Costco goes even further with its mask mandate as US enters coronavirus third wave

It was one of the first big retailers to require masks back in May

As the US continues to allow coronavirus to spread unchecked, Costco, one of the nation’s largest retailers, is going even further with its storewide mask mandate, which it introduced earlier this year. Now, even those with medical conditions preventing them from wearing a mask must wear a face shield, or else they won’t be allowed in.

“This updated policy may seem inconvenient to some, however we believe the added safety is worth any inconvenience,” Costco CEO Craig Jelinek wrote in a letter to members. “Our goal is to continue to provide a safe shopping environment for our members and guests, and to provide a safe work environment for our employees."

The store, which mandated mask-wearing in May, was one of the first retailers to do so, outpacing the US government, which recommends but doesn’t require masks. More than half the countries in the world have instituted a mask mandate, along with major US airlines and retailers.

Of course, not everyone will be happy with the policy. A man from Florida went viral, in the internet sense, in June after having a screaming meltdown in Costco when he was asked to wear a mask, eventually costing him his job. 

Even as attentions shift elsewhere to a thorny post-election succession struggle, the US is by some metrics experiencing its worst bout of coronavirus yet. On Thursday, there were over 160,000 new cases, a record, breaking the previous one, 100,000, set just a week before.