San Diego, CA (KGTV)- You might be turned away on your next grocery run if you are not wearing a facial covering.
Vons, Albertsons and Gelson's are now requiring all customers to have a facial covering on before entering the grocery stores.
Sprouts in Chula Vista and East Lake will implement the same requirement starting Saturday.
In Point Loma, Jensen's Foods will also make facial coverings madatory for customers.
"They can make it out of anything, cloth, a bandana," said owner of Jensen's Foods, Adam Zack. "It's just another barrier to protect our employees and customers."
Zack spent Friday morning making signs and putting them up around his store letting customers know they'll need a covering starting Saturday.
"I do have some disposables, so I'll probably give some disposables away and let them know the next time they're going to have to have a mask," he explained. "My responsibility is my employees, so if it's one more thing we can do to protect them, that's my number one concern."
He has made many safety changes in the store and said the customers and employees have been responding well.
"I thank them for their understanding because they've just been great," said Zack. "They know that we're not doing anything to inconvenience them, we're just trying to protect them the best that we can."
San Diego County strongly recommends that members of the general public wear facial coverings when out on essential trips, but it is not required.
Todd Walter, the president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 135, said other grocery chains have been willing to talk and negotiate to ramp up safety efforts because of the coronavirus.
Walter said he hopes more businesses will follow suit and require customers to wear facial coverings.
Employees of essential businesses including gas stations, grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants and convenience stores are required to wear facial coverings.
The county extended that requirement to include public transportation workers, childcare providers when serving food and bank employees.
San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher said the revised order will go into effect Monday at midnight.
