Dollar Tree Changes Mandatory Face Mask Policy in Stores
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Dollar Tree has changed its mandatory face mask policy in stores.
The discount retailer and its sister chain, Family Dollar, will no longer require customers to wear face coverings as they shop in their stores. Instead, it will only “request” that they use masks as a safety precaution amid the spread of the coronavirus.
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The company said it would still require face coverings where mandated by state and local ordinances.
Previously, the Chesapeake, Va.-based business had implemented face mask requirements at its locations: According to a July 8 update on its website’s coronavirus response page, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar made it necessary for both employees and shoppers to wear coverings while inside their outposts.
The change does not affect store associates, who are still required to use masks during their shifts in accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It added that it will continue to provide face coverings as well as gloves for workers.
According to the CDC, face masks can help prevent the transmission of COVID-19, which has infected more than 3.97 million people in the U.S. and led to at least 143,200 deaths.
“We are not defenseless against COVID-19,” CDC director Dr. Robert R. Redfield said last week. “Cloth face coverings are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus, particularly when used universally within a community setting.”
The recent surge in cases has led big-box retailers Walmart and Target, department stores Kohl’s and Nordstrom, and specialty chains American Eagle and Gap to implement requirements for face masks at their units.
Separately, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar said they have established proactive cleaning protocols, such as wiping down common areas and surfaces, including door handles, shopping carts and baskets, keypads and register counters, along with regular daily cleaning procedures.
Its teams are also requesting that customers practice social-distancing measures and limit close contact to other shoppers in stores. The first shopping hour at Dollar Tree and Family Dollar locations have been dedicated to at-risk customers like senior citizens, pregnant women and individuals with pre-existing health conditions.
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