I very much hope that business owners on the North Olympic Peninsula are aware that strict enforcement of the requirement to wear masks when in public spaces will determine whether many of us will visit their facilities.
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit us very lightly so far, but that is unlikely to continue.
Cases are rising rapidly around the world, including in Washington state.
We must do what we can to protect one another and that means social distancing, washing hands and wearing masks.
Many of us, I’m certain, will be observing carefully to determine if businesses are strictly requiring masks and we’ll choose and visit elsewhere if they are not.
The police have opted not to actively enforce the new requirement, so the burden is on business owners to act.
Confronting those who refuse to wear masks is uncomfortable, but the choice is clear: lose the business of the willfully ignorant or lose the business of those who value their own and others’ health and well-being.
Craig Whalley
Port Angeles