The announcement, made on July 15, cited prioritizing the health and safety of Walmart shoppers and employees in the decision. The mandate is also a way to establish consistency across Walmart stores in the US: "Currently about 65 percent of our more than 5,000 stores and clubs are located in areas where there is some form of government mandate on face coverings. To help bring consistency across stores and clubs, we will require all shoppers to wear a face covering starting Monday, July 20."
The chain decided to make the store policy update based on general advisement from the CDC.
The blog continues, "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."
To enforce this new store policy, all Walmart US stores will have clear signage about the new rule at the entrances in addition to limiting all stores to a single entrance.
In addition, the company is planning on creating the role of Health Ambassador who will help make sure customers abide by this new rule. The statement explained, "Walmart has created the role of Health Ambassador and will station them near the entrance to remind those without a mask of our new requirements. Our ambassadors will receive special training to help make the process as smooth as possible for customers."
"The ambassadors, identifiable by their black polo shirts, will work with customers who show up at a store without a face covering to try and find a solution," it continued.
The statement also acknowledges that some customers might not be able to wear a mask due to underlying medical reasons. The Health Ambassadors will also be trained to handle these situations to ensure a relatively seamless shopping experience for all customers while also keeping them and others safe.