As of this week, Canberrans shopping at their local Woolworths or Bunnings have been โhighly encouragedโ to wear masks in store despite public health advice from the ACT Government suggesting doing so isnโt effective while there is no evidence of community transmission of COVID-19.
During the week, CW headed out to poll Canberra locals about their decision to don a mask at the shops.
Just stepping out of Woolworths Dickson with shopping in hand, Helen from Hall said she thought it was an โexcellent ideaโ for the supermarket chain to promote mask wearing in store.
โWe canโt be too certain about the spread of the virus; it could happen to anybody even though Canberra has a very good record,โ she said.
โThere does seem to be rising infections in NSW, and with tourists passing through โฆ I think that we do have to be a bit community minded.
โWe have to just be a little bit community aware, and it doesnโt hurt anybody to put on a mask.โ
Helen said despite the edict from Woolworths, she didnโt notice many other shoppers wearing masks.
โI was just commenting actually to one of the cashiers who was saying that she wished there would be a bit more of an uptake.โ
โWe have to just be a little bit community aware, and it doesnโt hurt anybody to put on a mask.โ
– Helen of Hall
Robin of Campbell said she was happy to wear a mask to Woolies but given the lack of community transmission currently in the ACT, she wouldnโt be doing so elsewhere.
โThis is literally the first time Iโve worn a mask. I did it because Woolworths has recommended people wear them in Woolworths,โ she said.
โI didnโt really like it at all; I felt as though I wasnโt breathing as freely as I normally do.
โI certainly saw one, but there were very few other customers wearing masks and I didnโt see any sales assistants wearing masks,โ she said.
Allen from Moncrieff said heโd been wearing a mask in public for โthree monthsโ because he lived with his wifeโs parents who were considered at risk.
โWe decided to wear masks even before all the rules and restrictions were in place. Itโs a family decision with it.
โJust more recently weโve been actively advocating for it and purchasing the good quality reusable ones,โ he said.
Allen said he had noticed a recent uptake in mask wearing.
โWherever you go you see people wearing them, but I cannot say the majority are โฆ I think itโs going to pick up with other states seeing their case numbers rise.โ
Sarah, from retail store Sauvage Urbain, said she had been wearing a mask in store for months now, and that customers were largely supportive of her decision to do so.
โAt work or going shopping, I always wear it. Itโs a thing that sticks on me at all times,โ she said.
โI certainly saw one, but there were very few other customers wearing masks.”
– Robin of Campbell
Sarah said she had noticed a lot more customers enter her store wearing a mask since Melbourneโs case numbers started rising again.
โA lot more, and even in Tuggeranong I see a lot more people wearing masks โฆ the amount of people coming in store wearing them, Iโm really proud of them.โ
Doug and Lesley of Harrison said they had started wearing masks to the shops this week following Woolworthsโ announcement.
โIf Woolworths hadnโt put the call out encouraging it, we probably wouldnโt have because weโve had no qualms about shopping or anything like that,โ Doug said.
โIf youโve got it on for one shop you might as well stick it on for the others.
โIt hasnโt really worried us โฆ weโre a very low-density population here, you can walk around, itโs easy to walk distances, say hello to people when theyโre over there and youโre over here.โ
Helen said that while she and Doug are in the most vulnerable category, they havenโt worried about face coverings up until now.
โComplacency, is it not the biggest enemy of the whole thing? Once you think itโs over you could find yourself back again โฆ Our attitude is you do what you can to prevent it,โ she said.
