Trader Joe's ditches mask mandate for vaccinated customers
FILE - People stand in line outside Trader Joe's in Kips Bay as New York City moves into Phase 3 of re-opening following restrictions imposed to curb the coronavirus pandemic on July 9, 2020.
Trader Joe's grocery stores will no longer be requiring masks for vaccinated customers in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), according to the company's website.
"We will trust our customers and not request or require proof of vaccination," a Trader Joe's spokesperson told FOX Business in a statement when asked whether the grocery store will require customers to show vaccination documentation.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky announced during a Thursday White House COVID-19 press briefing that people who have received both vaccine doses need not wear masks indoors or outdoors or physically distance themselves from others.
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Fully vaccinated individuals are still advised to wear masks while in crowded indoor settings such as while on public transportation and in hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters, according to the CDC.
Immunocompromised individuals should consult a physician before giving up masks, Walensky said Thursday, warning that if the country's case counts go back up the guidance could change.
Other large retail stores including Target, CVS, Home Depot and Harris Teeter still require customers to wear masks as they review the new CDC guidance, according to reports.
The move from Trader Joe's represents a shift toward pre-pandemic-style life as more people are vaccinated and COVID-19 cases drop across the country.