SAN DIEGO — The controversy over face coverings continues as some want to wear them and some don’t, citing concerns over safety and politics - and then there's the issue over different mask rules at the beach.
One La Jolla couple walking at La Jolla Shores did not want to give News 8 their names after getting into a heated argument over masks with a group of young kayakers, they said.
"This is a very sore subject. Having people not wearing masks is very frustrating - especially the young people. They don't understand that their not wearing a mask affects a lot of other people," said the couple going by the initials L.K. and M.R.
There was mixed reaction over wearing masks inside a San Diego store.
“If it's going to help, I'm all for it. Let’s do it for now until we can get over this,” said Sue Delauter, a shopper in support of masks.
One shopper at Vons in Clairemont yanked his mask down when asked about his feelings toward face coverings.
"I don't love it at all," he said. "I hate it totally."
Some felt the mask-wearing requirement was political. Patricia Anderson said she gets upset when she sees people not wearing a face covering.
"[I get] kind of like, angry, because they need to have [one] on, you know, stay within the guidelines like everybody’s saying. They need to actually have on a mask,” said Anderson while shopping at Vons with her daughter.
Delauter said she calls out non-mask wearing violators at the store.
"I have a lot of people that I see who don't want to or they will lower it down,” she said.
Still, some San Diegans are calling the pro-mask culture overkill.
"I'm pregnant right now, so I think my child has an opportunity to gain immunity through me, so I’ve been trying not to wear a mask as much as possible. I think we're kind of overdoing it a little bit,” said Kelsey Nemechek after shopping at Target.
When it comes to face coverings at La Jolla Shores, beachgoer Marinela Antolic said the rules are murky.
"It's a little bit confusing lately, I think because first it was just when you go inside, and now, it’s while outside,” she said.
In California, mandatory guidelines say people in outdoor work or recreation such as swimming, walking, running, hiking or bicycling, don't have to wear a mask, but the goal is to socially distance at least six feet from others.
“It's not easy, especially with a 3-year-old, you know, to explain why [to] wear a mask and all that stuff, but we follow the best we can. If it only helps like 1%, I think it's worth a try,” Antolic said.