LOS ANGELES TIMES – Will you have to keep masking up at your favorite retailers?
It depends.
Trader Joe’s, Walmart and Costco will no longer require fully vaccinated shoppers to don masks, making them some of first major businesses to change their face-covering policies after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidelines Thursday.
Trader Joe’s supermarket updated the COVID-19 guidance on its website Friday to say it continues to review federal, state and local health advisories and to adjust efforts where it makes sense.
“In accordance with CDC guidelines, customers who are fully vaccinated are no longer required to wear masks while shopping in our stores,” Kenya Friend-Daniel, a Trader Joe’s spokesperson, said in an email.
The national chain headquartered in Monrovia will not be requiring proof of vaccination “as we trust our customers to follow CDC guidelines,” Friend-Daniel said.
Employees will still be required to mask up for the time being, she said.
Walmart and Costco on Friday also dropped their in-store mask requirements for fully vaccinated customers, according to respective statements.
Beginning Tuesday, Walmart employees who are fully vaccinated also will have the option of working without a mask, according to a memo sent to U.S. associates that has been made public.
The company is giving $75 to U.S. employees who get their shots “as a thank you for getting vaccinated,” the memo states.
“We’re encouraging all associates to get vaccinated and help end this pandemic,” the memo reads. “Do it for your health, your family, your friends, your community and your country — let’s help reach our national vaccination goals by the Fourth of July.”
Costco President and Chief Executive Craig Jelinek announced the policy change in an open letter to customers … Click here to read more.
