On June 22, the first day the Valley Mall reopened, Julie Rohm stopped a shopper and offered her a free face mask. The customer, who had dropped by the mall on a trip from Ohio, was surprised to learn that she had to wear a mask in Maryland retail establishments. “It didn’t dawn on her at all,” Rohm said.

Rohm described the exchange as “very cordial.” But she said it was an early sign of how the coronavirus, and efforts to stop it, have put new requirements on shoppers and sellers. She also said it was an early sign that different rules in different states have led to confusion.



In Maryland, for example, Gov. Larry Hogan has issued an executive order requiring people older than age 9 to wear masks or face coverings on public transportation and inside stores and restaurants (except when eating). Adult customers with children ages 2 through 9 are to use “reasonable efforts to cause those children to wear face coverings” while in stores and restaurants.

A person who does not comply can face a criminal charge that includes a penalty of up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $5,000, according to the order. Businesses can face civil penalties.

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“As time has gone on, the more people have kind of become frustrated” with the requirements, Cailey Locklair, president of the Maryland Retailers Association, said on Tuesday.

She said the association’s members are reporting more confrontations over the mask requirements, and they put businesspeople in an uncomfortable position.

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