Walmart Supercentre in Kelowna.

(CARLI BERRY / iNFOnews.ca)

Mask wearing is now requested at Kelowna’s Walmart Supercentre but little is being done to enforce the new policy.

Canadian Walmart policy now states that customers and staff are to wear masks or other forms of face coverings while shopping in stores, and a sign on the doors of Kelowna’s store tips people off to the change.

(CARLI BERRY / iNFOnews.ca)

How far they will go to ensure their policy is enforced however, remains to be seen.

On the first day of the new rule, employees offered masks to those who didn't have them upon entering the building, but no one said anything to customers who removed their masks inside. Customers were also free to walk past the greeters at the front without a mask.

A majority of those in the store Wednesday were, however, wearing masks. Employees throughout the store didn't ask those without masks to cover up, other than at the front entrances.

When asked about how Walmart is enforcing mask use, the Kelowna store manager declined to comment, directing any media requests to Walmart's head office.

"Health Canada has identified that, when worn properly, a person wearing a mask or face covering can reduce the spread of his or her own infectious respiratory droplets," Walmart Canada manager of corporate affairs Felicia Fefer said in an emailed statement.

She said via email that face coverings are already mandated by local governments in more than 60 per cent of the country where Walmarts are located. 

Walmart requires masks to be worn by customers at all of its U.S. stores.

B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has recommended the use of masks but has not mandated them. BC Transit requires passengers to wear masks and Costco implemented a mask-wearing policy while inside its Canadian stores back in May.

READ MORE: Mask wearing to be mandatory on all B.C. Transit buses

Walmart did not immediately respond to requests for comment about enforcing mask use.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Carli Berry or call 250-864-7494 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

News from © iNFOnews, 2020