Costco says customers must wear masks. Other Merced stores will require face covering
Costco announced customers must wear face masks while shopping at the wholesale store, beginning on Monday, May 4.
The company made the announcement to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on Wednesday with an online posts
“To protect our members and employees, effective May 4, all Costco members and guests must wear a mask or face covering that covers the mouth and nose at all times while at Costco,” the company posted online.
The new policy does no apply to children 2 or under, or people who are unable to wear masks due to a medical condition.
Costco isn’t the only store in Merced that will require customers to wear face coverings.
Smart & Final instituted the policy in mid-April according to Deb Bell-Versluis, Director, Corporate Communications.
“In line with regulations enacted in several counties throughout California in an effort to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19, our associates and customers are required to wear a face covering while in stores,” the company stated in an e-mail to the Sun-Star. “We all play a role in keeping each other safe and wearing masks is part of our shared responsibility to stop the spread of coronavirus.”
Smart & Final also installed two 36-inch plexiglass barriers at each register for the protection of employees and customers.
So far, big chains like Target and Walmart are not requiring customers to wear face masks.
The Merced County Public Health Department amended its “Stay at Home” orders on April 24 to include face masks for customers entering businesses.
“All visitors to a business should wear a cloth mask. Individuals not wearing a mask may be denied entry into the business,” the public health department stated.
Raley’s is requiring all employees and vendors to wear face masks while working. The staff has the option to bring their own masks or use one provided by the store, according to company spokesperson Chelsea Minor.
“As for customers, we are following local ordinances as it relates to mandatory face coverings,” said Minor in an email. “For example, in the Bay Area or Yolo County, there are mandatory orders. For Merced County, we are not requiring customers to wear masks – we ask customers to practice social distancing and do not come into store if they are feeling ill or have a fever.”
Save Mart has also installed plexiglass barriers at all its registers and supplied employees with protective gear, including face masks, gloves and hand sanitizer.
“Our policy is to follow the established guidelines from Merced County,” said Save Mart public affairs manager Victoria Castro, in an email.. “We strongly recommend customers wear face coverings when shopping.”
The Centers for Disease Control is now recommending people wear cloth face coverings in public where social distancing measures are difficult, like in grocery stores.
Initially, the organization said people did not need to wear masks unless they were sick, but changed that guidance after seeing increasing evidence that people without symptoms can spread coronavirus.
This story was originally published April 29, 2020 at 5:44 PM with the headline "Costco says customers must wear masks. Other Merced stores will require face covering."
