Hugo’s Tacos is taking a break after 15 years in business, with the operator of two Los Angeles taco shops temporarily closing after tiring of fighting customers who ignore a California state rule and refuse to wear masks. facial.
While the majority of its customers are respectful, a noisy, maskless minority is making life miserable for workers seeking to stay safe during a pandemic, the company said on its Instagram page.
“Our taco stands are exhausted by constant conflicts over guests who refuse to wear masks. Staff have been harassed, called names, and objects and liquids have been thrown at them,” said Hugo. “A mask symbolizes nothing more than our desire to keep our staff healthy.”
Hugo’s decision to close came as Covid-19 cases continue to rise across the United States, with more than 2.6 million confirmed infections and more than 126,000 deaths as of Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University. The disease is also on the rise in the Los Angeles area, which has registered approximately 101,000 confirmed cases and more than 3,300 deaths.
While the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all Americans wear a mask when venturing out in public to curb the spread of the highly contagious coronavirus, targeting has become a political issue for Some.
Customers threw drinks and other items at ATMs, Hugo Tacos CEO Bill Kohne told CNN. Some would call the mask rule “stupid” and yell at mainly Latino staff to “go back to where they came from,” he broadcast.
“It is a mistake to think that this problem is defined as red or blue,” Kohne told CNN, noting that his two taco stands reside in liberal communities within Los Angeles. “We are shades of gray. It’s a general challenge, a ‘you can’t tell me what to do’ and ‘this is my personal choice,'” she told the media outlet.
People who lash out in public by voicing their opposition to masks are not a rare occurrence lately, as Hugo’s Tacos can attest. Other incidents include a woman from San Diego trying to publicly embarrass a Starbucks worker for suggesting you wear a mask.
Wearing a mask is required when you are within six feet of others in California, with the state rule exempting those with specific medical conditions that make wearing a mask too difficult.
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