The masks are back.
On Monday, major retailers and restaurant chains such as Home Depot Inc. and McDonald’s Corp., said they would require workers to wear masks in many of their stores, restaurants and offices regardless of vaccination status.
Some municipalities and local officials also said Monday they would start to impose new indoor mask mandates on residents in response to new federal health guidelines and rising U.S. Covid-19 cases.
The moves are the clearest signs yet that the coronavirus pandemic continues to be a challenge for U.S. business, and that employers are contending with ramifications of the fast-spreading Delta variant for employees and customers alike.
Last week, Walmart Inc. and Walt Disney Co. said they would mandate vaccines for some of their workers. Other firms delayed office reopening and some that are back open, such as Citigroup Inc., said they would require staff to wear masks inside offices regardless of their vaccination status.