MINNEAPOLIS — Editor's note: The video above is from July 28, 2021.
Target will once again require masks for employees and "strongly recommend" them for shoppers in some areas, the Minnesota-based retail giant announced Monday.
The decision follows recent CDC guidelines around the spread of the more contagious delta variant of the coronavirus. The CDC recommended that even vaccinated people mask up indoors in counties where COVID-19 transmission levels are considered high or substantial.
Based on that guidance, Target said face coverings will be required for employees in those areas — and "strongly" recommended for shoppers — starting Tuesday.
"We’ll follow all local mandates, as we have throughout the pandemic, and continue to monitor guidance from the CDC closely," an online statement from Target reads.
In lower-risk areas, Target said it will continue to recommend masks for unvaccinated shoppers and employees. It also plans to continue other measures like sanitization and social distancing.
Areas considered to have high or substantial levels of COVID-19 spread can be found in the CDC's county-by-county online data tracker. The color-coded map uses orange to show substantial transmission and red to show high transmission.