Winn-Dixie Grocery Stores Won’t Require Shoppers to Wear Masks

Southern Grocers — the parent company of the grocery chain Winn-Dixie — will not require shoppers to wear face coverings at its approximately 500 locations amid the Chinese coronavirus pandemic.

The decision was prompted to avoid “undue friction between [customers] and associates,” Joe Caldwell, director of Southeastern Grocers’ corporate communications and government affairs, told the Washington Post Monday.

“Currently, we are adhering to all local safety mandates within each of our stores and strongly encouraging those who are medically able to wear a face-covering to do so,” Caldwell added.

However, Caldwell said such policy could change: “We are always listening to our communities, and as the number of COVID cases rise, we are actively evaluating our policies so that every reasonable precaution is made to protect the health and safety of our people and our customers.”

Meanwhile, Winn-Dixie is still requiring all employees don face coverings when on the job.

Winn-Dixie has stores in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, and Louisiana.

To date, 28 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico have issued their own mask mandates.