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If you're going shopping at New Seasons, prepare to cover your face.
The Portland grocery chain has announced that beginning next week, it will require anyone entering its stores, including customers, to wear masks. The Oregonian first reported the policy.
The rule goes into effect Wednesday, April 29. The company will initially provide cloth coverings for customers at store entrances, then shift to requiring shoppers to bring their own.
New Seasons is the first major Portland grocer to enforce facial coverings for patrons, though masks have been mandatory for the company's staff since April 14. Employees also undergo a "verbal symptom check" before starting their shift, according to a press release.
Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formally recommended wearing face masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in spaces where social distancing measures cannot be easily adhered to. While some states have made wearing facial coverings in public mandatory, the practice in Oregon remains voluntary.
New Seasons had previously instituted temporary capacity restrictions at all its stores to help customers maintain proper distance while shopping.