McDonald’s To Make Face Coverings Mandatory For US Customers

As it follows in the footsteps of Walmart Inc. and others that have declared mask requirements to help stop COVID-19’s proliferation, McDonald’s Corp. said it would mandate that all of its U.S. diners wear masks starting in August, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The quick-service restaurant (QSR) chain said it would offer face coverings to diners who lack them when they visit any of its almost 14,000 U.S. locations, the outlet reported, citing a letter inked by McDonald’s U.S. President Joe Erlinger and National Franchisee Leadership Alliance Head Mark Salebra.

McDonald’s is one of an increasing roster of companies, including significant U.S. air carriers and Starbucks Corp, that have enacted face-covering rules that extend beyond local guidance.

The news comes as Sam’s Club and Walmart will mandate that customers wear masks beginning 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,” Sam’s Club Chief Operating Officer Lance de la Rosa and Walmart U.S. Chief Operating Officer Dacona Smith said in an announcement.

In separate news, Goldman Sachs is advocating a mask mandate to reduce the daily growth rate of coronavirus cases and to aid the economy. “We find that face masks are associated with significantly better coronavirus outcomes,” said Jan Hatzius, the company’s chief economist.

And the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) is seeking assistance with mask regulations to keep store workers safe. RILA President Brian Dodge also wrote a letter to Lawrence Hogan, chair of the National Governor’s Association, and Andrew Cuomo, the association’s vice chair, requesting advocacy for consistent and specific mask rules.

Additionally, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink said in a CNBC interview on July 17, “If we all wore a mask, if we all cared about our fellow citizens a little more, we would resolve this crisis much sooner.”

A poll from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determined that 65 percent of American adults indicate they have worn a mask in retail shops or other businesses all or a majority of the time in the past month.