Walmart informed its workers on Friday that those who are fully vaccinated will no longer be required to wear masks on company premises, effective immediately, unless required by a state or local mandate.
Walmart also said that employees working in clinical care areas such as health clinics and pharmacies, who have direct customer contact, will be required to wear masks, regardless of whether they are fully vaccinated or not.
Walmart said that, with the exception of workers in California, New York and Virginia, they will also not be required to take a daily health exam starting at the end of this month.
The supermarket chain ordered its workers to wear masks for the first time in July from 2020. Then, in May 2021, he removed the mandate for workers to be on duty altogether, but later called for mandatory use again as infections due to Omicron increased.
The company also said that its COVID-19 emergency leave policy that allows more paid sick leave for work-related absences coronavirus will expire at the end of March.
This action by Walmart comes after Amazon announced on Thursday of last week that the operations staff of its US warehouses. who are fully vaccinated could work without a mask beginning Friday, if allowed by local regulations.
Various state governors in in recent days they have said they are removing mask mandates as virus cases and hospitalization rates decline.
The Centers for Con Control and Disease Prevention still recommend the use of masks in closed public places in areas where there is a high rate of contagion.
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