Two of the country’s largest retailers first launched into the national debate on face masks. Both Walmart and Kroger have decided that all customers must wear a face mask to shop at their stores, regardless of local mandates. It doesn’t matter if your city doesn’t require face masks in public if you’re heading to Walmart or Kroger, grab one when you walk out the door.
Many local stores have implemented the policy, this is nothing new to them. This is a novelty because it is a national mandate for clients. It is a general, one-size-fits-all approach that overrides local government. Noting that there is no federal rule at the national level, the retail giants are implementing their own policy for every store in the United States, numbering more than 8,000. Walmart stated, “We know this is a simple step that everyone can take for their safety and the safety of others.” This action led other companies to present national policies as well. Wednesday was the day a national mask policy went into effect for a couple of other companies that have already made the same decision.
Walmart and Kroger kept their stores open during the pandemic and required workers to wear masks, but like most retailers, they previously followed local guidelines for shoppers. “We recognize that additional precautions are needed to protect our country,” said Kroger.
Other chains made similar moves after the announcement by Walmart on Wednesday, including Kohl’s Corp., which operates around 1,000 department stores, and Panera Bread, which has around 2,000 restaurants. Best Buy Co. and Starbucks Corp. had previously adopted mask rules that began Wednesday.
This can be a little awkward. Walmart is based in Arkansas, a non-mandated state of face mask, and Kroger is based in Ohio, which only requires masks for the most severely affected counties. The reason there is no national mandate is that it is not necessary. In many parts of the country, especially in rural areas, it is perfectly understandable that people do not feel the urge to wear a face mask. It is different for people living in coronavirus hot spots, especially those who are more susceptible to the virus. I wear a mask because I live in a big city and the coronavirus is with us a lot. While I was running errands yesterday afternoon, everyone I saw, in addition to those in their cars, also carried one. I admit it gave me a sense of relief.
Mask wars are real. The issue has been politicized and is absolutely insane in 2020. Use one, don’t use one, it’s your choice because you accept the risks involved with your decision. And we all remember how opinions have changed since the start of the pandemic when the CDC, Dr. Fauci, the Surgeon General, and all the ‘experts’ told us that wearing a mask was not necessary to mitigate the outbreak. Organizations are now weighing up the hot topic. Take, for example, the United States Chamber of Commerce and the National Retail Federation. They both want a national policy.
The different rules have led business leaders to ask the White House and state leaders to adopt a national mask policy. “Issuing a voluntary guide to masks is insufficient to protect public health” and risks spreading the community and a new round of closings, the United States Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Retailers and other groups Businessmen wrote in a July 2 letter to the White House and the governors.
“Retailers are protecting the health and safety of the communities they serve,” NRF said in a statement released on Wednesday. “Our elected leaders must put politics aside and follow their example.” The industry group called on all retailers to adopt mask policies nationwide, saying Walmart’s decision was a turning point in the debate.
Face masks may not fully protect you from the virus, but they delay the spread of airborne particles. There is still a lot we don’t know about the coronavirus, and medical opinions have remained fluid. So far, only ten large retail chains have mandatory mask policies for all of their stores. Including Walmart and Kroger, the others are Starbucks, Costco, HEB, Dollar Tree, Apple Store, Verizon, AT&T, and Menards in case you feel a boycott. Most retailers continue to take their cues from state and local governments. Retailers keep an eye on others and adjust accordingly. None of them wanted to be the first to implement a general mandate for all stores and feel the anger of dissatisfied customers. And most companies want to stay out of political struggles. Meanwhile, many companies make and sell face masks.
Dallas Federal Reserve Chairman Robert Kaplan is aware that wearing masks leads to economic recovery in the United States.
“If we all wore a mask, it would substantially silence transmission of this disease and we would grow faster,” Kaplan told FOX Business. “We would have a lower unemployment rate, we would grow faster and we would be much less likely to slow down some of our reopens. But so far we have been uneven in our use of masks. “
“If there was a recommendation that you would probably hear from me, while monetary and fiscal policy has a key role to play, the main economic policy from here on is to wear a broad mask and good execution of these healthcare protocols “Kaplan said. “If we do that, we will grow faster.”
Kaplan said he still anticipates the economy to contract an unprecedented 35 percent in the second quarter, but projected that it will grow in the third and fourth quarters, causing the economy to shrink by 5 percent for the year.
A note from the Goldman Sachs analyst earlier this week came to a similar conclusion about the effectiveness of the masks in insulating the economy from further damage related to the virus. Goldman’s research team, led by chief economist Jan Hatzius, concluded that a national mask mandate would save 5 percent of the nation’s GDP, the most comprehensive measure of goods and services produced in the country.
“The economic benefit of a face mask mandate and increased use of face mask could be considerable,” they wrote.
Even financial experts are not completely on the same page. Kaplan seems certain that his opinion is correct, while Goldman Sachs’ statement is more nuanced. The use of the word “could”, as in the last sentence above, indicates uncertainty. That is the problem in a nutshell. We have been dealing with the coronavirus for over four months and there are still many things that we do not know for sure. Even as a mask bearer, I don’t think a national policy and a one-size-fits-all approach is a winning solution.
I’ll wrap this up: Just as I was submitting this post, this tweet about Target appeared joining the others in a nationwide mandate policy. There you go Look for the trend to continue.
BREAKING: Target joins the list of top retailers that demand skins. https://t.co/DRJyi5eFQy
– Star Tribune (@StarTribune) July 16, 2020
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