SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — On Monday, Starbucks mandated masks for all employees in the U.S. The Henry Street Starbucks in Syracuse went a step farther, though, and now requires masks for both employees and customers.
Starbucks’ announcement came after the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation that all communities with substantial to high levels of COVID-19 transmission wear masks inside. Onondaga County currently has substantial levels of transmission, according to the CDC.
Richard Morales, a barista at the Henry Street Starbucks, said having to wear a mask at work doesn’t bother him.
“I do what I was told,” Morales said. “I had the COVID, I got the vaccine, I wear the masks and I follow all the rules, so I’m feeling pretty safe.”
Morales said it helps that every guest has been happy to comply with the mask requirement.
“Honestly, a lot of nice people came in,” Morales said. “When you’re sitting you’re allowed to take your mask off. When you’re standing and waiting you can’t. People have been really cool. We hand out the masks at the front, so they’ve been really nice.”
A number of other businesses in Syracuse have also imposed mask rules of their own. On Tuesday, Wegmans announced on Twitter that all employees would be required to wear a mask inside, while all customers were strongly encouraged to wear a mask while shopping.
Onondaga County’s daily case count has climbed steadily in the past month. Today, the county reported 75 cases of COVID-19. In comparison, on July 5, the county reported just eight cases.
The seven-day average of cases per 100,000 people — a key metric used in the CDC’s definition of transmission risk — has also climbed 151.77%, according to the CDC website.
