Costco has new rule for people who can’t wear face masks. Here’s what to know

If you’re heading to Costco soon, you’ll want to make sure you have a face covering — the retailer just changed its face mask policy.

Costco announced this week that it would no longer exempt shoppers with medical conditions from its face covering policy.

Shoppers with medical conditions that preclude them from wearing a mask are now required to wear face shields in Costco stores instead, the company said Tuesday in a news release.

This means that all adult shoppers must wear either a face mask or face shield, no exceptions. Children under age 2 are still exempt from the policy.

The new rule goes into effect on Monday, Nov. 16.

“This updated policy may seem inconvenient to some, however we believe the added safety is worth any inconvenience,” Costco said. “Our goal is to continue to provide a safe shopping environment for our members and guests, and to provide a safe work environment for our employees.”

Costco started requiring shoppers to wear face masks on May 4, but exempted those with medical conditions that prevent them from wearing masks.

This story was originally published November 12, 2020 at 12:57 PM with the headline "Costco has new rule for people who can’t wear face masks. Here’s what to know."