Face Coverings Must Be Worn By Shoppers In Rockville Fresh Market

ROCKVILLE, MD — The Fresh Market, an upscale grocery store chain with four Maryland locations including in Rockville, will require customers to wear face coverings due to the new coronavirus outbreak. The requirement is already in effect for workers and customers will need to wear face coverings starting Tuesday, April 14.

The grocery store chain cited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation for wearing face coverings in public places where social distancing is difficult to maintain. Fran Phillips, Maryland's deputy secretary for public health services, said the public should reserve N95 masks for health care workers and asked residents to wear a homemade or cloth mask if they must go out.

Fresh Market stores have taken other measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other illness. Stores limiting the number of customers allowed inside at one time. Adjusted store hours are 8 am. to 9 p.m. daily, and the 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. hour is reserved for seniors and other high-risk individuals. Stores have signage about social distancing measures and have installed plexiglass shields at the checkout lanes with contactless credit card payments. Cashiers have been provided with gloves, and workers are instructed to regularly disinfect high touch areas.

In select areas, stores are limiting quantities of high-demand items that customers can purchase, such as paper products, disinfectants, milk and eggs.

Fresh Market joins other grocery store chains in implementing changes in response to COVID-19 illness. The chain has locations in Maryland at 2504 Solomons Island Rd. in Annapolis; 2510 Quarry Lake Dr. in Baltimore; 1649 Rockville Pike in Rockville; and 838 Dulaney Valley Rd. in Towson.

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