The Fresh Market now requires face coverings for shoppers

Starting this week, The Fresh Market is requiring shoppers to wear face coverings to protect against coronavirus.

“Please be sure before you enter our stores to have a face covering. This new protocol is in accordance with the CDC’s latest recommendations,” the company said in a news release.

The company says hands should be washed or sanitized before putting on the face covering. The covering itself should fit snugly and include multiple layers of fabric. When removing your face covering, always grab it by the straps, not the mouth area.

Additional safety measures and preventive steps The Fresh Market has taken include:

Store hours from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week.

On weekdays the first shopping hour of 8-9 a.m. will be reserved for seniors and other individuals most at risk as identified by the CDC.

The Fresh Market has worked diligently with suppliers to mitigate any disruption to food deliveries.

The company continues to reinforce the enhanced cleaning and disinfection protocols throughout stores, including designating team members to routinely disinfect high touch point areas.

Social distancing guidelines have been posted in stores. The company has installed plexiglass shields at the checkout lane and implemented contactless credit card payments. “We are also providing gloves for all cashiers as well as those who already wear gloves for food preparation. We always encourage team members to diligently wash their hands, but we also have scheduled hand washing.”

For added safety, stores are also limiting the number of guests allowed in at one time.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently updated its guidance regarding face masks, recommending that people wear cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

In light of this guidance, our store teams are now required to wear cloth face coverings as we work to secure a steady supply of masks to provide to employees. If you would like to make your own face coverings, you can find simple instructions on the CDC website.

“We are reviewing additional personal protection decisions on a daily basis, as guidance from the health authorities evolves.”