Walmart Says It Will Require All US Customers to Wear Masks as of July 20

People wear masks and gloves as they wait to enter a Walmart in Uniondale, N.Y., on April 17, 2020. Al Bello/Getty Images

Walmart will require customers to wear masks in every one of its stores in the United States in the midst of the CCP virus pandemic, following similar decisions made by Costco, Starbucks, and Best Buy in recent days.

Walmart CEO Dacona Smith said that the measure will go into effect starting July 20, saying that employees will be placed near store entrances to “remind those without a mask of the new requirements.”

The employees, dubbed “health ambassadors,” will get “special training to help make the process as smooth as possible for customers,” according to his statement. “The ambassadors, identifiable by their black polo shirt, will work with customers who show up at a store without a face covering to try and find a solution. We are currently considering different solutions for customers when this requirement takes effect on July 20.”

“While we’re certainly not the first business to require face coverings, we know this is a simple step everyone can take for their safety and the safety of others in our facilities,” Smith said in the announcement. This applies to Sam’s Club, Walmart’s membership-based warehouse.

All stores will have a single entrance to ensure the policy is enforced, the Arkansas-based retailer added.

“We know it may not be possible for everyone to wear a face covering. Our associates will be trained on those exceptions to help reduce friction for the shopper and make the process as easy as possible for everyone,” Smith continued.

People wait in line at a Best Buy while observing social distancing as customers are allowed to enter a couple at a time while the coronavirus continues to spread across the United States in Huntington Station, N.Y., on March 19, 2020. Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

His statement noted that a customer “either brings a mask or readily complies with the requirement” before entering stores.

On Tuesday, consumer electronics retailer Best Buy said it will now require face coverings for customers nationwide.

“We will provide a face covering if a customer doesn’t have one, and small children and those unable to wear one for health reasons may enter without one,” the firm wrote. “Any customer who has a concern about wearing a mask will be able to shop Best Buy via our website and app and choose home delivery or contactless curbside pickup, which remains in place at all our stores.”

The CDC since April has recommended that people wear face coverings in public to mitigate the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, a novel coronavirus that emerged in mainland China last year and causes COVID-19.