Walmart announced on Friday that it is taking an additional step to protect its employees and customers during the COVID-19 pandemic by requiring employees to wear masks while working.
“Throughout this pandemic, your health and well-being has been our top priority,” Walmart announced in a statement. “It was just over a month ago that we announced our COVID-19 emergency leave policy, and since then, we have taken more steps to protect you, our customers and our members with the guidance of our state and local public health officials, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), as well as our company’s own Chief Medical Officer.”
In the statement, Walmart announced that all employees will be required to wear a face mark or similar face covering while at work. Customers are also encouraging to wear face masks while shopping.
“We have evolved our policy on face coverings from optional to mandatory as public health guidance has shifted,” the statement read. “The CDC now recommends wearing face coverings in public settings, including grocery stores, to help curb the spread of the virus. Although most state and local governments do not mandate the use of face coverings in public settings, the CDC has reported that recent studies show a significant portion of individuals with the virus lack symptoms and can transmit the virus. With this knowledge, we believe it is simply in everyone’s best interest to use masks or face coverings to curb the spread of this disease.”
According to the statement, this policy will begin on Monday, April 20.