(Reuters) – Several major U.S. companies are dropping their mask requirements for customers and employees who are fully vaccinated as the pace of COVID-19 infections declines in the country.
A few months ago, U.S. companies were forced to reimpose mask mandates due to a steep rise in COVID-19 infections across the country from a rampaging Omicron variant.
U.S. President Joe Biden, however, told NBC News in an interview earlier this month that Omicron and other COVID-19 variants had had a “profound impact on the psyche of the American people” and conceded that changing mask guidelines were “confusing.”
Here is a list of companies that have relaxed their mask mandates:
Company Latest mask mandate
Amazon.com Inc Amazon is dropping
mask mandate for all U.S.
warehouse staff starting March 1,
according to a note sent to
employees by the company.
Walmart Inc Fully vaccinated workers will no
longer be required to wear masks
in the company’s facilities,
except workers in clinical care
settings like health clinics and
pharmacies regardless of
vaccination status.
Goldman Sachs Will no longer require masks to be
worn by staff at its U.S. offices.
The bank will leave it to
individuals to decide if they want
to mask up.
JPMorgan Chase & Co Masks have been made completely
voluntary for fully vaccinated
employees working out of their
U.S. offices.
Morgan Stanley Staff at the bank’s offices will
not be required to wear masks
given only vaccinated employees
are allowed into its buildings.
New York Stock Exchange Makes masks optional on the
owned by Intercontinental trading floor and other public
Exchange Inc areas for fully vaccinated
personnel and visitors.
Tyson Foods Inc Lifts mask mandate for fully
vaccinated employees at some U.S.
facilities but those at
meatpacking plants must continue
wearing masks for now.
Disney World operated by Makes masks optional for fully
Walt Disney Co vaccinated visitors from Thursday
but expects those who are not
fully vaccinated to wear face
coverings in all indoor locations,
including theaters.
Norwegian Cruise Line Makes face coverings optional for
Holdings Ltd its guests.
Carnival Corp Carnival Cruise Line plans to make
masks optional for its guests from
March 1.
Target Corp Will not require U.S. employees or
its customers to wear masks, as
local regulations allow, according
to the company’s website. (https://bit.ly/3vbofBM)
Gap Inc No longer requires
fully vaccinated employees to wear
masks inside its U.S. stores as
local jurisdictions allow the
same.
(Compiled by Ananya Mariam Rajesh and Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Nivedita Balu and Praveen Paramasivam in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D’Silva and Shinjini Ganguli)
