On Tuesday Indiana will lift its statewide mask mandate, even as COVID-19 cases trend upwards.
In Lafayette, Mayor Tony Roswarski has said he supports the governor lifting the mask mandate but said people should continue wearing masks if they can’t socially distance.
Many Lafayette businesses say they plan to keep mask rules in place.
Kristen Rupp is the co-owner of Bernadette’s Babeshop. She said they plan to keep wearing masks.
“Just to keep everyone here safe,” she said. “We’re not all vaccinated yet so we’re going to keep it up until we all are and maybe even a little bit longer.”
Sarah Stantz is the owner of Java Roaster in downtown Lafayette. She said the state’s decisions to lift the mandate put pressure on businesses to make hard choices about whether to let people come in who could pose health risks.
“You have to decide whether you let people and you make those sales or you don’t let those people in and you don’t make those sales,” she said. “That has made that even greater.”
Stantz said the state’s decision has left already struggling businesses “out in the cold.”