Starbucks Canada announced today that it will require customers to wear facial coverings while visiting all company-owned café locations in Canada beginning Sept. 14.
In a release, the company stated that it was implementing the new mask policy, "In its continued commitment to prioritizing the health and well-being of partners (employees) and customers, and to control the spread of COVID-19."
At select locations where a local government mandate is not in place, customers that may not be wearing a facial covering will have various options to order their Starbucks:
- Drive-thru
- Curbside pickup through the Starbucks app
- Placing an order for delivery through Starbucks Delivers
The company adds that it is committed to playing a constructive role in supporting health and government officials as they work to mitigate the spread of COVID-19: "All decisions are grounded in partner and customer care and safety, based on facts and science, and communicated with transparency."
COVID-19 is spread by respiratory droplets when a person who is sick coughs or sneezes. It can also be spread when a healthy person touches an object or surface (e.g. a doorknob or a table) with the virus on it, and then touches their mouth, nose or eyes before washing their hands. Most people who get COVID-19 have only mild disease, but a few people can get very sick and may need to go to hospital. The symptoms of COVID-19 may include fatigue, loss of appetite, fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, loss of smell and/or diarrhea.
