CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Fresh Market is taking the next step to protect its shoppers and employees by requiring all guests wear face-covering masks while in the store.
This new change will begin just one day after North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper’s executive order took effect with more grocery store restrictions — including limiting the number of shoppers inside the store at one time, posting social distancing reminders, and making a consistently cleaned store a priority.
“People need to be able to buy groceries and medicine and the essentials without fear and be confident they can protect themselves from the virus,” Governor Cooper previously said.
The CDC recently updated its guidance recommending that everyone wear face masks when in public settings. With this in mind, The Fresh Market decided to make the face mask a requirement for all employees and shoppers.
“Wearing a face covering may reduce the spread of the virus by asymptomatic individuals,” said James Bell, Fresh Market Director of Food Safety and Quality Assurance. “Since it is impossible to know who may be asymptomatic, it is prudent for everyone to wear a covering. The goal is to reduce the virus's transmission to keep everyone as safe as possible.”
On social media, some customers expressed mixed options about the new face mask requirement. So far, The Fresh Market is one of the first grocery stores to make this change, but other stores could follow.