Black Friday raises concern that COVID-19 complacency is rife in Adelaide’s shopping precincts

Unmasked shoppers could get more than they bargained for if they fail to heed the advice of the authorities in the city’s record longest day of trading.

Most South Australians are ignoring authorities’ pleas to wear masks, prompting fresh warnings ahead of the Black Friday retail sales frenzy.

The Advertiser visited supermarkets and shopping strips and observed people on public transport across Adelaide on Thursday, finding in some cases not a single patron wearing a mask.

There were no mask wearers to be found in a supermarket in the inner southern suburbs on Thursday morning.

In 45 minutes walking up and down the beach end of Glenelg’s Jetty Rd in the afternoon, only half a dozen shoppers wearing masks were spotted. Almost all workers at the strip’s cafes and fashion stores were unmasked too.

And many passengers on the Glenelg tram had decided against the key COVID-safety measure, which is not mandatory but strongly encouraged by SA Health.

The state’s chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier said she was glad to see some people wearing masks in Rundle Mall on Thursday and it was “very pleasing indeed to see some of the retail stores having their workers wearing masks as well”.

“With the coming sales and Black Friday, we really do want to encourage people to be wearing masks, because it’s going to be crowded and, you know, you’ll be in close contact with potentially a large number of people that you don’t know from all over South Australia,” she said.

“So, if you haven’t got yourself a mask and you’re intending to come please have a look at getting yourself a mask. But if you haven’t had time and you end up in Rundle Mall or one of the large shopping centres, we have done a very large drop of masks, so that people can pick them up and be protected for that period of time.

“And I know it’s not, you know, as a community, we’re not used to wearing masks, and you might wonder look is this really the right time, well, indeed, if you’re going to wear a mask, now is the right time. And it’s, it’s an easy thing to do, not too inconvenient and it protects not just yourself, but your family and indeed the whole community.”

Professor Spurrier said SA Health has been working with Rundle Mall authorities to prepare for this event long before the Parafield cluster emerged. Officials will be helping with queuing and COVID marshals will be on guard.

She asked shoppers to also “be mindful of the weather, bring some water with you, keep yourself hydrated”.

Rundle Mall general manager Johanna Williams said Black Friday would be a COVID-safe three-day event with 16 straight hours of trading on Friday, “the city’s longest-ever day of shopping” and then 9am to 5pm on both Saturday and Sunday.

“Shopping in Rundle Mall will be a little different in light of the current restrictions, with everyone encouraged to wear masks for their own health as much as for frontline retail workers,” she said.

The Advertiser “hits the streets” to see who is, who isn't wearing masks ahead of the Black Friday sales in Rundle Mall. Picture: Keryn Stevens

“The one person per four square metre rule will be monitored closely so shoppers may be asked to queue outside to manage in-store numbers, but rest assured retailers will be working hard to serve customers quickly and safely and the bargains will be well worth the wait.”

SA Health is “strongly recommending people wear face masks whenever they can’t keep 1.5 metres away from other people”, a spokeswoman said.

“This includes at shopping centres and supermarkets, on public transport, and at hospital, health, and aged care sites.”

People wearing masks at Aldi in Marion.

After SA Health revealed late on Wednesday that a Woodville High student had tested positive for COVID-19, many South Australians hit social media urging others to wear masks.

“People should wear masks in any store … until this cluster is under control,” one wrote on the SA Health Facebook page.

One retailer said she believed while the wearing of masks remained optional, the uptake would be slow.

“Having said that, I sell masks here and have had to restock several times,” she said.

The Advertiser, too, got the impression that rather than an act of defiance, people were simply not wearing masks because it wasn’t mandatory for them to do so.

Locals Chloe Jones and Christian Tassone enjoy lunch at Glenelg. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Locals, Chloe Jones, 26, and Christian Tassone, 34, were enjoying a lunch break, sharing fish and chips by the beach.

While neither were wearing masks, they each said they put on masks when entering busy places such as the supermarket.

Ms Jones said she carried one in her handbag while Mr Tassone kept one in the car.

“I think when we first came out of lockdown there were definitely more people wearing masks down here at Glenelg but I think complacency creeps in pretty quickly,” Mr Tassone said.

“If I was somewhere that had a lot of activity and foot traffic I would definitely be wearing a mask but sitting out here you’d be pretty unlucky (to catch COVID-19),” he said.

Cebastian and dad Jamie Young, 28 keep cool at Glenelg. Picture: Keryn Stevens

For Jamie Young, 28, soaking up some sunshine and water fun with his young son Cebastian, 4, wearing a mask is not a matter of preference.

“I have been fighting cancer – Lymphoma – since June so there is no choice … I need to have it on whenever I leave the house, regardless of where I am,” he said,

In the airconditioned comfort of Westfield Marion Shopping Centre the wearing of masks was again the exception with just a smattering of shoppers choosing to cover their faces.

Catherine Fitzpatrick was one of those, saying she was trying to get used to it.

“It’s mainly because I don’t want to be looking over my shoulder trying to check distances … I feel the mask gives me a little bit of protection.”

However, she understood why others might choose not to.

“”It is a bit uncomfortable and when you see others are not wearing them, you might choose to do the same,” she said.

At the Adelaide Central Market, very few people – including stallholders – were wearing masks.

Peter Pessios from Central Market Flowers said people felt like they could maintain social distance requirements inside the produce hub.

“I see many more people wearing masks outside, rather than inside the market,” he said.

Of all the places visited by the Advertiser on Thursday, the most masks were spotted in Rundle Mall – although the percentage of mask-wearers was minuscule in comparison to non-maskers.

Alek Kunda, 19, of Mile End, said he believed the reason was people felt confident the Parafield cluster had been confined.

“There’s not the fear there was following our first lockdown … people just don’t see COVID as an issue in SA,” he said.

However, Mr Kunda and friend Pablo Navarra, 20, of Torrens Park said they were taking hand hygiene seriously as well as frequently using hand sanitiser.

Mask wearing is more common in Rundle Mall than in other shopping destinations around town. Picture: Keryn Stevens