Posted on 05/14/2021 1:56:07 PM PDT by lightman
Grocery stores in central Pennsylvania will continue to require masks, despite new guidance released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The new policy states fully vaccinated people do not have to wear masks in most places, including crowded outdoor events. However, the federal agency advised even those who are vaccinated to wear masks in crowded indoor settings like buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters.
The guidance, which unions and industry groups say could put workers’ safety at risk, complicates rules for retailers, who have no way to determine whether employees and shoppers have been fully vaccinated. Masks have been a contentious issue throughout the pandemic.
“There’s a lot of unanswered questions,” said Alex Baloga, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association. “I think people are still trying to figure out and process it. It’s so new people are trying to figure out how it affects them and how to implement it.”
Grocery retailers contacted by PennLive, including Giant, Karns Foods, Wegmans and Weis Markets, said they will continue requiring masks.
Both Giant and Wegmans said they are evaluating the updated guidance and having internal conversations, but their mask policies remain in effect. Meanwhile, Weis Markets said in a statement its associates will continue to wear masks while working indoors to ensure their safety and the safety of customers.
“We hope customers will comply with these indoor mask guidelines,” it read.
Karns emphasized how mask wearing has been “a keystone to protecting our team members, shoppers and vendor partners throughout the pandemic. At this time we are maintaining our existing mask policy as we review changes for the future.”
On Thursday, Pennsylvania Department of Health said its masking requirement is still in place for unvaccinated people, until 70% of Pennsylvanians age 18 and older are fully vaccinated. Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 restrictions on businesses and gatherings are set to expire on Memorial Day but the mask order won’t expire until the 70% benchmark is reached.
Today the department emphasized Pennsylvanians must continue to follow rules set by businesses and organizations, such as a school, requires masks for an added layer of protection.
“We ask that Pennsylvanians continue to be kind and respectful to each other as we continue to fight COVID-19 in our communities and continue to get residents vaccinated,” said Alison Beam, acting secretary of Health.
READ MORE: Pa. raises capacity for indoor, outdoor events beginning May 17 READ MORE: Historic tavern near Hershey listed for sale for $1.3 million
Grocery stores are not the only retailers issuing statements about the eased restrictions. Across the nation, Target, Home Depot, Walmart and Starbucks have said they will continue requiring masks for customers and employees inside their stores, according to Business Insider.
At least one national retailer, Trader Joe’s, said vaccinated shoppers do not have to wear masks. The stores will continue to operate under enhanced cleaning and health practices, according to the website.
Of course, retailers have been been challenged during the pandemic as customers flout the rules. In some cases, it has placed employees in uncomfortable and dangerous situations.
Baloga said some merchants have encountered issues with mask mandates, but overall most retailers have been encouraged by customers taking their safety and the safety of the frontline workers seriously.
“We’ve seen people complying and doing their part and being very positive overall across the whole process,” he said. “I think we expect that to continue.”
Unions representing grocery and retail workers chimed in on Thursday, saying stores should continue to require customers to wear masks.
“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 Marc Perrone, president of United Food and Commercial Workers’ union, which represents about 1.3 million workers.
The Retail Industry Leaders Association, a trade association for retail leaders, echoed a similar sentiment, saying the announcement creates “ambiguity for retailers,” due to the fact it does not align with state and local orders.
Lisa LaBruno, senior executive vice president of Retail Operations and Innovation, said retailers are evaluating the CDC guidance, to determine if any changes should be made to safety protocols.
My house, my rules. My rule = Mask Free Zone.
“Masks still required at many central Pa. grocery stores, including Giant, Karens and Weis”
I can see why Karens would still require masks, but why the rest?
Shut it down, especially Beaver stadium in September. I want normal folks to become disgusted. Until they do, nothing will change.
Science schmience.
It’s going to take a long, long time for most retailers to let the Mask requirement drop, because they have gotten used to it as a basic rule of operating. Individual employees will vary, with some being more subject to peer pressure than others, who frankly don’t care who doesn’t like the No Mask look.
They’re going to lose a lot of customers.
“They’re going to lose a lot of customers.”
They need to. Or our side is all hot air.
“ Your house, your rules.”
To some extent, true. A grocery store is a public accommodation. I’m not sure they can make such requirements.
I don’t want to get any business owners in trouble but, as of yesterday, I’m done with the mask. No one has said anything...so far... I figure someone needs to take the lead.
There’s a big difference between masks required and masks enforced. Here in North Alabama, the sign in front of Walmart’s say “Masks Required” but many ignored the signs. Same at Target. Home Depot. Lowes.
Many SAY you must wear a mask but do not enforce it at all. That’s how they split the baby.
Giant, Karen’s and Weis say: “Boycott me!!!”
The Shur-Save by me hasn’t removed the “masks required” sign yet.
I suffer from SOSI
S udden
O nset
S elective
I lliteracy
Same for “weapons prohibited” signs, BTW
Shop elsewhere. Let the Karens have the place, then watch what happens to their revenues.
Science deniers
And Kroger and Walmart....
so we’re finally free to not wear them indoors, but not........catch-22
I was just at Krogers in Ohio without wearing a mask - along with about 30% of others there. I had one with me if there was a problem but nobody said anything, even though I had conversations with several employees while I was trying to find something.
Even employee’s were barely wearing them...either under their noses or on their chins.
I think the more people see this happening the more it will happen.
Yes, it just takes more people to stop the mask nonsense. Soon the mask wearing people will look like jackasses and even they will remove them
This article says Walmart continues to require masks but there was a story just a few stories above, saying Walmart has discontinued its mask policy. If Walmart discontinues, others will follow. When hardly anyone is wearing masks anymore, all will stop wearing them.
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