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An Arizona man became the latest anti-masker to launch a viral tirade against face coverings on Monday night.
In a video shared to Twitter, the man's son physically removes him from a Tucson grocery store after he refuses to comply with the establishment's face mask policy and refers to customers following the mandate as "a bunch of idiots." The video has garnered over a million views by Tuesday morning.
"People won't learn. These people won't learn," the man shouts. "You're a bunch of idiots wearing masks. You know it's not real. Look at you fools, you got a f***ing doily on your face!"
The situation escalates when a masked individual tells the man he "can't be yelling at people" inside the store. The man responds with offensive remarks and tries to advance toward the individual while repeatedly asking him to "come outside." His son, and two other young people who appear to know the man personally, hold him back before ushering him toward the exit. The son eventually lifts and carries him through the doorway.
The incident occurred inside a Sprouts supermarket. The national grocery store chain, which operates four sites in Tucson, requires all customers older than 2 to wear face coverings while inside its establishments.
In a statement shared to the company's website, Sprouts cites recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) "and orders from public health agencies regarding the use of face coverings to help prevent the spread of COVID-19" as the explanation for the mask mandate. Individuals who arrive at a Sprouts without a face mask can obtain one provided by the store upon entry, according to the statement. Customers who prefer to wear a face shield are permitted to do so.
"If you are unable or unwilling to wear a face covering or face shield, we kindly ask you to consider our alternative shopping options, including online ordering for curbside pickup or delivery," the statement continues. "Our policy is posted and communicated to all customers at store entrances."
Newsweek reached out to Sprouts' corporate offices for comment but did not receive a reply in time for publication.
Guidelines released by the CDC note that wearing face masks in public settings will most likely reduce risks of COVID-19 transmission. Health and government authorities across the U.S. have implemented protocols consistent with those guidelines throughout the pandemic, particularly as businesses reopened and infection rates rose. A number of incidents captured on video have shown individuals fiercely opposing face mask mandates inside various establishments across the country.
In Tucson, residents over 5 years old are required to wear face coverings in public spaces where maintaining adequate physical distance from others is not possible. City officials enacted the mandate with an ordinance passed on June 19, as Arizona grappled with a resurgence of COVID-19 cases and the resulting influx of hospitalizations statewide.
