WA Grocery Stores, Retailers Adapting To New Mask Guidance

SEATTLE — The CDC has updated its mask guidance, saying that anyone who has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 no longer needs to wear a mask indoors or practice social distancing.

Shortly following the CDC's announcement Thursday, Gov. Jay Inslee confirmed that Washington state would be fully adopting that guidance — opening the doors for customers at grocery stores and retailers to begin shopping mask-free once again.

However, as both the CDC's and Inslee's guidance note, local businesses and workplaces are still free to decide for themselves if they will continue requiring customers to wear masks, meaning masking policies may be different on a store-by-store basis.

Here's a look at how some retailers and grocery store chains are — or are not — changing their mask policies in the wake of the announcement.

Kroger Stores

Kroger Co., the grocery giant behind Fred Meyers, QFC, City Market and Smith's Food and Drug, has announced that it will continue to require masks at its stores for the time being.

Trader Joe's

Conversely, Trader Joe's was one of the first stores to drop mask requirements for customers who are fully vaccinated. Note that, to be considered fully vaccinated, a person must have waited at least two weeks after they received their final dose of the vaccine.

PCC

Like Trader Joe's, PCC Community Markets has stopped requiring fully vaccinated customers from wearing masks at all 15 of its stores. However, their staff will be required to continue wearing masks for the near future.

Target

Target stores will still require masks for all customers, the company says that may change as the review the CDC's decision and re-evaluate the guidance as it impacts both employees and guests.

Walmart

Walmart, like Target, will continue to require masks for the near future.

"We are constantly evaluating our COVID-related health and safety protocols, including state executive orders and other mandate changes," Walmart said in a statement to USA TODAY. "We will continue to do so, keeping CDC guidance and local COVID statistics in mind.”

Costco

Costco has said that in states with no local mask requirements, like Washington, they will be allowing guests who are fully vaccinated to shop without a face mask or face shield. They company says they will not require proof of vaccination for customers to do so, but are asking members to be "responsible and respectful" and cooperate with the policy.

Costco Pharmacy, Optical and Hearing Aid sections will still require masks.

Home Depot

Home Depot was a late adopter of mask mandate policies, and initially pushed back on the mask mandate, as KUOW reported.

However, it too will continue requiring masks for all customers indoors for now.

CVS

Finally, CVS Pharmacies are also requiring masks, but may update their guidance soon.

"The safety of our employees and customers will continue to guide our decision-making process," a CVS spokesperson told ABC 7.

Concerns from store employees

While many are celebrating the updated guidance as a return to normal, some grocery store and retail workers have expressed concerns that the change will allow unvaccinated anti-maskers to endanger employees by exploiting the rule.

The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), a union representing 1.3 million food and retail workers across the country, issued a statement saying the CDC guidance fails to recognize the challenges grocery and retail store employees will now face.

“While we all share the desire to return to a mask-free normal, today’s CDC guidance is confusing and fails to consider how it will impact essential workers who face frequent exposure to individuals who are not vaccinated and refuse to wear masks," said UFCW International President Marc Perrone in a prepared statement. "Millions of Americans are doing the right thing and getting vaccinated, but essential workers are still forced to play mask police for shoppers who are unvaccinated and refuse to follow local COVID safety measures. Are they now supposed to become the vaccination police?"

The governor's guidance says stores can ask patrons for proof of vaccination before letting them shop maskless, but there are no plans to institute a state "vaccine passport" program.

As of the latest update from the Washington State Department of Health, 57 percent of eligible Washingtonians have had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Related: CDC Eases Indoor Mask Guidelines For Vaccinated