A viral video captured the moment furious New Yorkers chased an unmasked shopper out of a grocery store in Staten Island.
In the 21-second clip, which has racked up more than one million views online, at least five customers are seen berating a woman for not wearing a mask inside the crowded store despite the state requiring everyone to do so.
'Get the f**k outta here,' the customers shout as the woman appears to throw up her hands in frustration.
She eventually admitted defeat and made her way out of the store while a few shoppers trailed behind her to make sure she left.
The footage was posted on Twitter by McAuley Holmes on May 24.
Holmes told Heavy he didn't witness the chaotic scene himself but found the video on Reddit.
It's unclear which grocery store the confrontation unfolded at.
The video is part of a wave of 'mask shaming' on social media. In this case, the target was someone not wearing a mask, but in many others people have been filmed heckling people for choosing to wear them.
All New York residents have been required to cover their nose and mouth in shops and other areas where social distancing isn't possible since April 17 under a mandate from Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Facial coverings have proven effective in stemming the spread of Coronavirus, which has sickened more than 362,760 people and killed an estimated 23,490 in the state as of Monday.
Several other states including Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Rhode Island and Hawaii also require people to wear some form of face covering in public.
There appears to be a growing political divide over wearing masks in the US, as many who oppose Coronavirus-related restrictions refuse to acknowledge their effectiveness.
Polling shows that Democrats are more likely to report wearing masks than Republicans, although Republicans are more likely to wear masks in states with Democratic governors.
In recent weeks several videos have emerged of people in red states ridiculing others for choosing to wear face coverings.
President Donald Trump and other members of his administration have questioned the need to wear masks - while health experts are largely in agreement that they are an important tool in slowing the spread of Coronavirus.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
