UNITED STATES—On Thursday, July 16, Target announced that it will require customers to wear masks in its stores as a result of the rise in coronavirus cases. The policy will officially be implemented in all stores starting August 1.
“This builds on the more than 80% of our stores that already require guests to wear face coverings due to local and state regulations,” Target said in a statement.
Target has declared that it will provide disposable masks for customers who do not have one upon entering the store. The company joins other major retailers requiring masks in all store locations, including Walmart, Kohl’s, Best Buy, Starbucks, and CVS.
Incidents of confrontations with customers over wearing masks have been caught on video and shared on social media platforms.
Some retailers have decided to make this a rule as a result of recent surges in the virus, in California, Florida, Texas, and Arizona.
In a statement, CVS noted that it was “not asking our store employees to play the role of enforcer. 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.”
The states of Kentucky, Michigan, Alabama and Arkansas have also passed statewide mandates requiring the use of face masks in public places.
