The world has witnessed several calamities, and 2020 is now part of that list in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The coronavirus has claimed lives, with the number of deaths in just the last month standing at an estimated 50,000, while the daily toll in the U.S. is a heartbreaking 2,403. CNN put it into perspective, saying that we are losing an average of one COVID-19 patient every 40 seconds. The numbers remind us why everyone must follow the universally set preventative guidelines to curb the virus's spread.
We are talking about social distancing, sanitizing, and, most importantly, wearing masks while accessing public spaces. Just like we have a well-known group of anti-vaxxers against vaccines on account of their side effects, we also have to deal with anti-maskers. Two men who were politely asked by a waitress to wear masks while at Denny's refused on religious grounds.
No Face Coverings
An incident that happened at a Denny's located in Franklin Park, Illinois, has gotten everyone chiming in their opinion because it gives us the glaring reality of the pandemic's effects. We have gone through lockdowns, curfews, and in every sense, a shift in the way we live. The last thing we should be struggling with is following simple guidelines.
The video that captured the incident shows a waitress greeting a couple of guys who want to be seated. However, she immediately takes note of a problem, and it's the fact that they don't have any face coverings.
COVID-19 Prevention Guidelines
The waitress is heard telling the men politely that they are required to have face coverings when inside the establishment. As dining establishments resumed operations within the U.S and the world over, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided considerations for operators to reduce the risk of the spread of COVID-19.
The CDC explained that when both staff members and customers consistently use masks, it can reduce the spread of the virus. The virus spreads when someone who has it is physically near each other (within 6 feet). When someone with the virus coughs, talks, sneezes, sings or even breathes, the respiratory droplets they produce are released in the surrounding environment.
Legitimate Exemption
The men proceed to claim that they have a legit reason that exempts them from putting on masks. The waitress holds her ground and informs them that they have to put on masks as long as they are in the establishment.
Airborne transmission has also been identified in some cases when people were over 6 feet away from someone with the virus. It happened within enclosed spaces with inadequate ventilation. However, the available data on COVID-19 transmission shows that the virus spreads most commonly through close contact compared to airborne transmission.
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The guys started getting testy, and they cited that the Civils Rights Act of 1964 made them exempt from wearing masks. The Act notably ended segregation in public spaces and ended employment discrimination based on race, gender, color, national origin, and religion.
The late John F. Kennedy first proposed the Act, and while it received strong opposition, Lyndon B. Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy as president, signed it into law. In the subsequent years, the Act was expanded by Congress to include civil rights legislation, including the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Religious Rights
The man filming continued by saying that they had a religious exemption, allowing them to disregard the facial covering requirement while out in public. He added that they also simply just didn't want to wear masks.
One of the men could be seen wearing a t-shirt that had a quote from Franklin Battle, the founder of the Jesus Christ Ministries, a born-again faith-based group. While the two men were using their religion as an excuse for flouting a COVID-19 guideline, their actions at that point made them appear less than Christian-like.
No Mask No Service
The waitress had been polite in her interactions with the two men up until that point. She maintained her stand, telling the men that they can't access service at the establishment without wearing masks. The men also kept on repeating that their religion gave them the exemption not to wear facial coverings.
That's when the waitress seems to just snap and walks away from the men. She slams a menu she was carrying on a table while declaring that she can't deal with them. It may come across as if she overreacted, but we imagine this wasn't the first time she had to deal with anti-maskers.
Pushed To The Limit
The waitress continues telling the guys that she's had it with anti-maskers and can't deal with them anymore. She goes to the back, where the manager can be seen trying to calm her down. The two guys stay rooted in their position, waiting to have their way.
The debate about whether or not to wear masks is complex. It's a matter of health, science, and risk, as well as empathy. While most anti-maskers say that they don't know anyone who has COVID-19 or died from the disease, it's selfish for them to disregard the reality and put older people and those with compromised immunity at risk.
Understanding Anti-Maskers
When it comes to anti-maskers, the question is whether it's their right to disregard public health advice while it puts other people's lives at risk. However, we also have to look at it from their perspective, and outrightly attacking or shaming those who choose to wear masks doesn't solve anything.
