Winn-Dixie, a popular supermarket chain in the south, faces a backlash after announcing that, unlike several of its competitors, it will not require customers to wear masks inside its stores.
In a statement obtained by TODAY on Sunday, a spokesperson for Southeastern Grocers, Winn-Dixie’s parent company, said: “Currently, we are complying with all local security mandates within each of our stores and strongly encourage those who they are medically capable of using a face covering to do it. “
The statement also addressed the reasoning behind the decision.
“We do not want to cause undue friction among our clients and associates by regulating the mask mandates, and we encourage state officials to lead the way in regulating these types of security mandates,” the statement read.
The news follows numerous reports of altercations over mask regulations between customers and employees at stores across the country. Still, Winn-Dixie’s stance differs from other grocery store giants.
On Thursday, Publix announced that it will require facial covers for customers beginning July 21. Walmart made a similar move earlier in the week. Costco and Whole Foods began requiring masks in May.
Both Publix and Southeastern Grocers are based in Florida, one of the states hardest hit in the US coronavirus outbreak. Florida hospitals currently face a shortage of beds in intensive care units, and the total cases in the state they recently topped 338,000. Florida is one of three states, including Texas and California, which account for a fifth of the world’s new cases of coronavirus.
Many social media users have publicly questioned the decision of Winn-Dixie’s parent company.
“Since I returned to chemotherapy, Winn Dixie is not the store for me,” one person tweeted.
“Good for you #WinnDixie for providing a place where anti-maskers can shop,” wrote another. “Now they can stop having tantrums in stores that require a mask.”
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced once again that the masks are a “critical tool in the fight against COVID-19”.
CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said in the statement: “Cloth covers are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus, particularly when used universally in a community setting. .. All Americans have a responsibility to protect themselves, their families, and their communities. “
