McDonald’s, major retailers announce mask requirements for employees

Mc Donald’s, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Target and Home Depot have each announced updated mask policies based on new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control.

McDonald’s confirmed Tuesday morning that crew and customers will be required to wear masks in restaurants in areas with high or substantial transmission, regardless of vaccination status.

Masks are always required for those who are not vaccinated.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines substantial COVID transmission as 50-99.99 cases per 100,000 people over seven days and high transmission are more than 100 cases per 100,000.

From July 26 to Aug. 1, four counties in the Dayton region were listed as high transmission: Greene, Miami, Montgomery and Shelby, according to the CDC. Butler, Champaign, Clark, Darke, Logan, Preble and Warren counties were considered substantial.

Both Target and Home Depot said they would require all employees, contractors and vendors to wear masks while indoors at their stores and other locations. Home Depot also extended that requirement to all contractors and vendors and required wearing masks while in customer homes.

Walmart and Sam’s Club also said they would require associates to wear masks inside their facilities, but only in counties where there is substantial or high coronavirus transmission, as determined by the CDC, or where there are state or local mask mandates.

This information is updated weekly, so Walmart and Sam’s Club said they would update local management on mask requirements weekly.

In addition, Walmart and Sam’s Club announced it would require employees that work in multiple facilities, as well as campus office associates to be vaccinated by Oct. 4, unless they have a medical or religious exception.

Each of the retailers said they would also encourage customers to wear masks.

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