Walmart Will Require All Customers To Wear A Mask
Walmart and Sam's Club will be the new retail and grocery stores that will require all customers to wear a mask to enter into either of those stores.
In a press release on Wednesday, July 15th by Walmart COO Dacona Smith, and Sam's Club COO Lance de la Rosa, both Walmart, the world's largest retailer, and Sam's Club will require all customers to wear a mask when entering a store.
Both COO's say that from the start of the pandemic, the focus and priority of both stores has been to be on the health and safety of employees, members and customers. They say that this continues to be a focus and priority.
The announcement comes after Starbucks announced last week that customers will be required to wear a mask at all of their 9,000 stores. That requirement begins today, July 15th.
Due to the recent rise in cases of COVID-19 in communities and cites across the country, both stores will be requiring customers and members to wear a mask while inside a Sam's Club and Walmart. This decision also comes from the fact mentioned in the press release that
"...about 65% of [their] more than 5,000 stores and clubs are located in areas where there is some form of government mandate on face coverings."
Both COO's want to bring consistency across stores and clubs, so beginning on Monday July 20th, customers, members and employees will all be required to wear a mask at any of their stores. In the press release, the COO's say,
"This will give us time to inform customers and members of the changes, post signage and train associates on the new protocols."
Walmart has created the role of Health Ambassador. This person will be near the entrance to give a reminder to those without a mask about their new requirement going into effect on Monday.
In the press release they also say that all Walmart's will have one single entrance. This is to "help ensure consistency with this new process."
For more details and information about Sam's Club and Walmart's new mask requirement, you can visit their website.