‘You’re Making Yourself Sick’: Walmart Shopper Rails Against Need for Masks

A man filmed his tense encounter with fellow shoppers at a Walmart on July 19, which he said was sparked after he asked one of them why she entered the store in Martinez, California, without a mask.

The retail giant on July 15 announced a policy requiring customers to don masks while in-store. However, Walmart said the policy would not be enforced until July 20 to give it time to “inform customers and members of the changes, post signage and train associates on the new protocols.”

In the video shot by Brian Campbell-Miller, he is in a queue behind a woman and her two children, none of whom are wearing a mask. The woman tells Campbell-Miller “we would all be wearing the same mask if it mattered.”

The interaction gained the attention of two other women, neither of whom were wearing masks, who were sympathetic to the first woman’s position.

“Stay home if you’re so scared,” one remarks, moments before accusing Campbell-Miller of destroying “this country.” Another calls him “Antifa” and aims the word “brainwash” at him.

The first woman can be heard later telling another customer with children that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that “children should not be wearing masks.” According to the CDC, this guidance is true for children under two.

She also tells the man, “you’re making yourself sick by wearing the mask.”

As of July 21, the United States had the highest number of COVID-19-related deaths globally, with the John Hopkins University coronavirus tracker recording a total 140,909 fatalities. Credit: Brian Campbell-Miller via Storyful