Mask protests continue as coronavirus cases surge with one leading a California Trader Joe's to close early

Anti-mask protests and videos of altercations over face mask requirements at businesses across the country continue to go viral even as coronavirus cases surge.

On Saturday, "Burn the Mask" protesters blocked the entrance of a Fresno, California, Trader Joe's, causing the grocer to close in the afternoon, the Fresno Bee reported.

In Los Angeles County, where nearly 1 in 5 people are testing positive, a group of protestors stormed a Ralphs grocery store Sunday, argued with customers over masks with one protester calling a fellow shopper a "mask Nazi,” according to the Los Angeles Times.

Meanwhile, outside a Houston café, protesters waved American flags over the weekend after some customers were upset over having to wear face masks. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner tweeted in response and support of the restaurant, saying he heard Miller's Cafe has "pretty good burgers. I will patronize them Monday and I hope you patronize them this week."

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And at an H&M in Hanover, Maryland, on Friday, a shopper recorded another shopper refusing to put on her mask and their disagreement. An employee also asked the unidentified shopper to wear a mask.

"You don't care about people? You want people to die? People are dying of COVID," said Ronald Harper in the video he recorded at the Arundel Mills Mall store, WBAL-TV 11 News, an NBC affiliate, reported.

Mask compliance has sparked debates throughout the pandemic after Americans received mixed messages from authorities early on over whether they should wear face coverings in public places.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said for months that wearing masks slows the spread of COVID-19, but meanwhile, some politicians, including President Donald Trump, have been called out for not wearing one. As the nation edged further into the stay-at-home era, viral videos of conflicts over mask requirements at businesses have become common to see.

A flurry of videos started in late June as more stores started asking shoppers to adhere to mask policies. Many of the viral disagreements have happened in cities and states already mandating masks.

Often, law enforcement is called to help, but the CDC has advised retailers to not argue with shoppers over masks.

Trader Joe's closed Fresno store early

Trader Joe's has been asking shoppers to wear masks for months, and California started requiring masks or face coverings be worn inside businesses statewide back on June 18. Several parts of the state required masks before then.

In late June, a woman without a mask at another California Trader Joe's called employees and shoppers "Democratic pigs" and screamed profanities because she said she felt threatened when a fellow customer cursed her out for not wearing a mask.

Regarding the incident at the Fresno store, Kenya Friend-Daniel, Trader Joe's national director of public relations, told USA TODAY that safety and well-being of its staff and customers "is, and always has been, our top priority."

"As such, since the pandemic was declared, Trader Joe’s has prioritized creating a safe working and shopping environment every day, developing effective procedures that meet or exceed CDC guidelines, inclusive of mask requirements," Friend-Daniel said in a statement Monday, adding the company will "continue to do the right thing ... with all of our decisions focused on putting their health and safety first."

On its website, the grocer says it requires "customers wear a face covering that meets the standards of applicable health authorities while shopping in our stores. Unless otherwise directed by local rule or law, this does not apply to young children and those with medical conditions who are not able to wear face coverings."

However, for California, during "current regional stay home order," Trader Joe's says all customers are required to "wear a face covering that meets the standards of applicable health authorities while shopping in our stores, without exceptions."

Dr. David Abrams, professor of social and behavioral science at New York University, told USA TODAY in October after Trump got COVID-19 that there should be consequences for not wearing masks when required like seat belt rules and needing a shirt and shoes to enter a business.

"Retail stores have every right to say if you are not wearing a mask please leave," he said. "This is a life-and-death issue. Masks, physical distance and hand-washing are the three things we have to reduce the spread of the virus in the absence of a vaccine."

Mask wearing seen as a political issue

Around mid-July, the nation's largest retailers including Walmart, Kroger and Target announced mask requirements would be implemented until further notice at all stores throughout the country.

Yet, even though signs are posted at store entrances, there isn't always compliance and there have been confrontations with maskless shoppers.

Both the Retail Industry Leaders Association and National Retail Federation have encouraged mask policies to protect shoppers and employees.

"Retailers are alarmed with the instances of hostility and violence front-line employees are experiencing by a vocal minority of customers who are under the misguided impression that wearing a mask is a violation of their civil liberties," Brian Dodge, the retail association’s president, said in a July letter to the National Governors Association.

Recent surveys show more consumers are complying with retailer and local mandates, but that it is often seen as a political issue.

The Kaiser Family Foundation found in a recent poll that 87% of Democrats and 55% of Republicans say they are wearing a mask every time they leave the house and are around other people.

A recent Ipsos poll had similar results with 74% of Americans agreeing that masks are an effective tool to prevent the spread of COVID-19 but that 90% of Democrats agree with the statement versus 61% of Republicans.

Mollyann Brodie, executive director of the foundation’s Public Opinion and Survey Research Program, said the difference is part of partisan beliefs about whether masks are protective and necessary.

“I think that’s what we are seeing in these continued protests is that belief that was set in stone very early on in the course of the pandemic,” Brodie said in an interview with USA TODAY.

President-elect Joe Biden has said he plans to ask all Americans to wear masks during the first 100 days of his administration.

Biden said that where he has authority, he will issue an order mandating that masks be worn in places like federal buildings, airplanes, and interstate transportation like buses.

Brodie thinks the results of Biden's plan could be mixed.

"Many people will be happy to see that type of leadership on taking public health precautions and trying to help limit the spread and certainly the surge we’re seeing in the coronavirus," Brodie said. "But some people and particularly those who are more likely to be Republicans will react negatively to such a call."

If you're planning to shop, know the answers to these FAQs:

Can stores and restaurants require masks?

Yes. Local governments can decide what safety measures to impose on businesses, but individual businesses can institute further restrictions. Many governors instituted or renewed orders requiring people to wear face coverings in public. Most of the orders require people to wear masks in both indoor and outdoor public spaces where social distancing isn't possible, but some apply to only specific places or age groups.

Should kids wear masks?

According to the CDC, cloth face coverings should not be worn by children younger than 2. Older children can and should wear masks, experts say. Schools across the nation are requiring masks when social distancing isn't possible.

Are people with disabilities required to wear masks?

According to the Southeast ADA Center in Atlanta, which provides training and guidance on access, if “a person with a disability is not able to wear a face mask, state and local government agencies and private businesses must consider reasonable modifications to a face mask policy so that the person with the disability can participate in, or benefit from, the programs offered or goods and services that are provided.”

When should masks be worn and what kind?

The CDC recommends wearing masks in public settings around people who don’t live in your household and when you can’t stay 6 feet away from others to "help stop the spread of COVID-19 to others."

The agency's mask recommendations for types of face coverings include:

• Wear masks with two or more layers to stop the spread of COVID-19.

• Wear the mask over your nose and mouth and secure it under your chin

• Masks should be worn by people 2 years and older

• Masks should not be worn by children younger than 2, people who have trouble breathing, or people who cannot remove the mask without assistance

• The CDC does not recommend the use of gaiters or face shields and says evaluation "of these face covers is on-going but effectiveness is unknown at this time."

Contributing: Savannah Behrmann, USA TODAY

Follow USA TODAY reporter Kelly Tyko on Twitter: @KellyTyko

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trader Joe's mask protest: California store closed early over dispute