Their bigger bone of contention has to do with the government mandates, with 34 states currently registered to have mask mandates in place. Anti-maskers still have issues with private businesses implementing mask requirements, and several people constantly take to social media to air their grievances.
She Quit
The waitress then went into a barrage using expletives, saying that she had quit. While at the back area, she's heard telling the manager that she will not put up with that sh** anymore. While some people can legitimately get an exemption from wearing a mask on medical grounds, some anti-maskers have been presenting fake cards.
It is inexcusable to use backhanded ways to evade regulations, but it also doesn't help that COVID-19 messaging keeps changing. Initially, people were advised not to wear masks unless they had the virus, but now officials are telling everyone to wear the face coverings while in public.
Was It Discrimination?
The two men started accusing the waitress of discrimination. She told them that she wasn't discriminating against them before gathering her belongings to leave. While anti-maskers claim that state mandates on wearing face coverings infringe on their freedoms, they are committing the same offense.
There's more evidence showing that wearing masks isn't only about protecting yourself, but it also protects others, particularly in the case of someone who has COVID-19. Therefore, by not wearing a mask, it essentially means that anti-maskers are encroaching on the freedom of others who expect to go out in relative safety.
The Manager Steps In
The manager called Roger, who the waitress had been talking to, is seen stepping in, and he reiterates that the establishment has a "no-mask, no-service" rule. The men still try to argue their way into accessing service, but the manager puts his foot down and says not at their establishment.
In fact, the message is plastered on signs posted at the establishment's entrance, and the men must have seen them on their way in. At that point, they realize that they have been defeated and won't get service from that Denny’s.
Lost Their Business
Knowing that they weren't going to have their way, and in that case, the client wasn't king, the two men decided to leave the establishment. They are heard repeating the argument that they have a religious exemption not to wear masks, and after all, they are not sick.
They proceed to tell the manager that he's lost their business while they walk out. All the while, they continue filming, and it begs the question about their motives in the first place. Anti-maskers have also been taking to YouTube to share their alternative thoughts. Some believe that the government is out to make people more compliant and obedient through some of the pandemic-related directives.
Trending On Reddit
The incident happened in September 2020, but it wasn't until recently (December) when the video surfaced online. The clip capturing the events that happened on that day was shared on Reddit, and it wasn't long before it went viral.
Several people shared their thoughts about the two men who refused to wear masks at the establishment, and naturally, most were outraged. On the other hand, anti-maskers have been citing the 14th Amendment under the U.S. Constitution, which says that no state is allowed to pass laws that infringe on liberties and freedoms.
On The Wrong
According to several law reviewers, the patrons might not have known that their legal claim didn't hold any water. Members of the legal fraternity who have published articles on the subject of religious discrimination from the onset of the pandemic addressed the matter.
While the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects against segregation and discrimination in public spaces as well as other specified places in part under religious grounds, it doesn't give anyone the liberty to breach an establishment's set guidelines. Under Title VII, the obligations imposed on employers doesn’t mean that customers can "shop without masks."
The Video Goes Viral Viral
After the video went viral on social media, many people shared their thoughts about the incident. Katelyn Meacham, who we deduce worked in the service industry at some point, said that waiting tables in this pandemic felt like dealing with toddlers.
Meacham added that she could relate to the pain the waitress felt and applauded her actions. Mandy Ratzloff added that it's one thing not to wear a mask due to religious reasons, but anti-maskers should also realize that they are still not allowed inside establishments that require their patrons to have masks on.
Foul Intentions
Janelle Dozier pointed out that the fact that the two men started filming when they entered Denny's meant that they were out to cause trouble. No one usually walks into an establishment, filming their interaction with the wait staff, YouTubers, and influencers being a separate category.
Dozier added that she was happy the waitress stood up for herself and that Roger stepped in to back her up. K.L. Swift says that the two men knew that being maskless would be an issue, and that's the reason they entered the establishment while filming. Swift adds that such reckless behavior is why we are surging, and the death count is rising.
Be Kind To Service People
Nicole Sanford Bogaert points out that many people have a nasty attitude towards those who work in service jobs. She says that the pandemic has made it worse, and she would have quit too if faced with a similar situation.
