Southland seaside business shuts temporarily after anti-vaxx abuse

Wednesday, 2 February 2022

Isobel Bates has decided to shut up shop for the duration of the red traffic light setting after being berated by customers who refused to wear masks.

A seaside Southland retailer is shutting up shop until the orange light setting for one simple reason.

“I’m tired of the anti-vaxxers.”

Isobel Bates has owned Isobel’s Weaving Studio in Colac Bay for 35 years, but has decided to close for the foreseeable future after being berated by patrons who refused to wear masks.

At 82, Bates had been around six or seven years’ old during the polio pandemic, and could recall children her own age dying from the disease.

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“In Southland there were a few children that died, you just didn't hear of people dying at my age back then … we all wanted the vaccine,” she said.

“People are different now … there's less respect.”

A few weeks ago, Bates decided to make mask-wearing compulsory in her store to keep herself safe.

Bates says she will be back to business, but for the time being is enjoying her time lying low with her dog Chloe.

“I thought, well that’s one way of protecting everybody,” she said.

However, she had received abuse from people who had refused to obey regulations.

In particular, a group of three women had berated her about her pro-vaccination stance, she said.

“That hit the nail on the head. I just don’t feel comfortable,” she said.

“I’m too old.”

Haven Hair Boutique owner Jill Leonard says there were high levels of abuse hurled at her around mask-wearing before the traffic light system was introduced. [File Photo]

As a result, she was shutting up shop until the orange light setting, taking time to reorganise her shop and clean out her vast array of fibres.

“My weaving studio is a thing I enjoy … I’m having a good time off.”

Bates’ business is not the only one in the area that has received abuse from patrons not happy about mask regulations.

Haven Hair Boutique owner Jill Leonard, in Riverton, said before the traffic light system was introduced there had been a “real roll on” of abuse regarding mask-wearing.

“In the three weeks before the traffic light system came in we had them storming out just refusing to wear masks … it was just so toxic,” she said.

'A few of them I offered to pass on my lawyers details.”

Nationally, there have been reports of retail workers and council staff being spat on, as well as opponents of mask-wearing regulations roaming from store-to-store as a form of repeated protests.

Retail NZ chief executive officer Greg Harford said abuse regarding mask regulations was absolutely rife across the entire retail sector.

“Our research showed rates of abuse in retail doubled between 2019 and 2020, and then doubled again between 2020 and 2021,” he said.

Some larger retailers had told him that they were getting customers refusing to wear masks in store every 15 minutes, with many of them becoming aggressive towards staff when confronted.

“They probably aren’t understanding that this has a real impact … it's becoming harder for retailers to get employees because of this abuse,” he said.

“It's across the board … there's a sewing shop in Northland having real issues, and now this.”

The Ministry of Health advises that while mask wearing is mandatory in a range of settings, it does not apply to people with a physical or sensory disability, mental health or other health condition that makes wearing a face mask unsuitable.