Retailers Revisit Mask Debate After New C.D.C. Guidelines
Updated guidance from the government on pandemic precautions has put retailers in a position they thought they were past: deciding whether or not to mandate masks for customers and employees.
The new recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention call for wearing masks again in places where the virus is spreading fast and cover nearly two-thirds of U.S. counties. Just two months ago, the agency said fully vaccinated people could remove their masks. But the Delta variant of the coronavirus has changed the safety equation and the guidelines.
Some companies responded swiftly. Apple announced on Wednesday that it would start requiring employees and customers to wear masks regardless of their vaccination status in more than half of its stores.
“Retailers will continue to follow the guidance of the C.D.C.,” the National Retail Federation said in a statement. It added, “It is truly unfortunate that mask recommendations have returned when the surest known way to reduce the threat of the virus is widespread vaccination.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/retailers-revisit-mask-debate-after-new-cdc-guidelines/ar-AAMH3rN
