Starbucks announces it will soon require masks at stores in every state

“At select locations where a local government mandate is not in place, customers that may not be wearing a facial covering will have various options to order their Starbucks, including ordering at the drive-thru, curbside pickup through the Starbucks app or placing an order for delivery through Starbucks Delivers,” the company explained.

A spokeswoman for Starbucks said in a statement to the Washington Examiner that it makes decisions of this type based on three principles: putting the health and well being of customers and partners first, supporting public health officials, and “showing up in a positive and responsible way to serve our communities.”

The change comes as the U.S. grapples with a resurgence of new COVID-19 cases and as some states have begun to pause efforts to reopen because of growing rates of infection. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, hinted on Thursday that states with major coronavirus outbreaks might need to consider shutting back down.

“What we are seeing is exponential growth. It went from an average of about 20,000 to 40,000 and 50,000. That’s doubling. If you continue doubling, two times 50 is 100,” Fauci said. “Any state that is having a serious problem, that state should seriously look at shutting down. It’s not for me to say because each state is different.”

In Los Angeles, which has had more than 123,000 confirmed cases of the virus and at least 3,642 deaths, Mayor Eric Garcetti warned Thursday that a second stay-at-home order might be issued if case levels there continue in an upward trend.

The U.S. has had 3 million COVID-19 infections and at least 132,000 deaths since the coronavirus pandemic first began.