No Mask, No Service — Michigan Businesses Voluntarily Reinstating Masking Policies [VIDEO]
Don't stash those masks away in a box in the basement just yet. As the delta variant continues to spread, escalating the number of COVID-19 cases throughout the US, some Michigan businesses are voluntarily reinstating mask policies.
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As of Monday (8/2), Home Depot has mandated that all customers, associates, and vendors resume wearing face coverings while inside their stores. Flint's We're Dough bakery has continued to require staff and customers to wear masks even after mask requirements were widely loosened in our state.
Mask Requirements on the Rise
Justin Winslow, President and CEO of the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association, says that some Michigan businesses are reinstating mask policies, but establishments will likely make their own determinations based on location.
"You know Alpena doesn't think about this the same way as Ann Arbor does and there are a lot of examples that fit that description," Winslow tells Detroit's WDIV-TV. "Locals quickly adapting to the needs of the community is probably the better way to go."
Wendy Block of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce echoes that thought saying that community standards will likely drive businesses to implement mask requirements before the state does.
"You need to make the decision that's best for your workplace, recognizing that you do have this general duty to provide a safe and hazard-free workplace to all employees," Block says.
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The Michigan Retailers Association has also weighed in, saying that it's up to individual retailers to set store-specific policies in order to keep staff members and customers safe.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer says that at this time, she does not anticipate that Michigan will reinstate mandatory mask requirements.