Walmart no longer requires masks for vaccinated U.S. workers

[February 12, 2022]  (Reuters) - Walmart Inc informed staff on Friday that fully vaccinated workers in the United States will no longer be required to wear masks in the company's facilities, effective immediately, unless required by a state or local mandate.

The retailer, in an internal memo, added that workers who work in clinical care settings like health clinics and pharmacies, with direct customer contact, will be required to wear masks, regardless of vaccination status.

The company also said that except for workers in California, New York and Virginia, a daily health screening will no longer be required either as of the end of this month.

Walmart's move comes after Amazon.com Inc said on Thursday that fully vaccinated operations staff at its U.S. warehouses could work without a mask starting Friday as local regulations allow.

(Reporting by Juby Babu and Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Sandra Maler)

[© 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

  This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.