As states, counties and cities in the US continue to introduce new policies and face mask mandates to slow the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, many Americans are refusing to adhere to the swiftly-imposed regulations that, they suggest, infringes upon their interpretation of how the US Constitution guarantees the freedom of its citizens.
“It’s supposed to be a free country, and we can make our own decisions with what we do in our lives and in our businesses,” according to Barry Cowden, an anti-masker and owner of Don Chilito’s Mexican Restaurant in Mission, Kansas, to KSHB.
Restaurants and bars – including Cowden’s eatery – are defined as public locations.
District Attorney Steve Howe revealed to KSHB that his office has conducted 18 site visits to businesses that have exhibited compliance issues with current or past county-wide face-covering orders. Of the 18 businesses, according to Howe, Cowden’s restaurant is the only holdout.
According to the restaurant owner, current scientific evidence on COVID-19 transmission and facemasks is not enough to force him to require employees and customers wear face coverings.
He does, however, believe the science behind social distancing and sanitizing surfaces, as the restaurant owner has reportedly spaced out dining tables and upped the cleaning schedule for frequently-touched surfaces.
It’s worth noting that the local mask mandate in the county requires customers only wear face masks when not “actively engaged in consuming food or drink.”
The DA has for months reportedly been unsure of how to approach the issue – primarily due to the lack of legal precedent.
“When the legislature passed that law, basically saying prosecutors had to, if they found a violation, examine whether or not to file civil action, I’ve been having my lawyers look at what type of civil action can we actually bring under what provisions,” Howe told KSHB, noting new information may be available following Thursday’s Board of County Commissioners meeting.
“I care about my employees, so if that’s what we have to do I suppose we’ll do that. If I do wear a mask I will of course wear it in protest, and I’ll only do it where need be to protect my livelihood and that of my employees,” the small business owner commented.
The Johnson County mask mandate comes alongside a sharp spike in COVID-19-related fatalities, totaling over 251,000 American deaths, as of Wednesday. States such as Ohio, Washington, California and New Mexico have imposed various stay-at-home orders, curfews and other mitigation measures as a result of the pandemic’s uptick.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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