Bogaert adds that we should treat people how we would want to be treated, and we shouldn't go in fighting. She adds that the waitress or the manager didn't enforce the mask rule, and if we want things to get better, we should all be part of the solution and not the problem.
Religious Rights
Mandy Ratzloff reiterates that no one is against those who are backed by their religion when it comes to not wearing masks. However, anyone who falls in this category should understand that their religion doesn't give them the liberty to walk into a dining establishment that clearly requires their patrons to wear masks.
Samantha Marie also says that she doesn't believe that there is such a thing as a religious exemption from wearing masks. She also thinks that no one should be exempt from wearing masks while in public unless they are on oxygen or suffer from cognitive impairment.
Risking Their Health
Jonathan Peder Pedersen reminds us that no one should be dining in during a pandemic. People working in the food industry are risking their health just so that people can have a sense of normalcy in the midst of this pandemic.
Pedersen adds that if a dining establishment cannot side with their staff members to protect their interests, they have every right to quit. He adds that people should find a job that won't kill them, especially if the pay isn't decent enough to justify the risk. He adds that it's better to be safe in the end.
The Grappling Reality
Sherra Jaeger gives us a picture of the grappling reality explaining that her father was on a ventilator. Jaeger says that they had until Friday (December 2020) to take him off the machine. She had to bid him goodbye on speakerphone.
Jaeger tells people that it is actual hell, and she is engaged that fellow citizens can laugh at the estimated 300k families facing the same situation. The reality is that we are all in this together despite our beliefs about wearing face coverings. In the same way science about the virus can change as research continues, our mindsets can also change.
Denny’s Responds
Denny's issued a response through their spokesperson explaining that they know the situation involving the two guests and an employee. They explained that they understand some people feel that they have exemptions from certain mandates, but at Denny's, their priority is their guests and employees' safety.
They explained that they always abide by all applicable guidelines and regulations to make sure that they safeguard their clients and staff members. The dining establishment seems to have stood by their staff members' actions in that situation, but it isn't clear if the waitress is still employed at Denny's.
The Effects Of The Pandemic
The statement from Denny's also noted that the food industry has been hit hard by the pandemic. They asked those who chose to dine out to respect their staff members' hard work and resilience by complying with the public health guidelines and the establishment's policies.
According to Bloomberg's article, the National Restaurant Association estimates that 110K dining establishments have closed permanently across the U.S. Given that social distancing is one of the main health regulations implemented the world over to help reduce the spread of the virus, people are staying at home, and the number of people dining out has taken a nosedive.
Denny's Regulations
Denny's company website also notes that the establishment is committed to social distancing and sanitization guidelines. Other COVID-19 regulations they have put in place to benefit both their patrons and staff members include temperature checks, provision of disposable menus on request, and wearing masks.
Dining establishments have also incurred rising expenses with labor costs percentages being higher than their sales. 37% of operators do not think that their establishments will be in operation six months from now. Several of these establishments have also opted to close shop until conditions improve.
Denny’s Staff Guidelines
The Denny's website further states that their employees wash their hands every 20 minutes on top of using alcohol-based sanitizer following each interaction with their clients. The CDC also recommends handwashing using soap and water before, during as well as after food preparation.
Dining establishments also clean and disinfect all surfaces daily or as frequently as possible. Other COVID-19 preventative protocols the food and retail industry follow include wearing gloves when necessary, limiting the sharing of items like menus, food containers, and condiments, and using touchless payment systems. They are also required to make sure that their ventilation systems are operating as they should at all times.
It Won't End Soon
The statement issued by Denny's finished by saying that they are looking forward to a time when these requirements will no longer be necessary. However, they will continue acting in their clients', staff members, and the community's best interest until then.
Joseph Wu, a disease modeler, based at the University of Hong Kong, predicts that COVID-10 infections might keep on surging annually up until 2025. The reason is that, just like other coronaviruses, the immunity to the virus is observed to last for periods less than a year. Overall, in 2021 and beyond, the course of the pandemic will be dependent on the awaited vaccine and the duration that it will boost the immune system's protectiveness.