Officials at Walmart and Sam’s Club in Tennessee and throughout the U.S. announced this week that customers must now wear mask to gain entry to all stores.

“We know some people have differing opinions on this topic. We also recognize the role we can play to help protect the health and well-being of the communities we serve by following the evolving guidance of health officials like the CDC,” stated Walmart CEO Dacona Smith on their corporate website on Wednesday. To read that complete post, click here.

The new requirement will be implemented at the Winchester, Fayetteville, and Tullahoma Walmarts effective Monday, July 20.

“While we’re certainly not the first business to require face coverings, we know this is a simple step everyone can take for their safety and the safety of others in our facilities. According to the CDC, face coverings help decrease the spread of COVID-19, and because the virus can be spread by people who don’t have symptoms and don’t know they are infected, it’s critically important for everyone to wear a face covering in public and social distance,” they stated on Wednesday.

To ensure consistency, all stores will have a single entrance. Walmart stores will not provide masks if customer show up without them.

“As we have seen in states and municipalities with mask mandates, virtually everyone either brings a mask or readily complies with the requirement, and we anticipate that to happen in other areas as well,” they said. •

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