You will need to wear a mask if you going shopping at Costco starting Monday.
It's a step up from the strong urging the big box store has been giving customers in answer to the COVID 19 pandemic and comes as B.C. - including the northern region - has seen a sharp rise in the number of cases.
According to a sign posted at the entrance to the Prince George location, the masks will have to cover your mouth and nose at all times and if you can't wear a mask due to a medical condition, you will need to wear a face shield. Only children under two will be exempt.
Prince George Chamber of Commerce executive director Todd Corrigall expressed a measure of support for the move saying the organization which advocates on behalf of local businesses is "supportive of masks" particularly in retail stores.
Keeping a lid on the spread of the virus while we wait for a vaccine is good for business, he said.
"If we're still a year or more away from the vaccine being in such widespread use that we don't need to have a strong level of concern and masks get us there, it's a pretty simple fix," he said. "I mean there is probably a way at the federal level to implement a tax credit to mitigate any of those expenses."
Corrigall said he is not aware of any other retail businesses in the city who have made masks and face shields mandatory for customers.
Northern Health has so far been exempt from stringent new regulations the provincial health officer has put in place in the Lower Mainland, but the B.C. Centre for Disease Control reported an unprecedented 50 active cases in northern B.C. on Tuesday.
