BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — When out and about in New York State, wearing a face mask could be essential to walk into a store.
“The masks work. They work,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said during a press conference Thursday morning. Cuomo’s executive order allows private businesses to deny entry to anyone not wearing a face covering.
“You don’t want to wear a mask? Fine. But you don’t have a right to go into that store if that store owner doesn’t want you to,” he said.
As the Western New York region nears Phase Two of reopening, one North Buffalo business is working day and night to ensure their customer’s safety.
“We’ve been preparing to reopen since we closed,” Hertel Home Consignment co-owner Micheal Chamberlain said.
Whenever Phase Two begins, Chamberlain said the store will be open to customers once again, but they will be requiring anyone who walks through their doors to wear a mask.
“Everybody that comes in needs to be wearing a face mask. If you’re not wearing one, we’re going to have to ask you to leave nicely, but we have to be protected,” Chamberlain said.
Since closing, all items coming and in and out of the store has been sanitized. Safety, Chamberlain said, is the top priority. That extends to when customers can come back inside. For him it’s not a question if you need to wear a mask, it’s a must.
“No matter what side of the issue you’re on, no matter how you feel politically, leave it at the door. Why take the chance? Just play it safe,” Hertel Home Consignment co-owner Angelo Cicatello said.
The two don’t expect any issues with the mask rule.
“There’s information that you can find online or anywhere that you can argue your point at. Again my point is this: just play it safe,” Cicatello said.
And as reopening nears, Hertel Home Consignment is hoping their customers come back in to shop with of course, a mask.
“If there was ever a time to shop local, this is the time to shop local,” Cicatello said. Chamberlain adding, “Mom and pop shops across America is what keeps America going, so please shop with us.”
