Target Joins Walmart, Kroger In Bringing Masks Back For Employees

Starting on Tuesday, Target (TGT) will require all of its employees to wear face masks while “strongly recommending” that customers in substantial or high-risk transmission areas of the country mask up.

The retailer said it will require employees to wear face masks regardless of their vaccine status, saying that the “health and safety of our guests and team members have been Target’s top priority throughout the pandemic.”

Target said it will continue to follow all local mandates and continue to monitor CDC guidance closely.

The change in policy from Target comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its mask guidelines, saying that everyone should wear a face mask in substantial or high transmission risk areas for COVID-19.

Following the announcement from the CDC, Walmart changed its mask policy, requiring employees to wear masks in certain regions of the country where there is a higher COVID risk.

The retail giant said it is not applicable to all stores and would be up to the manager in charge to check with the CDC map each week to determine if the store was in a substantial or high risk of transmission county for COVID-19

Kroger has also updated its mask policy, “strongly encouraging” both vaccinated and unvaccinated employees to wear face masks.

Previously, it only required unvaccinated employees to wear masks.

The company said in a statement, “In light of the Delta variant and updated CDC recommendations, we strongly encourage all individuals, including those who are vaccinated, to wear a mask when in our stores and facilities. We will continue to abide by all state and local mandates and encourage all Americans to get vaccinated, including our associates.”

Also changing its face mask requirement was tech retailer Apple. The iPhone maker was one of the first companies to announce that it was implementing a face mask requirement for both employees and customers at about half of its 270 stores.

As of Monday at 2:20 p.m. ET, shares of Target were trading at $257.43, down $3.61, or 1.38%.