As Mask Mandates Disappear, Business Owners Make And Enforce Their Own Rules

On the sidewalk outside Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams in Alexandria, Va., Rhea and Mark Woodcock wait for their turn to go inside for their weekly ice cream treat — a scoop of Texas Sheet Cake for her, a scoop of Gooey Butter Cake for him.

The Woodcocks are vaccinated, and they're also wearing masks, abiding by the MASKS MANDATORY signs plastered all over the doors.

Since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention abruptly changed its guidance to say it is now safe for fully vaccinated people to stop wearing masks even indoors, a number of state and local governments, including Virginia and the city of Alexandria, lifted or amended their mask mandates. That's left businesses like Jeni's to make and enforce their own rules.

Businesses have spent the past few days navigating confusion.