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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Publix requiring customers to wear face coverings amid COVID-19 crisis

A major grocery store chain has joined a long list of businesses that are requiring customers to wear face coverings amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Publix, which is headquartered in Lakeland and has 809 stores in Florida, started requiring customers to wear masks on Tuesday.

In a post on its company website, the grocer that also has stores in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia said the mandate is encouraged by the Centers for Disease Control for most people and offered thanks to customers for doing their part to limit the spread of the potentially deadly virus.

Publix also is continuing to use various other measures to help customers practice social distancing. One-way aisles are in place and six-foot increments have been marked off at checkout stations.

The company says its manager also have the discretion to limit the number of shoppers in the store at one time. Customers also are encouraged to shop alone and to practice social distancing at all times when inside the stores.

Several other chain stores also have implemented mandatory mask policies. Those include Kohl’s, Target, Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club, to name a few.