With Texas ending mask restrictions, employees of the beloved supermarket chain H-E-B demand the company enforce a mask policy
- On March 10, Texas is officially lifting the mandate on wearing masks during the ongoing pandemic.
- Workers at beloved supermarket chain H-E-B are calling on leadership to require masks anyway.
- "H-E-B's mask recommendation in lieu of a requirement will harm workers, shoppers and communities," the group said.
On March 10, Texas plans to lift the restrictions on businesses that were put in place to help stop the spread of the coronavirus disease.
Several large chains have announced they will still require masks, and aren't loosening their own restrictions - but beloved Texas supermarket chain H-E-B will only "recommend" that shoppers mask up, rather than require it.
H-E-B employees are demanding a stronger response, according to a Facebook group titled "Call on corporate!" intended to mobilize employees and shoppers.
"H-E-B's mask recommendation in lieu of a requirement will harm workers, shoppers and communities," the group's description says. "As one of the top grocery chains in the state and the country, H-E-B has a moral responsibility to serve their communities and enforce CDC guidelines within their walls."
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Despite Texas Gov. Greg Abbott choosing to lift mask mandates in Texas, the Centers for Disease Control has recommended that states continue enforcing safety restrictions as the coronavirus pandemic continues to kill thousands of Americans every day.
"Now is the time to not let up our guard," Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told "Face the Nation" in mid-February as states began easing mask mandates. "Now is the time to double down."
Tensions have already begun increasing in Texas between shoppers, some of whom refuse to wears masks, and retail employees who are tasked with enforcing their store's rules. In a widely-circulated video, a Trader Joe's shopper had a meltdown when greeters refused him entry because he was not wearing a mask.
H-E-B press representatives didn't respond to a request for comment.
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