Coronavirus In Texas: Whole Foods To Offer Free, Disposable Masks For Customers
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Within the next week, Whole Foods will offer free disposable masks to all customers.
Customers are asked to wear the mask while in the store. The company says shoppers will be able to pick-up the face covering at store entrances.
Whole Foods has also implemented daily temperature checks for team members and crowd control measures for their locations.
A statement on the store's website reads "Through the measures we worked rapidly to implement, we expect to spend more than $800 million in the first half of the year on COVID-19 safety measures through purchasing items like masks, hand sanitizer, thermal cameras, thermometers, sanitizing wipes, gloves, additional handwashing stations, and adding disinfectant spraying in buildings, procuring COVID testing supplies, additional janitorial teams, and more.
Gov. Greg Abbott allowed the statewide stay-at-home order to expire Thursday and signed an executive order to let some types of businesses reopen but with caveats. Businesses are also not being forced to reopen.
During Phase 1 of the reopening, businesses like retail stores, malls, restaurants and movie theaters were able to reopen but at a 25% capacity and with social distancing guidelines still in place.
Although movie theaters are allowed to reopen, Texas-based companies like Cinemark, Alamo Drafthouse and Studio Movie Grill have said they won't open this weekend. Dates for their reopening have not been announced, although Cinemark said it is planning to reopen in the middle of the summer.
Other types of businesses like barber shops, hairdressers, gyms and bars aren't allowed to reopen during this first phase. Abbott said earlier this week he believes they could reopen during the second phase, which could start as early as May 18. Phase two could also allow for capacities to increase to 50%.
There are no changes to businesses that have remained open during the pandemic.
Residents are still encouraged to wear face coverings and follow social distancing guidelines as cases of COVID-19 continue to increase.
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