Walmart will require face coverings in all of its stores across the country starting on July 20.
Mandatory masks for customers will be enforced by employees upon entrances at more than 5,000 Walmart and Sam’s Club stores, the company announced on Wednesday.
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“As the number of confirmed cases has spiked in communities across the country recently, so too have the number and types of face covering mandates being implemented,” wrote the retailer’s Chief Operating Officer Dacona Smith in a blog post. “Currently about 65 percent of our more than 5,000 stores and clubs are located in areas where there is some form of government mandate on face coverings. To help bring consistency across stores and clubs, we will require all shoppers to wear a face covering starting Monday, July 20. This will give us time to inform customers and members of the changes, post signage and train associates on the new protocols.”
The blog post also mentioned that stores will now have a single entrance, and Sam’s Club associates will “politely” remind members “of our requirement to wear a face covering when shopping with us. Complimentary masks will be provided if the member doesn’t have one. Or members can purchase masks in the club.”
The company has already taken other measures to help protect public health, including using markers to indicate 6 feet of social distancing for customers and increasing sanitizing and cleaning efforts.
Cases of the coronavirus have increased across the country, with more than 3 million people in the United States infected by the virus, and nearly 140,000 people have died.
“We know some people have differing opinions on this topic,” Smith said. “We also recognize the role we can play to help protect the health and well-being of the communities we serve by following the evolving guidance of health officials like the CDC. We appreciate the understanding and cooperation of our customers and members in wearing face coverings to protect their safety and the safety of our associates.”
