Fraser Valley/Toronto- Make all the jokes and meme’s you want about Walmart shoppers, but this is very serious.
Starting Wednesday August 12, masks will be mandatory for all customers in Canada’s Walmart’s.
In a corporate email statement, Walmart Canada stated that this confirmed will now apply to customers and workers at all locations where a government mandate to wear a face covering isn’t already in place.
BC has yet to make masks mandatory.
The full statement from Walmart’s Felicia Fefer Manager, Corporate Affairs
Safety continues to be Walmart’s number one priority and we will continue to take measures necessary to ensure the well-being of our customers and associates.
Health Canada has identified that, when worn properly, a person wearing a mask / face covering can reduce the spread of his or her own infectious respiratory droplets. In addition, over 60 percent of our more than 400 stores are in regions of the country where there is some form of local government mandate on face coverings.
For this reason, and to help bring more consistency across our store network, starting August 12, 2020, we are now requiring all customers and associates working in any Walmart store not already subject to a local government mandate to wear a mask or face covering in areas of our stores accessible to the public.
Customers have done a great job following face covering requirements in those jurisdictions where it is mandated by the local government. We trust that customers in the rest of our stores where we are initiating this the policy will respect and follow it and will bring their own face coverings when they shop.
Rest assured, we will continue to take measures to ensure the well-being of our customers and associates, including:
• Increased cleaning throughout our stores.
• Wellness checks that include a temperature check for all associates at the start of each shift.
• Limiting the number of customers shopping in the store at one time.
• Cleaning shopping carts.
• Encouraging regular handwashing and to regularly clean their work areas (including checkouts).
• Installing plexi-glass dividers at registers, customer service desks and in our pharmacies.
• Introducing floor markings and one-way aisles to create physical distancing.
