CHARLOTTE, N.C. — One of the largest power companies in the U.S. is now requiring employees to wear a face covering as COVID-19 concerns continue.
A spokesperson with Duke Energy, which serves the Carolinas, confirmed all employees, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear a face covering indoors. The measure went into effect on Monday, Aug. 2.
"Employees must also wear face coverings when entering, exiting and walking within a facility and in common areas," a company spokesperson told WCNC Charlotte via email on Monday. "This became effective today and is aligned with updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance."
The CDC announced new guidelines on Tuesday, July 27, recommending that in areas where COVID-19 transmission is high, fully vaccinated people mask up in public again.
"The safety and well-being of our employees and customers is our top priority, and we’ll continue monitoring CDC guidance, COVID-19 trends and federal/state/local guidelines to drive our decisions," Duke Energy said in the statement to WCNC Charlotte.
Several companies across the U.S. are following the same idea and having their employees mask up while at work, like Walmart, Costco and Publix.
Mecklenburg County also announced this week that all employees will have to wear a mask while at work.
