Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Businesses Brace For Repeat Of Mask Battles
The Hill: Retailers Fear A Return Of The Mask Wars
Retailers and grocery stores are fearing a resurgence of the mask wars from earlier in the pandemic as Texas and other states start scaling back coronavirus restrictions. Nationwide chains that have COVID-19 rules in place for both employees and customers are worried about the confusion and conflict that's likely to ensue as some states lift mask mandates for indoor spaces but stores keep them in place. (Gangitano, 3/3)
Houston Chronicle: Frontline Workers Fear Mask Chaos As Statewide Mandate Ends
Abbott relaxed requirements on businesses Tuesday, lifting statewide mask mandates and reducing capacity restrictions on restaurants and retailers. The order, effective March 10, sent chills through frontline workers across the region who say they still face risks on the job. Asking customers to wear masks means being met with a daily dose of attitude, said Stacy Brown, bakery manager at Phoenicia Specialty Foods, a grocery store on the ground floor of One Park Place downtown. Now she fears that attitude will spread. “We’re gonna have people come into the store, not wanting to comply just because of what (Abbott) says,” she said, noting she feels it’s especially important that her customers wear masks because as a diabetic she’s in a high-risk group. (Drane, 3/3)
The Washington Post: ‘Masks Required’ Signs Are Coming Down After Texas, Mississippi Lift Coronavirus Restrictions
Carrie Kizek and her mother, Sandra Breland, decided to skip masks while headed out to lunch Wednesday — the day after Mississippi’s governor said residents were no longer required to wear them. “If he says we don’t have to, then I’m not,” Kizek said of Gov. Tate Reeves (R).Reeves and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) rescinded coronavirus restrictions Tuesday, doing away with mask mandates and allowing businesses to operate at 100 percent capacity. The impact was immediate in both states and beyond, with “masks required” signs coming down, businesses trying to navigate the lack of restrictions, local officials pushing back and the White House weighing in. (Shammas, Wan, Fowler and Moravec, 3/3)
But many companies say masks are still required —
The Wall Street Journal: Starbucks, Target Among Companies To Still Mandate Masks In Texas Despite Lift On Covid-19 Restrictions
Some of the biggest U.S. retail, theater, hotel and restaurant chains say they will continue mandating masks and limiting capacity in Texas after the state drops Covid-related restrictions next week. The move by Gov. Greg Abbott to “open Texas 100%” has divided the business community, with some welcoming the move, while others say it puts the state at risk of a backslide and will make it harder for businesses to enforce safety protocols. (Terlep, 3/3)
The Hill: Target, CVS Among Big Chains To Continue Requiring Masks In States That Lifted Mandates
Several national chain retailers will keep their mask mandates in place despite governors in Mississippi and Texas lifting the states’ requirements, CBS News reported. Kroger, Target and Walgreens all announced they will keep their mask requirements, citing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. (Budryk, 3/3)
CBS News: Retailers Put Brakes On Texas And Mississippi Move To Scrap Mask Mandates
As Texas and Mississippi move to join a dozen other U.S. states without statewide mask requirements, many major retailers and employers aren't ready to nix face covering requirements amid a pandemic that killed more than 1,800 Americans on Tuesday alone. ... Kroger, the nation's largest supermarket chain, "will continue to require everyone in our stores across the country to wear masks until all our frontline grocery associates can receive the COVID-19 vaccine," a spokesperson told CBS MoneyWatch in an email. The company last month said it would give each of its 500,000 workers in 35 states $100 to get immunized against COVID. (Gibson, 3/3)
And schools in Texas can still require masks, as well —
Houston Chronicle: Texas School Districts Still Can Require Masks, State Officials Confirm
Texas school districts can continue requiring students and staff to wear masks while on-campus, even after Gov. Greg Abbott’s statewide mask mandate expires next week, state education officials confirmed Wednesday. “Under this updated guidance, a public school system’s current practices on masks may continue unchanged,” the Texas Education Agency said in a statement. “Local school boards have full authority to determine their local mask policy.” (Carpenter, 3/3)
