Costco makes customer masks mandatory. What are Modesto stores’ coronavirus policies?
Consider it the proverbial, “If you build it, will they come” question. If Costco starts requiring customers wear masks, will other companies come around to similar policies?
Mega-retailer Costco announced Wednesday that it will start requiring all customers to wear face masks to enter its stores next week.
The popular wholesale warehouse retailer said that beginning Monday, May 4, customers will have to wear some form of face covering to shop inside. The policy exempts children under the age of 2 and people with medical conditions that prevent the use of masks.
As Californians continue their second month under the stay-at-home order, corporate and local safety policies continue to evolve. Earlier this month the CDC started recommending people wear cloth coverings when out in public settings. And The Bee recommends them as well.
Locally, Smart & Final has already begun requiring its customers to wear face masks in mid-April. The stores also require staff to wear provided masks and gloves, and has installed not one, but two plexiglass barriers at its registers among other precautions. A sign posted outside of the downtown Modesto H Street store informs people of the mask policy.
“We all play a role in keeping each other safe and wearing masks is part of our shared responsibility to stop the spread of coronavirus,” said Smart & Final spokeswoman Staci Torgeson.
O’Brien’s Market, which has two stores in Modesto and one in Riverbank, requires all its staff to wear masks, but allows face coverings to be optional for customers. Sprouts Farmers Market, which has a store in Modesto, also requires staff to wear masks and gloves, but not customers.
Valley grocery chain Raley’s has made masks or face coverings mandatory for staff since April 14. But Raley’s spokeswoman Chelsea Minor they are following local ordinances on requiring customers to wear masks. In places like the Bay Area and Yolo County they are mandatory. But in Modesto and Stanislaus County, which does not have a mask policy, the supermarket chain is only asking for social distancing and for customers to stay home if they are feeling ill.
Stanislaus County’s mask policy clarified
Earlier this week the Stanislaus County Office of Emergency Services put up a “rumor control” post, saying there were no imminent plans to require people to wear masks while out in public or going to stores locally. However, they do recommend people wear them.
The post went on to say, “Face coverings are encouraged and provide an extra level of protection against COVID-19 when used properly. But we understand they are in short supply and many in our community do not have access to them. Therefore it is not a mandatory. But it should be noted, individual businesses can make their own requirements as they see appropriate. Some of which may be requiring face coverings on while inside their store.”
Some have decided against it so far, including major Central Valley grocery chain Save Mart (and its affiliate chains Lucky and FoodMaxx). According to company spokeswoman Victoria Castro, they are providing masks, gloves and sanitizer to employees but not requiring they be used on shift. She said they are also “strongly encouraging” customers to wear masks but not making it mandatory.
The face coverings question will no doubt grow stronger, particularly as states across the country begin to grapple with how and when to reopen safely.
Major retailers have differing policies, but masks at the very least for employees seems to be becoming a consensus. Walmart provides and requires staff to wear them while working and Target also gives out masks and gloves and “strongly encourage our teams to wear them.” Specialty grocer Trader Joe’s said it also provides its workers with masks and gloves and is “urging that they use them for their protection and the protection of those around them.”
In a blog post, Walmart corporate said, “We’ll also be encouraging customers and members to wear face coverings when they shop with us.”
How face coverings work against COVID-19
Many national chains have already implemented safety measures like taping off 6-feet marks at checkout lines, metering store entry and installing plexiglass guards for cashiers.
According to the Mayo Clinic — which requires its visitors and staff to wear masks — face coverings should always be used in combination with social distancing and frequent hand washing. They supplement those guidelines by providing an extra layer (quite literally) of safety. And because the virus can be spread by people who are showing no symptoms, they’re most effective when worn by all parties.
Everything we are doing right now — from staying home to social distancing to practicing good hygiene and now wearing masks — is meant to slow transmission and save lives. It’s as much for those around us as it is us, and a display of the best of humanity in the face of an unseen and unsparing enemy. And, considering what the alternatives are — long-lasting respiratory issues, damage to other organs and unfortunately death — wearing them seems like a small sacrifice we can make for each other.
For the time being corporate America appears to be just encouraging customers to wear masks as the next safety step in our fight against coronavirus. Whether stores will continue to ask nicely, or make it mandatory, remains to be seen.
This story was originally published April 29, 2020 at 3:00 PM.
