ORLANDO, Fla. – Starting Monday, any shopper entering a Walmart or Sam’s Club location will need to wear a facial covering as cases of COVID-19 spike across the country.
The company’s COO Dacona Smith announced the news in a corporate blog post on Wednesday, noting that about 65% of the stores are located in areas with mask mandates so instituting a company-wide policy will create more consistency for shoppers and employees.
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Between now and Monday, workers will be educated on how to enact the new policy and signage will be posted in stores.
At Walmart, a health ambassador wearing a black collared shirt will be stationed at the entrance of each store reminding customers to wear a mask and helping them find a solution if they show up without a facial covering.
At Sam’s Club, associates at the entrance will do the same and provide a free face mask if the member doesn’t have one with them.
Employees at both stores will be trained to handle situations in which a customer can’t wear a facial covering, for example, due to a medical condition.
“As we have seen in states and municipalities with mask mandates, virtually everyone either brings a mask or readily complies with the requirement, and we anticipate that to happen in other areas as well,” Smith wrote.
To read the company’s full statement, click here.