Even With California's Reopening, Many Business Customers Keeping Masks On
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) -- From small neighborhood bakeries to big-box grocery stores, large numbers of Bay Area customers Tuesday continued to wear face masks even though they were no longer required by state law.
On the first day of California's reopening after pandemic restrictions, it appeared the overwhelming majority of customers continued to wear masks.
"In spite of the fact that I'm fully vaccinated and because there are variants out there, I think I'd want to play it on the safe side," said Becky Gil as she waited in a line of masked customers outside the ever-popular Peter's Bakery in East San Jose.
The bakery posted a sign at the door explaining that vaccinated customers were no longer required to wear a mask when entering the store. Nonetheless, every customer in the line that stretched halfway down the block continue to wear a mask.
"I think everyone has that North Star of going back to the way things were before the pandemic. I think we're all geared towards that. But right now, I think everyone has a different level of speed that they're moving towards that North Star.," said customer Anthony Gil.
Throughout the pandemic, mandatory mask requirements became a point of contention with many expressing frustration with what they felt were overreaching public health orders.
But after more than a year in which masks, physical distancing and capacity limits began normalized, some were simply not ready to ditch their mask just yet.
"When both of my children are fully vaccinated, I feel that slowly I'll be able to take it off," said Jennifer Johnson outside a Target store.
Some businesses and institutions kept a vestige of the public safety measures in place. At morning mass at Five Wounds Church in San Jose, parishioners were still required to wear masks per diocese order.
"The Diocese recommends that we continue wearing masks to protect the children and those who have not been vaccinated and their family members," said Father Antonio Silveira.
