WASHINGTON — Target announced Monday morning that fully vaccinated customers and employees will no longer need to wear a face mask in its stores, following new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
In an update on its website, Target said it will still follow state and local rules on masks. So if a store is located in a jurisdiction that requires masks indoors, it will apply to that Target location too.
"Face coverings continue to be strongly recommended for guests and team members who are not fully vaccinated and we continue our increased safety and cleaning measures, including social distancing, throughout our stores," the company said in an update posted online.
CVS also updated its mask policy on Monday, posting on its website that "customers who are fully vaccinated are no longer required to wear face coverings inside of our stores, unless it is mandated by state or local regulations."
"Customers who are not fully vaccinated are asked to continue wearing face coverings, and employees are required to do so while at work. Health, safety and science will continue to drive our decision-making process," the company's update online explains.
Target and CVS did not indicate that they plan to ask for any proof of vaccination. The companies now join Trader Joe's, Walmart, Costco and Starbucks in dropping mask mandates for fully vaccinated customers in response to the new CDC guidance.
A person is considered fully vaccinated if it has been two weeks since their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or two weeks after the single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot.
The CDC on Thursday eased mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people, allowing them to stop wearing masks outdoors in crowds and in most indoor settings.
The guidance still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings like buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters, but it will help clear the way for reopening workplaces, schools and other venues — even removing the need for social distancing for those who are fully vaccinated.
Target noted it is currently offering free COVID-19 vaccinate appointments at nearly all CVS at Target locations for guests and employees.