Local employee speaks out after being denied the ability to wear mask amid coronavirus

One Del Taco employee is speaking out on how he’s being denied the ability to wear his mask while working and is concerned about employee and customer safety during the coronavirus outbreak.

“I think we should wear the mask because you never know the situation. Somebody goes in there and starts coughing that's all it takes," said Moore.

Del Taco employee, Rodney Moore said he came into work wearing his N90 mask during Friday night’s shift when….

“The territorial manager told me I had no choice but to take this off," said Moore.

Moore said he’s upset that he’s not allowed to bring his own protective equipment in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“I don’t know if they are thinking that it would scare the customers but I would think that I would feel a little bit safer as a customer," said Moore. "If I walk into a place and everyone is masked up.”

Moore said he’s grown increasingly concerned about his safety after more deaths in the county have been confirmed and has seen customers not follow social distancing orders.

“They are standing around waiting for their food," said Moore. "They touch the counter, stand against something, some of them sit down."

Moore said while working he’s in close proximity with co-workers.

According to Moore, the fast-food chain has taken precautionary measures such as all employees must wear gloves.

“I would want them to be more considerate thinking about my life and the life of their employees and take the proper procedures," said Moore. "To make sure that even, if they think its just a little thing."

News Channel 3 reached out to the local Del Taco owner, who then sent us to corporate. This is what they sent us in a statement:

The safety of our guests and employees, is our top priority. During this time, we’re taking our best-in-class food safety and sanitation program even further, increasing the frequency of our disinfecting and cleaning procedures to maintain a healthy environment for our employees and guests. We have also extended our use of disposable gloves to all our dining room and drive-thru cashiers.

All of our restaurants are following our strict employee sick policy ensuring employees who are ill stay home until completely healthy. In support of our teams, we have established policies and procedures to accommodate any employee impacted by COVID-19.

For more on the Department of Labor guidelines for workplaces. Click Here.