MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. — People have heard it for more than a week -- North Carolina’s top health official urging everyone to remember the three W’s: wear, wait, and wash.
The first one, wear, refers to a face covering or mask out in public. But despite how many times people have heard it, so many people refuse to do so. Channel 9′s Glenn Counts dug into why some people are simply refusing to follow recommendations.
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“So here, I will say people don’t care quite as much," said Justice Payne, a Southend resident.
Payne moved to Charlotte from Oklahoma about a month ago. He said in Southend, it’s hard to find a mask wearer. It’s something Channel 9 has noticed and something psychologist Dr. James Rachal doesn’t condone, but can understand.
“Personally, I’m like everyone else, I’m really tired of the quarantine," Rachal said.
He sees the decision to forgo a mask as a bit of a rebellion.
On Thursday evening, Channel 9 decided to check how many people were following the CDC’s mask recommendations. It was not a scientific survey, we were just looking at who was wearing a mask and who wasn’t.
At Freedom Park, during a brief period, we counted 47 people not wearing a mask and only six who were, including skateboarders Quianna Winchester and Reshar Coleman.
“It sort of seems like either they are unaware," said Coleman.
“Just because the outside is opened back up doesn’t mean COVID disappeared," Winchester said.
Protesters have been calling for the state to reopen. Some of them were proudly walking about with no mask on.
“I think a lot of people are angry with what COVID-19 has done, it’s wrecked the economy, it’s made people fearful they are gonna get sick," said Rachal.
And that’s what the mask represents to a lot of folks. As for Payne, she wore a mask religiously while in Oklahoma because she was worried about being fined. It’s an order there, but in North Carolina, it’s just a recommendation.
“I did wear one like the first week I was here and when I noticed people weren’t wearing one I was like, OK, I guess I won’t wear this," Payne said.
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New research suggests men are less likely to wear masks because some think it’s a “sign of weakness.” Researchers in London and California studied nearly 2,500 people. They found men more often than women felt that face-coverings were shameful, not cool and a sign of weakness.
That attitude gap between men and women was much smaller in areas where face-coverings were mandatory.
In Mecklenburg County, leaders have been urging people to wear masks, but haven’t made it mandatory.
“County is following the state’s recommendation. The guidance is clear. It’s recommended if you leave your home, wear a face recovering if social distancing is not possible. So that is the position of Mecklenburg County at this time,” said County Manager, Dena Diorio.
The town of Davidson is considering a face-covering rule. Town leaders debated the idea.
One proposal would require a mask for entering a business or else people would be turned away. It could also extend to public areas and town parks.
At this point, nothing has been decided.
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