The Fresh Market to require shoppers to wear face masks during coronavirus pandemic
The Fresh Market will require shoppers to wear face masks while in stores during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Greensboro, North Carolina-based grocery chain tweeted April 11 that all guests will be required to wear a face covering when in stores starting April 14 in an effort to “help keep our communities safe.”
The new rule comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently changed their guidelines on the use of face masks by the public.
Previously, the agency recommended that only those who are sick or caring for someone who is sick wear masks.
But in light of data on asymptomatic spread of the virus, the CDC now recommends mostly everyone wear a cloth face covering when in public. Although the masks don’t provide protection to the wearer, they can prevent the spread of the virus from an asymptomatic carrier.
In response to the recommendations, some cities have started requiring residents to wear masks when in public.
Major retailers staying open during the coronavirus pandemic have put new policies in place to enforce social distancing — such as one-way aisles, markers on the floor and limits on the number of customers allowed in the store at once — but most have stopped short of requiring customers to wear masks.
The Fresh Market had previously put safety measures in place, including shortening some store hours, limiting the first hour open to senior shoppers and limiting the number of customers allowed in at once.
It also encouraged all store workers to wear cloth face coverings and said it’s working to “secure a steady supply of masks” for them.
In its tweet, the grocery chain thanked customers for complying with the rule and reminded them that the CDC has guidelines on how to make a face covering.
This story was originally published April 12, 2020 at 11:58 AM with the headline "The Fresh Market to require shoppers to wear face masks during coronavirus pandemic."
