Open Letter To Quad City Businesses About Mask Signs

The pandemic has been tough on businesses, especially small businesses. After the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their mask guidelines, many businesses, small and large alike, announced that they were lifting their mask requirements for those that are fully vaccinated. While that sounds fine and dandy, it's hard to know which businesses are still requiring customers to wear a masks and which are not. Even though the signs on the door say "masks required", no one is wearing them, including employees.

It's confusing me, Quad Cities! So let's have a chat...

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First of all, I will openly share with you that I am fully vaccinated. I have been for awhile actually. I don't mind wearing a mask, it doesn't really bug me. It only bugs me when I wear glasses because of stupid fog (maybe I shouldn't breath so heavy).

But last week when the CDC announced that...

"...people who are fully vaccinated don't have to wear a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance."

I'm not going to lie, I was pumped! No more masks, things feel like they are going back to "normal," and no more foggy glasses.

Here is the problem that I'm running into though. While it's a minor thing, I'm simply confused as to who is requiring masks and who isn't. Some businesses aren't requiring masks for vaccinated people, but still have signs up that saying the require masks while no one inside is wearing a mask.

It's like being open for business and not having the open sign on. It's confusing me, a lot.

If I'm confused, I'm sure others are too. Let's try making things a little less confusing for everyone, vaccinated or not, mask wearers or not.

Businesses not requiring masks, take your "face mask required" sign down.

Businesses not requiring people and/or employees to wear a mask anymore, please take down the sign that says face coverings are required. It's very weird to walk into a business with that sign on to see no one wearing a mask. It creates kind of a weird vibe where as the mask wearer, you feel a little judged and a little stupid when no one else is wearing one. And I'm sure it makes the people not wearing a mask uncomfortable because they feel like they should put one on when it's not required and everyone is vaccinated.

It also kind of gives off a vibe being kind of contradictory. I'm sure no one has got around to taking it down yet if masks are no longer required, so look at this as your friendly reminder.

If you're still requiring customers and employees to mask up, THAT'S OKAY.

If you're a business owner, you have the 110% right to have rules for your shop. The fear of COVID, not knowing who has been exposed/has it, and who has/hasn't been vaccinated is very real. I will absolutely wear a mask into someone's place of business if that is their policy.

One thing I will ask you to do is update your signage at the front door. Something that says we are STILL continuing to require mask. Again, totally cool if you do or don't require masks.

If I walk into a business with a sign on the door, I'm going to get the hint and put my mask on.

Does it make sense to require customers to wear a mask and not employees?

It's probably not the best look to not require employees to wear a mask but require customers to do so. We are all breathing in the same air when people go into businesses. Requiring some but not other's to wear a mask sounds kind of silly, doesn't it?

There are no mask mandates in the QC. It's totally up to the businesses now.

Iowa and Illinois are both following the CDC's recent guidelines at the state level.

Governor J.B. Pritzker announced Monday that Illinois has moved inline with the new CDC guidelines. Illinois Quad City counties are also going along with the governor and now there are no mask mandates on the Illinois side of the Quad Cities. As mentioned before, the CDC's new guidelines state,

"Fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance."

Governor Kim Reynolds was one of the first governor's to drop the statewide mask mandate. There hasn't been a mask mandate at the state level in Iowa since February 7th. Scott County and the City of Davenport have never had a face mask requirement.

What does this mean? If you see a business that still are requiring masks in their business, be respectful and put one on. If a QC business isn't requiring masks, feel free to take it off, but only if you've been vaccinated. Which brings me to my final point.

Be honest.

People who are fully vaccinated are allowed to take their mask off in most situations, indoor and outdoors. If you aren't fully vaccinated, my suggestion would be to follow the CDC's updated guidelines and wear a mask. Keep yourself safe, keep others safe.

No one is going around and whipping out their vaccine card, it's not tattooed on them, or stapled on their shirt. No one knows who is vaccinated and who is not. No one knows who has COVID and who doesn't. We are all just trying to stay alive here.

Again, be honest. Mask up if you need/have to.