Are shoppers free to enter Aldi stores without a mask? No, that's not true: According to the grocery company, face coverings are required to enter its stores.
The claim appeared as a meme in a post (archived here) shared on Facebook on July 27, 2020. The post started with the introduction "ALDI showing great common sense and a love for humanity. You have my vote! I've received a quick response from the appropriate department." This was followed by a purported statement from the grocery chain that read:
We wish to advise that ALDI has taken the stance that it is not up to our staff to enforce the law as this is the job of the police. Therefore, ALDI does not have the wearing of face masks as a condition of entry to the store. This means that if peple enter our stores without wearing a face mask, this is at their own risk and they won't be stopped or asked to leave, etc.
I hope this information helps.
Thank you,
Gefferson
ALDI Customer Service
This is what the post looked like at the time of writing:
(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Thu Jul 30 17:47:40 2020 UTC)
An official statement from Aldi contradicts the post's claim.
On July 17, 2020, the company issued a statement outlining its new face covering policy. This is what it said:
The health and safety of our employees, customers and the communities we serve will always be our highest priority. With that focus in mind, effective July 27, face coverings will be required to enter ALDI stores.
The grocery chain encouraged those shoppers either unable or unwilling to wear a mask to visit its website to place an order for grocery delivery or curbside pickup.
Aldi joins a growing list of companies requiring shoppers to wear masks in stores. Lead Stories has covered some myths surrounding those companies and their policies.
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