Murrells Inlet business requiring masks as ‘belligerent’ clients refuse them
After one too many run-ins with “belligerent” clients refusing to wear masks in tight spaces, the head of a local vet clinic took to Facebook to vent her frustrations.
“We are here to help animals, we do not have the time nor (to be blunt and honest) the patience to argue with you about the masks,” the post, published early last week, reads. “We all believe what we believe and that’s okay, but if you want to come into our business and interact with our team members - please show us enough respect to mask up for your protection as well as ours.”
That was before the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reversed course to recommend masks indoors for everyone in areas of high COVID-19 spread, regardless of vaccination status. That means people in Horry and Georgetown counties are urged to wear masks inside, though local governments haven’t adopted a requirement.
Horry County has reported more than 1,500 coronavirus cases in the last seven days, an 84% increase from the previous week, according to data from the CDC. Coronavirus hospitalizations have also spiked more than 90% in the last week, an “eerie” comparison to the stats from last summer when the virus was surging, one local doctor said.
The Delta variant, which is highly transmissible and responsible for the majority of cases across the country, is likely the dominant strain of the virus in South Carolina, state health officials say. The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control tests random cases for the variant in order to estimate its spread, but not every positive test is categorized by variant. Individual hospitals generally don’t have the ability to test for the variants of the coronavirus.
Now, the animal hospital has altered its policy to require masks in all areas. Anyone who refuses to wear a mask inside will be asked to leave the building, said Murrells Inlet Veterinary Hospital Jennifer Hoffman Long.
“They’re worn out,” Hoffman Long said about the clinic’s staff. “Often they’re 16 and 18 years old and they have grown men and women giving them a hard time about it and I just find that to be really disrespectful when all we are doing is trying to keep people safe.”
The vet clinic offers curbside service, and while Hoffman Long said she prefers people wear a mask outside, they’re only required indoors.
When case counts were lower in the area and the CDC had indicated vaccinated people could go maskless indoors in most situations, masks were only required in small exam rooms, but the hospital allowed vaccinated customers to remove their face coverings in the lobby.
But now, the contagious Delta variant has sparked rising hospitalizations in the Myrtle Beach area, prompting new advice from health agencies and a new requirement for the Murrells Inlet animal hospital.
For Hoffman Long, the decision to require masks was simple — she wanted to keep her team safe.
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s wet floors or surgical drugs, anything we have here, we have a commitment to provide a safe environment for our team,” Hoffman Long said.
The staff was used to “snarky” comments about the mask policy. Those come weekly, Hoffman Long said. But it was three “belligerent” clients in particular who sparked the Facebook post. One man cursed at a doctor who asked him to wear a mask, and boasted that he wasn’t vaccinated, Hoffman Long said.
The clinic appears to be one of the only ones in the Myrtle Beach area currently requiring masks, though businesses in larger U.S. cities have been quick to require masks or proof of vaccination as coronavirus cases increased in recent weeks. In Chicago, popular gay bars are requiring vaccination proof as a ticket for entry, according to the news site Block Club Chicago. New York City will require proof of vaccination for indoor dining and other activities, the Associated Press reported.
That’s not the norm here, but Hoffman Long isn’t concerned about losing business. For the most part, her clients have been kind and supportive, she said.
“It’s the negative ones that stand out and get the attention,” Hoffman Long said. “But we definitely thank our clients over the past 18 months. They have been incredible for us.”
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Are you a business that is thinking about requiring masks? Or have had issues implementing a mask requirement? Read here for advice from experts on best practices.
This story was originally published August 6, 2021 at 2:59 PM.
