McDonald's will soon require all customers to wear face masks or other face coverings at all of its more than 14,000 U.S. restaurants as cases of COVID-19 surge across the country.

The fast-food giant announced on Friday that it would "ask customers to wear face coverings when entering our US restaurants effective August 1."

The new mask policy is in accordance "with our top priority: protecting the health and well-being of our and our franchisees, employees and customers," according to the company's statement.

McDonald's also said Friday that it is continuing its pause on reopening dining rooms for another 30 days, and will add new protective panels in both customer and employee areas of its restaurants.

Noting that nearly 82 percent of its restaurants are in areas that already require face coverings, McDonald's USA President Joe Erlinger and Mark Salebra, chair of the National Franchise Leadership Alliance, said in a statement about the plan that "it's important we protect the safety of all employees and customers."

More states in the nation have required masks in recent weeks as the COVID-19 pandemic has spread to numerous western and southern states. But such requirements have drawn criticism from a minority that has complained of having their liberty suppressed.

"In those situations where a customer declines to wear a face covering, we'll put in place additional procedures to take care of them in a friendly, expedited way," McDonald's said, adding that it will help its employees get training "to ensure they are prepared to address this new policy in a friendly and positive way."

Customers who come into a McDonald's restaurant without a mask will be offered one by a worker, a McDonald's representative told NPR. If they refuse to wear it, they'll be asked to stand at "a designated pick-up spot a safe distance from other customers," where they'll receive their orders.

McDonald's is the latest U.S. corporate giant to issue mask mandates for its customers, following major restaurant chains and retailers that have announced similar policies, including Starbucks, Panera Bread, Walmart, and Kroger.

Earlier this month, Starbucks and Panera Bread became some of the first large national restaurant chains to require face masks.

The U.S. now has more than four million confirmed coronavirus cases. One million infections were diagnosed in just over two weeks, according to U.S. media.