Costco Updates Mask Policy, Requires Members With Health Conditions To Wear Face Shields

Costco is changing its in-store face mask policy to accommodate customers with medical conditions.

The retailer’s updated policy requires anyone who cannot wear a face shield, including those with a medical condition, to wear a face shield to enter any of its stores. The policy goes into effect on November 16.

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“If a member has a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask, they should wear a face shield at Costco,” wrote the wholesale retailer’s CEO Craig Jelinek in a letter to members. “Access to Costco will only be granted to those who wear a face shield or face shield.”

COLCHESTER, VERMONT – AUGUST 4: Shoppers search for items at a Costco Wholesale store August 4, 2020 in Colchester, Vermont. The cost of groceries has increased at the fastest rate in years since the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S. economy. (Phot

Only children under 2 are exempt from this policy, according to Jelinek.

In May, the company required all members and employees to wear face masks in order to slow the spread of the virus. Previously, members who could not wear a mask due to a medical condition were exempt from this policy.

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Instead, Costco reminded customers with such issues to take advantage of the company’s delivery options on Costco.com.

“This is no longer the case,” Jelinek said in his memo to members Thursday.

While the policy may “seem inconvenient to some,” “the added security is worth any inconvenience,” Jelinek said.

The latest demand comes as the country continues to fight a growing pandemic. To date, the United States has recorded more than 240,000 deaths and more than 10.4 million confirmed infections, with new cases reaching all-time highs of more than 120,000 per day in the past week.

Health experts have blamed the increase in part on the onset of cold weather and growing frustration with wearing masks and other precautions.

While there is no federal mandate requiring people to wear masks, retailers are doing what they can to enforce the policy to keep customers safe while remaining viable amid an economic downturn.

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However, enforcing such policies has not been a walk in the park.

After Costco implemented its initial policy, the company faced a backlash from customers on social media who said they planned to cancel their membership and boycott the company.

In July, a customer at a Fort Myers, Florida store was surprised video yelling at an elderly woman who asked her to wear a mask.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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