RELATED: CVS Is No Longer Letting Customers Do This, Starting Feb. 28. In an update posted to its website on Feb. 21, Target announced that it was dropping mask requirements for shoppers and staff. A representative from the company confirmed that the new policy had taken immediate effect the day the update was released, NBC News reports. “As COVID-19 cases continue to decline across the country, Target will not require our U.S. team members or guests to wear masks, as local regulations allow,” the company’s website states. “We’ll follow all state and local COVID-19 safety regulations and encourage our team members and guests to consult the latest public health guidance, get vaccinated, and make decisions to keep themselves and their families safe.” However, the company isn’t doing away with all precautions it put in place during the pandemic. Representatives for Target say stores will still be subject to frequent disinfection and cleaning, plexiglass partitions at registers will remain in place, and shoppers will still be encouraged to socially distance from one another, according to a statement to NBC News. Notably, Target stores will also continue to hold special shopping hours on Tuesdays for vulnerable or at-risk shoppers, including pregnant women or seniors, to allow them to get in their shopping before locations open to the general public.
RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. In its statement, the company says it plans to “continue to monitor trends in COVID-19 cases, public health data, and guidance from public health experts moving forward” as it modifies its policies. But for the time being, it’s also planning on leaving protections in place for Target employees.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb “We’ll also continue to provide our team with resources and benefits they need, including free medical-grade masks, COVID-19 tests, paid leave for team members with positive COVID-19 cases, and paid time and free Lyft rides to reduce barriers for team members to get their vaccines,” the company told NBC News. Apple has also followed suit, announcing this week that it had dropped mask requirements for customers at most of the company’s retail stores nationwide, Bloomberg reports. However, employees will still be required to wear a face-covering while working, and locations in certain states such as Connecticut and New York will still require face masks for customers who are not fully vaccinated. RELATED: If You Shop at Walmart, Prepare for These Major Changes.
