Boise-area grocery stores for months required masks. CDC just gave new guidance.

There’s no early indication that Treasure Valley grocery stores will once again require customers to wear masks, following the new recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A Fred Meyer store at 5425 W. Chinden Blvd. in Garden City displayed signs at its entrances Tuesday afternoon telling customers that masks were not required for those entering the store who were vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Inside, most customers were not wearing masks, and only a few employees had them on. Just looking at people, it’s impossible to know who has received the vaccine and who hasn’t.

“The health and safety of our customers and associates is our top priority,” the company said in an email to the Idaho Statesman. “We will continue to monitor the situation, as well as CDC and local mask guidance, and make decisions that put our customers and associates first.”

Other grocery chains contacted by the Statesman did not say whether they would impose mask mandates in the coming days. They included Albertsons, WinCo and Walmart.

On Wednesday, The Record Exchange in downtown Boise announced it will require masks inside the store for all customers and employees.

In a press release, the store at 1105 W. Idaho said the change was in response to the CDC’s guidance, spurred by increases in coronavirus cases due to the spread of the delta variant. The Record Exchange provides masks to customers and has hand sanitizer available. It offers online ordering and curbside delivery for customers who request it.

“The Record Exchange will continue to monitor CDC information and local transmission and vaccination raters and make changes to our shopping guidelines accordingly,” the store wrote.

At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, the CDC said people vaccinated against the coronavirus should begin wearing masks indoors in areas where the virus is surging.

Ada, Canyon, Elmore, Boise, Gem and Valley counties all have substantial or high spread at the moment, according to CDC county-level data. Several counties in North Idaho and the southeastern part of the state, such as Shoshone and Jefferson, have high spread.

On Monday, Idaho recorded more than 600 new COVID-19 cases and five deaths, according to data from the Department of Health and Welfare. Those counts include the weekend.

The current surge is tied to the delta variant. Most new coronavirus infections and hospitalizations have been among people who have not been vaccinated.

Ada County has averaged 75 cases a day over the past seven days — the most in the state — while Canyon County has averaged 32 cases a day, according to a nationwide map compiled by the New York Times.

Sixty percent of Ada County residents, 248,449, have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, according to Central District Health. Only 42% of Canyon County residents have received a vaccination.