HARLINGEN, Texas (KVEO) — Following Governor Greg Abbott’s decision to end the mask mandate and reopen the state at 100%, some local businesses are saying ‘no mask…no service.’
KVEO reached to local business to hear how they plan to move forward after the governors decision.
“I don’t want any of these people to be sick, and I don’t want any of these people who work for me to be sick,” said the owner of Harlingen restaurant Colletti’s, Jo Wagnar.
Local gym owner, Denise Sluck, feels there’s too much of a risk in a gym environment.
“You know the business setting that we are in—I agree with you—there’s definitely a lot more close contact.”
Sluck mentions they have dealt with the push back on masks before.
“We actually had a lot of that at the very beginning we had a lot of people that kind of argued it like ‘it’s against my right,’ and I totally understand,” said Sluck. “But we have to think of everyone as a whole.”
Other businesses are leaving the choice up to customers but will require staff to be masked.
“We will not be requiring our customers to wear masks, we encourage them to wear masks and we encourage them to use the hand sanitizing stations at every door,” said general manager of Station 1, Omar Trevino.
Others, are prepared to turn customers away.
“We’ve gone this long doing what we’re supposed to do, and we see it’s helping—I just don’t see any reason at this particular time to stop doing what’s worked,” said Wagnar.
Governor Abbott’s mandate, which takes effect March 10, allows county officials to impose restrictions if hospital capacity goes to 15% or higher for seven consecutive days. However, they are not allowed to enforce penalties or jail time.
