Walmart drops mask mandate for vaccinated employees

the latest wave of covid cases brought on by the american variant seems to be subsiding. Which has many states rolling back indoor mask mandates including new york state where Governor Kathy Hotel has now rolled back those very mandates. It's a move in opposition to the C. D. C. Which says that wearing masks indoors is still very much a good idea. And President biden seems to agree in a recent interview with NBC News. He said quote the science is saying now masks work masks make a difference adding. I committed that I would follow the science. The science is put forward by the CDC and the federal people. I think it's probably premature to end mask mandates but it's a tough call. As mentioned previously. The vaccine resistant omicron variant was the cause of perhaps the biggest wave of covid cases in the U. S. To date. However, it was a wave that ramped up and burned out in only around a month's time biden went on to say if case numbers begin to jump, he's confident those governors could once again change their minds

Walmart updated its COVID-19 policy for U.S. associates Friday, dropping its mask mandate and COVID-19 sick leave policy, the company announced in a memo viewed by CNN Business.The nation's largest private retailer announced the changes as several U.S. states, from New York to California, issued their own plans to lift indoor mask mandates as Omicron cases decline.Fully vaccinated Walmart associates will no longer be required to wear masks unless required by the state or local governments. Unvaccinated employees and those who work in clinical care settings, such as pharmacies, will be required to keep wearing them.Walmart also is dropping a sick pay policy it had put in place for COVID-19, which gave associates extra paid time off beyond sick leave. The emergency leave policy will end in March, unless required by the state or local government.The company also is phasing out daily health screenings, except for workers in California, New York and Virginia, where they are a state requirement.The Wall Street Journal first reported the company's policy change.After relaxing mask rules for vaccinated employees last spring, the company reinstated them in July as cases from the Delta variant rose. It reimplemented mask requirements in December as COVID cases rose amid the Omicron variant surge. Walmart, which employs 1.6 million people in the U.S., was one of the first large retailers to start mandating masks in 2020.Earlier this week, Amazon also announced it was relaxing its mask rules for fully vaccinated employees. It will no longer require masks inside warehouses and restricted COVID-19 paid leave for unvaccinated employees.

Walmart updated its COVID-19 policy for U.S. associates Friday, dropping its mask mandate and COVID-19 sick leave policy, the company announced in a memo viewed by CNN Business.

The nation's largest private retailer announced the changes as several U.S. states, from New York to California, issued their own plans to lift indoor mask mandates as Omicron cases decline.

Fully vaccinated Walmart associates will no longer be required to wear masks unless required by the state or local governments. Unvaccinated employees and those who work in clinical care settings, such as pharmacies, will be required to keep wearing them.

Walmart also is dropping a sick pay policy it had put in place for COVID-19, which gave associates extra paid time off beyond sick leave. The emergency leave policy will end in March, unless required by the state or local government.

The company also is phasing out daily health screenings, except for workers in California, New York and Virginia, where they are a state requirement.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the company's policy change.

After relaxing mask rules for vaccinated employees last spring, the company reinstated them in July as cases from the Delta variant rose. It reimplemented mask requirements in December as COVID cases rose amid the Omicron variant surge. Walmart, which employs 1.6 million people in the U.S., was one of the first large retailers to start mandating masks in 2020.

Earlier this week, Amazon also announced it was relaxing its mask rules for fully vaccinated employees. It will no longer require masks inside warehouses and restricted COVID-19 paid leave for unvaccinated employees.

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