Face masks are mandatory at Walmart, Target and a growing number of retailers. President Donald Trump, who long resisted being photographed in a mask, now encourages the public to wear them and said he carries one with him.
But for U.S. banks, widespread adoption has been trickier. The small pieces of cloth public-health officials consider one of the best defenses against the growing coronavirus threat could double as a handy disguise for would-be bank robbers, they worry.
Face-mask requirements “create the very real risk of increases in bank robberies,” a top financial regulator said recently.
Banks generally prohibit customers entering their branches from wearing items that could shield their identities. No hoodies or sunglasses. Masks have been a big no-no.
“Wearing a mask at any businesses, especially a bank, just a few months ago would have raised a lot of eyebrows,” said Richard Hunt, president of the Consumer Banks Association.