Some Tauranga shoppers and retailers are calling on the Government to mandate mask-wearing to slow the spread of the Omicron BA.5 subvariant virus.
Others say it should be left up to personal choice.
Retail NZ chief executive Greg Harford says they are actively encouraging customers to wear masks when out shopping.
"Although it is a legal requirement to wear masks when customers enter a retail shop, the Government does not enforce this, which has created a loophole that allows pretty much anyone to declare themselves exempt for any reason, and compliance has dropped off a cliff," Harford said.
"Retail NZ members report that only around a third of customers nationally are actually wearing masks," Harford said.
His comments come after public health officials this week made a public push for New Zealanders to mask up when they are out and about amid the rise in cases of the Covid-19 subvariants.
A survey conducted by the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend in downtown Tauranga between noon and 1 pm yesterday revealed most shoppers entering retail and food outlets were observed not wearing face masks.
Of the 70 shoppers observed, only 29 were wearing masks
At one cafe, no one inside was seen wearing a mask including those closely standing in line waiting to be served. Neither was the staff member serving them.
A spokesman from Shane Barr Shoe Repairs, who asked not to named, said there were "not many" people wearing face masks these days despite the increase in Covid cases.
"Most people are generally good when we remind them to put on a mask, but we have had two or three people who made some negative remarks to us, mainly anti-vax people."
The staff member said he believed mandating mask-wearing was the only way to get more people to co-operate rather than leave it up to business owners to police.
"Last week we had a woman come into our store not wearing a mask and she told us that she recently tested positive for Covid. The woman was obviously still recovering from the virus as she was coughing and sneezing and we often see people doing the same walking in the hallway past our store, again not wearing masks," he said.
Tauranga teacher Miriam du Feu and her partner, Pete Entwistle, said they believed the only way to try to limit the spread of Omicron was to make mask-wearing compulsory in stores and other indoors spaces by a Government mandate.
"We wear masks as it's the sensible and logical thing to do to protect ourselves and everyone else, not just from getting Covid but the flu and other viral infections," du Feu said.
"I teach the piano and the keyboard at Tauranga Girls' College two days a week and mask-wearing is a requirement for me and my students.
"It makes sense to me that the rest of the school community should also have to wear masks indoors ... We're getting quite elderly, and as grandparents, we also babysit quite often and it's logical to wear a mask when you dealing with a super-spreader.
"I think people who don't want to wear face masks are being quite selfish," she said.
A Bethlehem retiree shopping in Grey St, who did not want to be named, said a mask mandate was the only way to get many people to comply with this health and safety issue.
The shopper said he recently visited a well-known chain store and asked the young staff member why so many of their customers were not wearing masks.
"The store even has a sign saying you need to do so, and the young staff member told me it was because the staff were getting abuse.
"It p***** me off when half the population are abiding by the rules and the other half seem to be allowed to do what they like."
Downtown Tauranga chairman Brian Berry encouraged everybody to wear a face mask when shopping or entering any institution or organisation.
"This is not only about protecting yourself from the risk of catching Covid or the flu, it's about protecting other people as well.
"I know there has been a lot of angst over mask-wearing in shops but the number of Omicron cases is on the rise again and it's important we all protect ourselves."
Greerton Mainstreet manager Sally Benning said she recently conducted her own survey of retailers in the village and most stated they were not asking customers to wear masks.
"That's because it results in a lot of abuse when they do, and many of those surveyed say it's become just too difficult to continue questioning customers and visitors.
"It shouldn't be the retailer's job to police other people's mask-wearing particularly when no one is policing the rest of the community to ensure they do the same."
Benning said retailers have enough pressure on them to keep their businesses afloat.
"I also recently visited another shopping centre area and noted it was about 50-50 when you compared how many people were wearing masks to those who were not.
"Social distancing is another issue that seems to have gone out the door for many shoppers ... and lots of people say they're over it and don't want to be told what to do.
"I'm not sure whether the Government mandating wearing masks would work given the anti-strong feelings in the community," she said.
"I keep wearing my mask as I believe what the experts are telling me, that is wearing a face mask and vaccinations, including getting your booster shots, are the best protection."
Tauranga Business Chamber chief executive Matt Cowley said unless face masks were the right quality, cleaned and replaced frequently, they were largely ineffective.
"We're in the third year of the pandemic and we all understand the real risks and the implications and that some people are more at-risk than others.
"Most employers understand their responsibilities to be supportive of staff staying at home if they are unwell. People are commonly stressed, frustrated and over it.
Cowley said whether the Government mandated face masks or not community compliance with Covid-19-related rules was low.
"The Chamber supports people making choices for themselves, including business owners who can decide if they require face masks as a condition of entry.
"Efforts are better placed on supporting those vulnerable people in our community to ensure they have access to online shopping and deliveries for their essentials."
Western Bay of Plenty Principals Association president Suzanne Billington, who is also principal of Tauriko School, said schools already had the discretionary power to impose a mandate for students from Year 4 upwards and staff to wear masks in the classroom.
However, Billington said there were "quite diverse views" among different school communities on whether that discretion should be used to compel people to wear masks.
"If the Government has good scientific data and believes a mask mandate is required in classrooms it would certainly make things a lot easier for schools, particularly in helping to maintain good relationships with the school community," she said.
A Ministry of Health spokesperson said it generally urged people to wear a mask in public indoor settings outside the home, in poorly ventilated spaces, and when it is hard to keep a distance from other people.
- Additional reporting, Tamara Poi-Ngawhika, Te Rito Journalism cadet
