As coronavirus cases spike, CVS, Target to make coronavirus face coverings mandatory at all locations
CVS' policy will take effect July 20; Target's will take effect Aug. 1
CVS and Target have become the latest retailers mandating that its customers wear face coverings while its inside stores due to the recent spike in COVID-19 infections.
Beginning July 20, all CVS customers will have to wear a face covering when entering any location throughout the country, officials said.
On Aug. 1, all Target customers will be required to wear face coverings when inside any of its stores. Those exempt from Target's policy include young children and customers with underlying health conditions, the company said.
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"What we are asking is that customers help protect themselves and those around them by listening to the experts and heeding the call to wear a face covering." CVS Chief Operating Officer Jon Roberts said. "To be clear, we're not asking our store employees to play the role of enforcer."
CVS already requires its store employees to wear face coverings and in "any community with state or local laws mandating the use of face coverings, we've made that very clear through signage and other reminders."
Likewise, Target also requires its employees to cover up prior to their shift and more than 80 percent of its stores had already required guests to do so due to state and local regulations.
Target employees will remind guests of the policy prior to entry, the company said. If a guest does not have a mask, Target will provide them with a disposable one they enter the store. Target will also remind guests of the policy through signage and audio reminders inside stores.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVS | CVS HEALTH CORP. | 67.76 | -0.74 | -1.08% |
| TGT | TARGET CORP. | 165.37 | -1.16 | -0.70% |
| WMT | WALMART INC. | 59.86 | +0.77 | +1.30% |
| KSS | KOHL'S CORP. | 24.88 | -0.53 | -2.07% |
On Wednesday, Walmart initiated the same mandate for its customers across all of its namesake stores and Sam’s Club locations starting July 20.
Hours after Walmart's announcement, supermarket chain Kroger, based in Cincinnati, and department store Kohl's, based in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, followed suit. Kohl's policy will go into effect on Monday, while Kroger's mask protocol will go into effect July 22.
To date, the U.S. has nearly 3.5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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