(WWJ) Anyone going into any Meijer store starting next Monday will need to wear a mask.
The Grand Rapids-based retailer says the requirement is to help ensure the continued health and safety of its workers and customers.
In a statement, Meijer says the new requirement is in addition to the locations where executive orders are already in place requiring people to wear face coverings, which would include Michigan. For those who don't want to wear a mask or go inside, Meijer says customers can use the Meijer Home Delivery or Curbside pickup options.
Customers who have medical conditions that prevent them from wearing face coverings are exempt, according to a news release.
Walmart is also requiring masks beginning the same day, July 20. While Walmart said it would be designating "specially trained" black-shirted employees to remind customers of the mask rule, Meijer didn't mention anything specific about its enforcement plans.
Meijer has 253 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky.
Meijer's mask rule will take effect one week after stricter mask rules went into effect in Michigan. Under an executive order by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, businesses are now required to refuse entry or service to people who are not wearing a face covering, with few exceptions. Also, anyone who doesn't wear a mask in an indoor public space or crowded outdoor public space may be subject to a $500 criminal penalty.
Both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services recommend wearing a mask in public to decrease the spread of the novel coronavirus that causes the lung disease COVID-19. For more information from the state on masks and the mask mandate, visit this link.
