VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Mask required signs are coming down at businesses across Central Florida after the CDC’s new rules stating those who are vaccinated don’t have to wear masks.
Florida business owners aren’t allowed to ask their customers if they have been vaccinated.
“All of my employees are fully vaccinated, so for us we’re safe, but it’s a small space so I’m hoping that people will still wear masks,” owner of French Bakery in Ormond Beach Jean Jenner said.
Jenner said he and his staff are still choosing to wear masks because they don’t know who is vaccinated or not. They won’t force their customers to wear masks, but he calls it a gamble.
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“As a customer, you may only make a few visits to a few stores so your interactions with people are minimal but when you’re behind the counter you’re talking hours and hours of people you see people every day so it’s like playing Russian roulette,” he said.
For other business owners, like Sheryl Knopf at The Anchor in Flagler Beach, the CDC’s announcement is relieving.
“People that were pro-masks were very judgmental to anyone who wasn’t, so it made it very difficult as a business owner to navigate how to make everyone happy,” she said.
The Anchor is one of the Flagler County restaurants to recently hold a vaccine clinic with the department of health. The county said these have been successful in getting more people vaccinated, including restaurant staff.
Knopf said seeing that makes her staff feel secure in the CDC’s decision.
“I think the more people that get vaccinated, the more people are going to be coming out to the local restaurants and getting out and about,” she said.