As Texas and Mississippi join a dozen other U.S. states with no mask requirements across the state, many large retailers and employers are not ready to address coverage requirements. amid a pandemic which killed more than 1,800 Americans on Tuesday alone.
Governors in both states said they are waiving mandates for masks and allowing companies to operate at full capacity.
“Now we must do more to restore livelihoods and normalcy for Texans, opening Texas 100 percent,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a statement. “We are ensuring that all businesses and families in Texas are free to determine their own destiny.”
In Mississippi, Governor Tate Reeves is also suspending mask mandates for all counties, saying his office is “failing to tell people what they can and cannot do”.
Despite the urge to reopen, residents of Texas and Mississippi will still need to wear masks if they want to enter many supermarkets and other major retail chains. Retailers, which include Kroger, Target and Walgreens, cited guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to continue to demand masks and take other measures to protect workers and consumers from the virus.
“There is no change at this time in the company’s mask mandate policy or any current safety protocols that are in place in our stores or any workplaces to protect our customers and staff members. We are following the current CDC guidelines and OSHA regarding security protocols, “said a Walgreens spokesman by email.
The drugstore chain’s policy has always been “to kindly remind customers who are shopping without masks about the requirement, but out of concern for the safety of our employees, we do not prevent these customers from buying,” added a spokesman.
Another major pharmacy, CVS Health, will also maintain its facial coverage policy in effect in stores across the country, with a CVS Health spokesman citing “strong scientific evidence that masks help prevent the spread of COVID- 19. “
“If a customer is not wearing a mask or facial cover, we will refer them to our signage and ask them to help protect themselves and the people around them, by listening to the experts and answering the call to use a facial cover,” he added. the spokesperson. “For security reasons, our employees are instructed to avoid escalated confrontations with delinquent customers and, instead, to help them complete their purchases as quickly as possible.”
Kroger, the country’s largest supermarket chain, “will continue to demand that everyone in our stores across the country wear masks until all of our supermarket frontline associates can receive the COVID-19 vaccine,” said a spokesman. voice to CBS MoneyWatch by email. The company said last month that it would give each of its 500,000 workers in 35 states $ 100 to be immunized against COVID.
Target is also complying with its requirement that customers and employees wear masks, including those who have been vaccinated against coronavirus, “according to current CDC guidelines,” a retailer spokesman said in an e-mail. The retailer makes an exception for those with underlying medical conditions and young children.
Customers who prefer not to wear masks can buy through Target’s contactless options, such as online shopping, the retailer added.
Aldi said he will maintain his national policy that requires his employees and customers to wear masks in his more than 2,000 supermarkets in 36 states.
“We are aware of the mask’s mandate surveys in Texas and Mississippi, where we have storage locations. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have followed the CDC guidelines and do not plan to make any adjustments to our security measures this time around. “an Aldi spokesman said by email.
A Home Depot spokesman said the retailer “requires associates and customers to wear masks while they are in our stores or at any Home Depot facility across the country. We will continue to follow CDC guidelines, as we have always done.”
Costco, Trader Joe’s, Walmart and Whole Foods did not respond to requests for comment.
The National Retail Federation issued a statement reiterating that retail stores are private entities that can refuse entry or service to those who refuse to adhere to its policies. In addition, “it is your right to implement and enforce policies that protect the health and safety of your employees and customers,” a spokesman for the commercial group said in a statement.
HEB based in San Antonio, Texas, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But the supermarket chain, which employs more than 135,000 people in more than 400 stores in Texas and Mexico, appeared to have a softer stance when speaking to a local media outlet.
“Although there is no longer a mask order across the state, HEB believes it is important that masks are used in public spaces until more Texans and our partners have access to the Covid-19 vaccine,” said a spokesman for the mask. HEB to a Fox News affiliate. “HEB will still require all of our partners and suppliers to wear masks while working, and we ask all customers to wear a mask when they are in our stores.”