Florida Supermarket Sparks Outrage Over Customers and Employees Openly Rejecting Mask-Wearing Rules [NBC outraged!]

https://popculture.com ^ | By ALLISON SCHONTER - February 4, 2021 11:21 am EST

[Red Badger]

Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a Florida supermarket is sparking outrage online after video surfaced of customers and employees going about their business without masks. The 15-second clip was shared Wednesday by NBC's Sam Brock, who was astonished when he walked into the popular Naples, Florida grocery store only to see people both young and old flouting the rules for mask-wearing. Brock in his tweet wrote that a sign outside the store cited "medical exemptions," preventing Brock from asking any questions.

The video has since been viewed more than 2 million times, raking in over 9,000 retweets and sparking even more comments from those outraged over the clip, which comes as the death toll in America continues to grow. Responding, one person wrote that "having a medical exemption for wearing a mask should not mean 'c'mon in and infect everybody,'" adding that it instead means, "you can get your groceries shopped and delivered to you at the sidewalk. Or delivered at home. Or some other method. It's not a free pass to be an a–hole." Somebody else said the video was "pathetic," with another person writing, "they're all immune, until they're not. And then an overworked, overstressed healthcare professional has to clean up their mess."

New video from a supermarket in Florida shows customers and employees of all ages openly rejecting the rules for mask wearing, spurring outrage as the country continues to battle the coronavirus. @SamBrockNBC reports. pic.twitter.com/wzhnI52Yuq

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) February 4, 2021 Several social media users noted that the owner, Alfie Oakes, is "notoriously anti-mask" and in the past has come under fire for calling both the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement hoaxes. Oakes, who owns Oakes Farms Seed to Table, shared similar sentiments when speaking with Brock in an interview that aired Thursday on the Today show.

"I know that the masks don't work, and I know that the virus has not killed 400,000 people in this country. That's total hogwash," Oakes said. "Why don't we shut the world down because of a heart attack? Why don't we lock down cities because of heart attacks?"

Despite Oakes' remarks, mask-wearing has been widely encouraged throughout the course of the pandemic as a means of slowing the spread of the virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "experimental and epidemiological data support community masking to reduce the spread" of the virus. The CDC also notes that masks help "reduce the emission of virus-laden droplets," which is "especially relevant for asymptomatic or presymptomatic infected wearers who feel well and may be unaware of their infectiousness to others." These people are estimated to account for more than 50% of transmissions.

[xrmusn]

Checking out at Supermarket yesterday and guy behind me has a ‘Trump’ hat on...I (maskless) stepped to the rear of my cart (still keeping distance) and said Nice Hat! he sort of glared at me and I figured he misunderstood me so (not wanting him to have story of someone disrespecting an old man), waited till I moved up and when he moved to front (and a bit closer) I again said Nice Hat! he glared again and pointed at his mask then me.

I didn’t respond but had to ‘bite my tongue’.

Kind of like the guy sporting a ‘Honk if you Love Jesus’ bumper sticker, someone honked and the guy flipped him the bird....

Go Figure...<: <: <:

[heavy metal]

snowflakes don’t last long in florida...

[glennaro]

I know how that goes. Work is work ... their game; their rules ... so there are always exceptions. Cheers!

[pangaea6]

They can’t stand red states doing their own thing and people being free

[upchuck]

There's a lot of stuff in the article where CDC says masks will save the world. Then there's this:

CDC Admits: No Conclusive Evidence Cloth Masks Work Against COVID 10/29/20

Also, see tagline.

[rockrr]

“Wuhanic Plague” - I like it ;’}

(I’m still using ControllaVirus...)

[montag813]

DeSantis/Noem 2024

[The Great RJ]

Masks are mandatory for employees and customers at my local chain grocery store. Employees have been issued cloth masks with the company logo. Many employees don’t wear them correctly covering their nose and it’s an open question whether they are washed after every shift. I have seen some that look pretty gross. Customers wear everything from disposable surgical type masks, makeshift cloths masks and increasingly popular worthless plastic face shields. Our Governor Tim Walz (D-nitwit) has imposed mandatory mask orders yet the deaths of nursing home residents continues to rise

[WPFF - Offical]

This huge specialty grocery store Oakes Farms Seed to Table with restaurant/bar is owned by an avid Trump supportomg organic farmer. There have been constant Trump rallies and voter registration at the store and special events to flaunt the fact that we are not soviet citizens and won’t be muzzled for this chinese virus. This store is a haven for freedom loving citizens and many or most people who go there likely don’t wear masks.

And at Publix they leave you alone if you don’t wear a mask.

[lastchance]

That is a business well worth supporting. I don’t wear a mask when I go to Publix and I’ve never even gotten so much as a scowl.

[who knows what evil?]

The purpose of the mask is not to prevent WuFlu. The purpose is to isolate, dehumanize, and deindividualize the citizenry. So much easier for the commies to task the military to shoot faceless things as opposed to their own countrymen and women and children.

Post of the month!

[who knows what evil?]

...deaths of nursing home residents continues to rise...

Of course...it's flu season...happens EVERY year.

[mewzilla]

Meanwhile...

Jen Psaki warns 'wearing masks is going to be essential' even for vaccinated Americans

[newnhdad]

I went to a doughnut shop in Dunedin or Palm Harbor that had a sign out front saying you don’t need to wear a mask because they believe in freedom..

[Red Badger]

[Red Badger]

[MayflowerMadam]

” but I have seen the same thing in St. Pete. Especially 7-11s.”

Seen masks? Seen no masks? I hope you mean you’ve seen free Americans being free.

I am constantly disappointed in the number of mask zombies I see here in eastern TN. Their independent spirit was one of the big attributes that drew us here for retirement. Now most appear to be China-like drones.

[Red Badger]

[HotHunt]

Great illustration to make the point that the weave in the material in masks are too large to stop a virus.

I don't care what the so-called bureaucratic experts say. Masks are only effective against bacteria. Not viruses.

I used to be a hospital administrator and had responsibility for procurement of medical supplies. Everyone in a hospital who wears masks, knows they are to stop the spread of bacteria and but not viruses.

Thanks for posting. I'm stealing it to use myself. 😂

[polymuser]

Actually observe the masked: worn with gaps around nose or under the nose, carelessly handled and stored, infrequently replaced or washed and, the biggest thing, of plain cloth that filters no pathogens, but only stops droplets.

Then, observe touching: touching store products others and cashiers and baggers have touched, touching door handles, touching mail others and carriers have touched, touching car surfaces touched on last outing, touching the mask after touching other things...

It is a joke upon ourselves, to anyone with an average IQ actually thinking about it.

I must believe that herd immunity is happening, masked or not.