NSW cafe doesn’t challenge unmasked customers during covid lockdown

A divisive sign which can be seen the moment a customer enters the cafe has been making waves on social media.

A popular cafe in northern NSW has sparked controversy because of its lenient mask-wearing policy.

Nectar Juice House at Cabarita Beach, near Tweed Heads, has a sign greeting customers as they enter that says they don’t have to wear a mask.

The message assures customers they won’t be asked for proof of an exemption if they aren’t wearing a face covering.

Currently, NSW residents must wear a face mask in non-residential indoor areas as Sydney’s outbreak grows and threatens to reach regional localities.

There are a few reasons why someone could be excused from wearing a mask, such as a skin condition, an intellectual disability, autism or trauma.

“No mask, we don’t ask,” the sign begins.

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“The NSW government has mandated mask use indoors but please be aware, if you’re not wearing one we will assume you’re exempt, no questions asked,” the message continues.

“We don’t do judgements, shaming or discrimination here, so please know you will be warmly welcomed and respected however you show up.”

In the accompanying caption on Instagram, the cafe also said their 25 staff members are wearing masks, as per health orders.

Customers don’t have to wear a mask indoors in this cafe.

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“Whilst we are taking the current covid situation very seriously and our staff are wearing masks for yours and our safety – we do not know your situation,” the post’s description read.

“If you choose not to wear one, that is your prerogative. Everyone is welcome in our cafe.”

In a statement to news.com.au, Nectar Juice House’s co-owner Kate Samson said that she hadn’t made the sign – instead, two girls had walked down the street asking businesses if they wanted them.

“The sign is up in a few places,” Ms Samson said.

“We are not flat Earthers, nor are we anti-vax, nor are we pro-vax.

“The message being stipulated here is that if you do not wear a mask we will assume that you are exempt and we will not discriminate by asking any questions. Period.

“We simply believe that IF you are medically exempt it‘s none of our business to ask questions and you will be welcomed into our cafe in the same way that someone wearing one will be.

“It’s really as simple as that.”

The cafe opened in August last year and is run by Kate Samson and her sister Anna Hamilton.

Many were quick to praise the cafe, with one saying: “Honestly, every business needs to address mask wearing in this way! Well done to you guys.”

Another person with autism spectrum disorder said they feel “extreme sensory discomfort and anxiety” whenever they wear a mask, and often felt judged for not wearing one.

Ms Samson noticed more “positive energy” directed at her cafe after putting up the sign.

“We had an outpour of positive comments on our social post with quite a few people explaining their situations to us,” she told news.com.au.

“If we have even made just one person feel welcome in our cafe that hasn‘t been able to find that safety elsewhere then our job is done.”

The cafe has been praised for its signage.

However, it’s worth noting that Nectar Juice House is only a 30 minute drive from Mullumbimby, a town dubbed the “anti-vax capital” of Australia.

Alternative medicines are common in the town, and just three years ago, immunisation rates for five year olds in the town were as low as 52 per cent.

Earlier this year, Byron Bay was also named and shamed as a hub for anti-vaxxers, and it’s only a 40 minute drive from the cafe.

A sign hanging up in Mullumbimby in February, which is a town not too far from Nectar Juice House.

Vaccination rates according to NSW Health sit at 74.3 per cent for one year olds, 63.6 per cent for two year olds and 73.9 per cent for five year olds.

That’s a stark contrast to the state average of 94.5 per cent, 91.4 per cent and 94.2 per cent, respectively.

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