A call for Sydney visitors to regional NSW to wear a mask before entering shops or stores has gained some traction.
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The Retail and Fast Food Workers Union (SDA) called on Sydney visitors to "do the right thing and wear a mask" if they travel to regional areas in NSW.
The call comes on the back of SDA polling conducted by Essential, that reveals 23 per cent of people in NSW believe being forced to wear a mask is an infringement on their personal freedom.
Social media has highlighted a number of instances where shoppers have claimed their human rights have been violated if they are asked to wear a mask before entering stores.
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Armidale Business Chamber president Anthony Fox didn't disagree with the call but said it's important to make sure people are following the experts' advice.
"It's the experts advice that's the most important and for consistency we should all be following the experts' advice," he said.
"So if the experts through the NSW government advise that it should happen then it should happen.
"It's as simple as that to be frank."
In a tweet using the hastag #wearamask, the Australian Human Rights Commission says that if the law requires the wearing of a mask, it "is a legitimate balancing act of rights".
SDA NSW secretary Bernie Smith said the union is asking anyone travelling from Sydney to a regional community to wear a mask before entering a shop - to protect not just retail workers, but the wider community.
"A COVID-19 outbreak has the potential to seriously devastate regional towns. Not to mention that regional communities are still recovering from the bushfire crisis," he said.
"If you're a traveller from Sydney, particularly a hotspot area, please wear a mask before entering a shop in regional NSW.
"SDA polling shows the extent of the challenge in protecting the health of the general community against the irresponsibility of the few - with 1 in 5 people in NSW believing that being forced to wear a mask is an infringement on their personal rights."
NSW Health says people should wear a mask when physical distancing can't be guaranteed. And if you have symptoms and are seeking medical advice, or if you are in isolation in the same room as another person.
According to its website, wearing a face mask provides an additional physical barrier and helps to reduce community transmission.
COVID-19 is spread from close contact with an infected person and can be spread when a person coughs or sneezes.
A mask helps to contain droplets when a person coughs or sneezes, and reduces the likelihood of COVID-19 spreading. For more information go to their website.
Mr Smith said footage over the weekend of a woman refusing to wear a mask at Bunnings in Victoria shows the type of extreme abuse and disrespect being experienced too often by retail workers right across Australia.
"The bottom line is shoppers coming from the city to regional areas should be wearing masks before stepping into stores," he said.
"And remember that the frontline workers that you see when you walk into a shop are just out there trying to do the best job they can."
