Despite issuing a mask requirement among all shoppers just two weeks ago, Walmart is telling it’s employees to let customers into a store if a customer refuses to wear a mask.
Shoppers who refuse to wear a face mask to visit the store will still be served. The company says it’s to protect its staff members from violence, according to a Training Video seen by CNN.
Walmart created a “health ambassador” shortly after to be stationed near the entrance to remind those to wear a mask. Inside the short training video for those ambassadors the store makes clear, if a customer refuses to wear a mask, ambassadors must let the customer into the store and notify management to “determine the next steps.”
Home Depot, Lowe’s, CVS, and Walgreens have also said they’ll serve customers without masks. Walmart and CVS are among companies that told customers in mid-July they would enforce a mask mandate in an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
As of Tuesday, there has been 4.3 million cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. with 148,298 deaths since the pandemic began.
