitive through the end of May," Maffei said.

The staff will also continue to encourage safe distancing, she said. Maffei added that, so far, customers have continued to wear a mask.

"I think it’s going to be a hard habit to break," she said.

The wait staff at Home Town kitchen, a popular mom-and-pop restaurant in Somers, said that as of Wednesday, masks were optional.

Many communities, such as downtown Manchester and the Blue Back Square area in West Hartford, are setting aside space for outdoor dining for their restaurant customers.

On Greenwich Avenue on Wednesday afternoon, several restaurants were bustling with patrons during the lunch hour both indoors and outdoors. Those looking to shop strolled up and down the Avenue, some with masks, some without. First Selectman Fred Camillo said it's good to see people being cautious, but it's equally nice seeing a semblance of normalcy.

One Tolland County orthodontist office said masks will be worn because most clients are not eligible to be vaccinated yet.

The new rules have certainly benefited health clubs.

Edge Fitness Clubs announced Wednesday that members now have full access to all health and fitness amenities in their facilities. Fully vaccinated members and guests are no longer required to wear a face mask at all 15 Connecticut locations.

With Connecticut's business restrictions softening, the changes at The Edge Fitness Clubs include:

• Face masks are optional for fully vaccinated members and guests.
• Group fitness classes are now at full capacity.
• Edge Kids Club is now open, all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for child care will continue to be followed.
• Locker rooms and saunas are open.

"With restrictions being lifted, we are thrilled to offer our members in Connecticut full access to our state-of-the-art fitness facilities and provide even more options for our members to get back to their regular fitness routines," said Ron Magliocco, the vice president of marketing for The Edge Fitness Clubs. "Covid-19 reinforced the fact that it is extremely important to take care of both our physical and mental health, and we are excited to be a part of this next step to normalcy and helping our members reach their fitness goals."

So what did consumers have to say Wednesday? Here is a sampling in a morning survey conducted by Patch.

• "I plan to avoid shopping anywhere a mask is required."
• "Definitely no mask for me. It's the unvaccinated that need to be concerned about infecting each other. So, if they chose not to get vaccinated, they should probably choose to wear a mask. But, if they choose not to wear a mask, the choice is theirs and shouldn't be policed."
• "I will continue to wear mask while indoors."
• "I will carry a mask with me, for the foreseeable future, in the event that I choose to visit a business that still requires masks. I assume that this situation will not continue much longer."
• "I'm going to wear a mask, as is my child. There's no way to tell who is or isn't vaccinated, and all this will lead to is people who aren’t vaccinated infecting everyone and hot spots popping up all the time because people can’t deal with a bit of cloth over their nose and mouth to keep others and themselves safe."
• "In outdoor gatherings I will probably be maskless, but continue social distancing and inside I will probably still wear a mask most of the time."
• "I'm going to keep wearing my mask, I havent gotten sick once in the last year, and I want to keep it that way. Plus I am still leery of all the anti-vaxxers/anti-mask folks out there."
• "I will follow the guidelines as I always have. I feel comfortable going to this next level fully vaccinated."