Starbucks to require customers at company-owned stores to wear masks beginning July 15

Starbucks will require customers at all of its U.S. locations to wear face coverings starting July 15, the company announced Thursday. 

At select locations where local mandates for masks are not in place, customers without face coverings can use Starbucks drive-thrus, curbside pickups or delivery options, according to the statement. 

“The company is committed to playing a constructive role in supporting health and government officials as they work to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” Starbucks said in its statement. 

Officials in several states have ordered mandatory face mask requirements for when residents are in public, including at food and beverage establishments. 

The coffee chain’s new face-covering requirement comes as the number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. continues to rise, driven mainly by spikes in the South and west. 

The U.S has reported more than 3 million COVID-19 cases, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. has reported more cases than any other country, according to the same database.