Virginia ABC: Want your booze? Going to need a mask

Virginia ABC will deny entry to any of its 389 stores to any customer not wearing a mask effective Monday, July 20.

As part of this requirement, ABC will make every attempt to provide a mask to customers who arrive without one.

“Evolving guidance from health officials stresses the importance of face masks as a way of protecting the health and well-being of the communities that we serve,” said CEO Travis Hill. “The vast majority of our customers have followed our direction these last few weeks and consistently wear face masks in our stores; however our no mask, no entry policy is to ensure as safe a shopping experience as feasible. We know that it may not be possible for everyone to wear a face covering. In those cases, we suggest curbside pickup as an alternative to in-store shopping.”

ABC offers curbside pickup for online orders at 370 stores across the commonwealth. After placing an online order at www.abc.virginia.gov, customers can opt for contactless pickup of spirits, Virginia wines and mixers from ABC stores the same day the order is placed, as long as the selected products are available in the store.

Over the last few months, Virginia ABC has implemented safety measures using retailer guidance provided by the Virginia Department of Health and the CDC to include:

• Mandatory use of face masks by store employees
• Plexiglas shields at registers
• Floor markers to ensure customers stand at least 6 feet apart from one another
• Daily cleaning and sanitizing with particular attention to most frequented areas including checkout counters and high-touch surfaces such as door handles and knobs
• Hand sanitizer at registers for customer and employee use

“We’ve worked hard to create a shopping environment that is safe for customers and employees,” said Hill. “We want a bottle to be the only thing you take home from one of our stores.”

Statewide, ABC stores continue to operate on a modified schedule. Last month, stores returned to their normal, prepandemic closing times, but all stores maintain a noon opening time, seven days a week. Customers can check their local store’s adjusted hours by visiting ABC’s store finder page, www.abc.virginia.gov/stores.