No mask no entry for ALL Kmart, Bunnings and Woolworths in Melbourne as state is hit with a record 484 new coronavirus cases
- Retailers in Melbourne will establish a 'no mask no entry' rule on Thursday
- Bunnings, Woolworths, Kmart and Myer are among the stores enforcing the rule
- Masks will be mandatory outdoors in Melbourne from Wednesday midnight
- Victoria reported a record 484 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday
Melbourne retailers will enforce a 'no mask no entry' rule after Victoria reported a record 484 new coronavirus cases.
Wearing a mask in public will be mandatory for all residents in Metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire from midnight on Wednesday.
Major stores such as Kmart, Bunnings, Woolworths and Target will refuse entry to shoppers who are not wearing the protective equipment from Thursday onwards.
Retailers in Melbourne including Bunnings (pictured), Officeworks and Target will refuse entry to customers who are not wearing protective facemasks from Thursday onwards
Kmart (pictured) will be among the retailers enforcing the new rule after it becomes mandatory for residents to wear a facemask in Melbourne after midnight on Wednesday
Bunnings General Operations Manager, Ryan Baker, said the hardware chain would require all customers to wear a mask to be permitted entry to Melbourne stores.
'We now require that all team members in our Victorian stores, distribution centres and trade centres wear face masks.
'And from Thursday we will require that customers and suppliers wear a face mask or covering as a condition of entry to a Bunnings store or trade centre,' Mr Baker told Daily Mail Australia.
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Kmart has also said shoppers would be denied entry if they failed to comply with the new Victorian Government regulations.
'As always, our focus continues to be the health and wellbeing of our customers and team members.
'To help protect our community, our friendly team members will remind those customers from Thursday that are not wearing a face covering to do so before shopping with us,' a Kmart spokesperson said.
A Woolworths spokesperson said the supermarket giant expected all of its customers to wear a mask.
'The safety and wellbeing of our customers and team members is our top priority.
Woolworths supermarkets (pictured) expect both their staff and customers to wear masks
'From tomorrow, we expect customers entering our stores in Melbourne and Mitchell Shire to wear a face-covering as per the Victorian Government's directive.
'This policy has been agreed upon through the Supermarket Taskforce and is consistent with other major retailers,' the spokesperson said.
Woolworths staff will also be required to wear facemasks.
Coles supermarkets do not plan to enforce the mandatory mask rule for customers but will require all staff members to wear the protective equipment.
'We will take the advice of state government health experts on the further use of masks in stores,' a Coles spokesperson said.
Other retailers that will deny entry for shoppers without a mask include Officeworks, JB Hi-Fi, David Jones and Myer.
Anyone found outside in Melbourne not covering their face could risk a $200 fine.
Exemptions include people aged under 12 and those with a serious skin or medical condition such as asthma.
Masks do not have to be worn while conducting strenuous exercise but must be put on when the exercise is finished.
Of Victoria's 484 new cases, 97 are connected to known and contained outbreaks while 387 remain under investigation.
The state's death toll has hit 44 and there are 205 Victorians in hospital.
Melbourne recorded a staggering 484 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday and prompted retailers such as JB Hi-Fi (pictured) to demand each customer wears a mask
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