Starbucks is making masks and face coverings optional for vaccinated customers from Monday.
The coffee giant is the first to update its mask rules after the (CDC) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new masking guidelines.
Masks will still be necessary at locations where state or local regulations mandate them.
“Masks will be optional for vaccinated customers starting May 17, Monday, unless state regulations require them by law,” Starbucks wrote on its website. “As we continue to ensure the well-being and health of our customers and partners, our washrooms usually remain temporarily closed to the customers in stores where the cafe seating is unavailable.”
The CDC announced Thursday that fully vaccinated Americans no longer need to wear masks outdoors and don’t have to wear masks indoors, also in crowded spaces.
But private businesses can still need face coverings, which most of the country’s largest retailers began mandating last summer. There are other exceptions when the CDC recommends masks such as in transportation hubs such as stations and airports, health care settings, planes and public transportation.
Walmart, Costco, Trader Joe’s, Publix and Sam’s Club were among the first to announce updates to mask requirements Friday.
Mask compliance has started conversations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic after Americans received mixed reactions from authorities early on over whether they should wear masks in public places.
A yoga instructor, Amber Gilles, accused Starbucks barista Lenin Gutierrez of declining her service for not wearing a mask in June 2020. Gilles posted his picture on Facebook, and “Tips for Lenin”, a GoFundMe campaign was created that collected more than $100,000.
