Major Retailers Requiring Masks In Arlington Heights: See Who

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — As coronavirus cases and hospitalizations spike throughout the United States, many retailers in and near Arlington Heights and other cities are re-implementing mask mandates to help curb the spread of coronavirus.

New mask requirements come as the highly contagious delta variant continues to sweep across the nation. The variant, which originated in India, now accounts for more than 93 percent of all new cases in the United States, according to data released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Many retailers attribute revised mandates to the CDC’s new mask guidance, which recommends all vaccinated and unvaccinated people wear masks in public indoor settings or when in areas with "substantial" or "high" transmission; however, most stop short of requiring fully vaccinated customers to wear face coverings.

The CDC defines "substantial" transmission as 50 to 99.99 cases per 100,000 people over seven days, while "high" transmission is defined as more than 100 cases per 100,000 during that span.

Here’s a look at which retailers near Arlington Heights now require masks and who should wear them, according to a list compiled by AARP and various news outlets:

ALDI, 550 E Golf Road, Arlington Heights
Who Has To Mask Up: Face coverings are required for unvaccinated customers and employees, and optional for vaccinated customers.

Apple Woodfield, N311 Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg
Who Has To Mask Up: Citing a company memo to employees, Bloomberg reported that Apple reinstituted a mask requirement for shoppers and staff at most of its U.S. retail outlets.

Bed Bath & Beyond, 1700 E Rand Road, Arlington Heights
Who Has To Mask Up: A mask mandate remains in place for shoppers and employees but exempts fully vaccinated customers "in U.S. locations where permitted by local order or law."

CVS, 1700 E Rand Road, Arlington Heights
Who Has To Mask Up: Face coverings are required for employees and customers who are not fully vaccinated, and optional for those who are.

Home Depot, 350 E Kensington Rd, Mount Prospect
Who Has To Mask Up: The retailer issued a mask requirement for "all associates, contractors and vendors" at its U.S. stores. All customers will be asked to wear masks.

Kohl’s, 800 W Dundee Road, Arlington Heights
Who Has To Mask Up: Kohl's requires all employees in counties with a substantial or high risk of transmission to wear masks while in store. The company has also requested that customers in these areas wear masks.

Lowe’s, 990 W Algonquin Road, Arlington Heights,
Who Has To Mask Up: Lowe’s employees are required to wear masks at all locations. Meanwhile, customers are encouraged to also wear masks.

McDonald’s, 1920 N Arlington Heights Road, 15 E Dundee Road, and 45 E Golf Road, Arlington Heights
Who Has To Mask Up: McDonald’s has mandated that all customers and employees wear masks at locations in areas with high or substantial rates of COVID-19 transmission.

Menards, 740 E Rand Road, Mount Prospect
Who Has To Mask Up: Masks are optional for fully vaccinated customers and required for unvaccinated customers.

Nordstrom, 6 Woodfield Shopping Center, Schaumburg
Who Has To Mask Up: The retailer requires face masks where mandated and for those who aren't vaccinated.

Starbucks, 1808 S Arlington Heights Road, 33 S Evergreen Ave., 2964 W Euclid Ave., 115 W Rand Road, and 1700 E Rand Road, Arlington Heights
Who Has To Mask Up: Starbucks “strongly recommends” customers wear facial coverings regardless of vaccination status. Masks are required where mandated by local law or regulation. Starting Aug. 5, all store partners must wear face coverings.

Target, 1700 E Rand Road, Arlington Heights
Who Has To Mask Up: Target requires face coverings for all team members and strongly recommends face coverings for all customers in areas with a substantial or high risk of transmission.

Verizon, 375 E Palatine Road, Arlington Heights
Who Has To Mask Up: The company says masks "may be required" at Verizon locations and that its outlets follow "CDC guidelines and legal requirements.”

Walgreens, 1000 E Northwest Highway, 3 E Golf Road, 235 E Palatine Road, and 1711 W Campbell St., Arlington Heights
Who Has To Mask Up: Employees regardless of vaccination status are required to mask up. Customers and employees who are not vaccinated are asked to continue wearing masks.

Walmart, 1460 Golf Road, Rolling Meadows
Who Has To Mask Up: All employees must wear face coverings regardless of vaccination status. Masks are encouraged for fully vaccinated customers and required for those unvaccinated.

Whole Foods, 750 N Martingale Road, Schaumburg
Who Has To Mask Up: Masks are required for unvaccinated customers and employees. Masks are optional for vaccinated customers and employees.