Walgreens, Publix to Require Face Covers

By Michael Dabaie

Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. said Thursday it is expanding requirements for customers to wear face covers while in stores across all Walgreens locations chainwide.

The retailer said face covers have already been mandatory at thousands of Walgreens in states and jurisdictions where they are required. Walgreens said it is now is asking customers at all stores nationwide to wear face covers when entering the store.

There will be new and additional signage on exterior doors with this information, and stores will also be increasing the frequency of reminders to customers via the stores' intercom system. The change will take effect Monday.

Publix, which currently operates 1,252 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia, also said Thursday that effective July 21 it will require customers to wear face coverings while shopping in its stores.

Target Corp. and CVS Health Corp. also said they will require customers to wear masks or face coverings. Target will start implementing the policy Aug. 1, and CVS on July 20, the companies said Thursday.

Walmart Inc. said Wednesday that it will require all shoppers to wear a face covering starting July 20, while Kroger Co. said that starting July 22, it will require all customers in all locations to wear a mask.

-- Dave Sebastian contributed to this article.

Write to Michael Dabaie at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 16, 2020 15:53 ET (19:53 GMT)

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