JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Winn-Dixie will encourage rather than require customers to wear a face covering or mask while in stores.
"At Southeastern Grocers, we put our people and our customers at the heart of every decision we make, and their safety has been at the forefront of our response since the COVID pandemic began," said Joe Caldwell, director of corporate communications and government affairs for Winn-Dixie.
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"Currently, we are adhering to all local safety mandates within each of our stores and strongly encouraging those who are medically able to wear a face covering to do so."
"We do not want to cause undue friction between our customers and associates by regulating mask mandates, and we strongly encourage state officials to lead the way in regulating these type of safety mandates."
"We are always listening to our communities, and as the number of COVID cases rise, we are actively evaluating our policies so that every reasonable precaution is made to protect the health and safety of our people and our customers," said Caldwell.
Several other national store chains are or will soon require customers to wear a mask or face covering.
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