Winn-Dixie reverses coronavirus face mask policy, will require customers to wear them in stores

article

ORLANDO, Fla. - Grocery chain Winn-Dixie will require customers to wear face masks while shopping at its stores beginning July 27 amid a surge of coronavirus cases across the country, parent company Southeastern Grocers said Monday.

Winn-Dixie operates roughly 500 grocery store locations across five Southeastern states – Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Louisiana. Southeastern Grocers drew a mixed reaction after it initially said it would not mandate masks in stores because they are a source of conflict between customers and employees.

Southeastern Grocers released this statement to FOX 35 News:

"At Southeastern Grocers, we put people at the center of each and every decision we make for our stores. Our decisions have always been shaped by listening to our people and our communities. As we have navigated through the complexities and challenges of the pandemic, we have progressively shaped our operations and are continuing to update our policies to best protect all those who depend upon us.

"This unprecedented period requires a willingness to be adaptable and flexible to ever-changing circumstances, and we will continue to adjust as needed over time. The majority of our stores are under either a local or state government mandate, and given the continued rise of positive COVID cases in our communities across the Southeast, beginning Monday, July 27, we will be requiring masks to be worn by customers to help reduce the spread of the disease.

"Our communities count on us, and we are counting on our customers to show kindness as we go through these challenging times together. We believe that the enforcement should be placed upon our state and federally elected officials, and we will continue to work with our peers in the retail industry to advocate for this sensible mandate to be passed into law to remove the burden from employers and their heroic frontline associates."

The Winn-Dixie parent joined a number of national retailers that have issued mandatory face mask policies for shoppers in recent days. Walmart, Whole Foods, Publix, Starbucks and Costco are among the companies requiring customers to wear masks.

Southeastern Grocers operates Winn-Dixie and three other brands with stores in seven states. The mask mandate applies to all of its stores.

“We believe that the enforcement should be placed upon our state and federally elected officials, and we will continue to work with our peers in the retail industry to advocate for this sensible mandate to be passed into law to remove the burden from employers and their heroic frontline associates,” the company added.

MORE NEWS: Lawsuit aims to stop Gov. DeSantis, education leaders from reopening of schools

The Washington Post reported earlier this week that Winn-Dixie would not mandate face masks. In its initial statement on that decision, Southeastern Grocers said it did not want to “put our associates in a position to navigate interpersonal conflict or prohibit customers from shopping in our stores.”

Winn-Dixie has taken other precautions during the pandemic, including the installation of plexiglass partitions at cash registers and daily temperature checks for employees.

Public health experts have called for months for the public to wear face masks to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Get updates at FOXBusiness.com