HyVee To Hand Out Over 3 Million Masks To Patrons – But Wearing Them Isn’t Required

HyVee says they won’t be requiring guests to wear a mask, but they are going to hand them out just in case.

According to a release, the company plans to give out over 3 million free masks in their stores starting on Monday July 27^th.

Currently only HyVee employees have been required to wear masks.

The company’s Vice President indicated that it’s “Difficult to enforce the mask rules without knowing people’s medical conditions, as some cannot wear a mask.”

“While our employees are required to wear masks at work, we are not mandating masks for customers, except where ordered by states/local governments,” a Hy-Vee customer service representative says.

Hy-Vee vice president of communications Tina Potthoff says “It’s very difficult to enforce that without asking people their medical histories. There are many people in the country that cannot wear masks for medical reasons.”

The free masks program will coincide with the CDC’s “Mask it up to shut COVID down” initiative that is also starting this week.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (July 21, 2020) — In an effort to protect its customers and employees from COVID-19, Hy-Vee will distribute free masks to those entering its stores starting Monday, July 27. The company will hand out more than 3 million free masks in an effort to help support the CDC’s recommendation to wear masks in public by launching a new initiative called “Mask It Up To Shut COVID Down. It’s Your Choice.”

Starting July 27, employees will be stationed at the front doors of all stores to hand out masks to customers who are not wearing one prior to shopping. Customers will also see signage, employee attire, and other reminders around the store about the educational campaign.

Hy-Vee employees have been wearing masks since nearly the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Midwest grocer was recently named one of the top three supermarkets in America for its handling of the COVID-19 crisis.