As COVID-19 cases around the country continue to surge, Starbucks Coffee Company is announcing a new policy to help prevent the spread of the virus.
In a new press release on Thursday, the coffee chain announced it is updating its policing regarding face coverings, “Starbucks today announced that beginning on July 15, it will be requiring customers to wear facial coverings while visiting all company-owned café locations in the US.”
Additionally, the company said that in communities where there is not a mask-wearing mandate, customers who are not wearing masks would not be allowed in company-owned cafés. Still, the release noted they have other options available.
“At select locations where a local government mandate is not in place, customers that may not be wearing a facial covering will have various options to order their Starbucks, including ordering at the drive-thru, curbside pickup through the Starbucks app or placing an order for delivery through Starbucks Delivers.”
“The company is committed to playing a constructive role in supporting health and government officials as they work to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” the release added.
In addition to requiring customers to wear face coverings in its stores, the company also shared some of its protocols for cleanliness and efforts to help slow the spread of the virus.
Starbucks will require its employers to take temperature checks before their shifts, wear face coverings at work, and they will have to option to wear gloves.
The company also said it “continues to observe elevated cleaning and sanitizing protocols that meet or exceed public health guidelines.”
As the virus began spreading in the U.S., the company said it would ban the use of reusable cups in its stores. And, Starbucks previously said it would temporarily move to a “to go” model and said it would “all seating, including all café and patio seating.”
Customers were still able to order in the stores, but no seating areas were available for them.