KITCHENER -- Loblaws-owned T&T Supermarket will require its customers to cover their faces starting next week in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The supermarket chain, which opened a location in Waterloo at the end of 2018, has already been temperature screening its staff. Customers can also be temperature screened before they enter, but it's optional.
The face covering policy will come into effect on May 11.
"Appropriate use of face mask or face covering can reduce the spread of one’s own infectious respiratory droplets," the company says in a post on Instagram.
"Wearing a face mask or face covering is a responsible act for yourself and others."
Most T&T Supermarket shoppers who spoke to CTV Kitchener said that they agreed with the move.
"I don't see the harm in it, because the whole point is to protect other people in case you yourself are an asymptomatic carrier, and so I think there's no harm that can be done by making everybody wear masks," said Sarah Nelson, who was wearing a mask when she came out of the store on Thursday.
"I think the only problem is accessibility, not everybody can buy the masks or make the masks themselves, so I think that's the only difficulty but I'm not against it at all."
Her fellow shopper, Brett Nelson, agreed, saying that the masks serve as a good reminder for shoppers to be safe.
He also suggested it can provide peace of mind for customers.
"I think it's important for us to remember that the pandemic is still going on right, and wearing masks is a good mental reminder that there's still a problem," he said.
"I suppose it does provide a measure of comfort, seeing that other people are wearing masks, because then you know that they are also being careful."
In a news release dated April 20, T&T CEO Tina Lee said the company had also taken measures to protect its staff by providing personal protective equipment.
The stores have also begun selling disposable, non-medical face masks.
"In fact, we have been preparing our face mask inventory for several weeks, but you have not seen them sold in stores until now because we have been donating and prioritizing the needs of our community hospitals and elderly care facilities first," the release reads in part.
The supermarket has committed to donating a million medical masks to Canadian hospitals, including St. Mary's General Hospital and Grand River Hospital.
T&T Supermarket is also offering customers home delivery or "click and collect" options.
T&T is not the first grocery store to require its customers to wear face coverings.
Last week, Longo's, which has a location in Guelph, made it mandatory for all customers to wear masks or coverings in an effort to keep staff and customers alike healthy.
Customers there had mixed reactions to the measures, with some complaining of difficulty breathing through their masks.
