Some Grocery Stores Continue To Ban Reusable Bags, Despite Low Risk Of COVID-19 Spread Unable to load the audio player. playpausemuteunmute Clare Skeehan holds up her reusable bag she was unable to use on her grocery shopping trip. Alan Mbathi/IPB News The pandemic has led to a lot of confusion about whether it's safe to bring reusable bags into grocery stores. While some stores allow them, others don’t. The science on how the virus spreads has evolved — and some question the need to continue reusable bag bans. The environment has been important to Indianapolis resident Clare Skeehan for a long time. She’s vegetarian, she recycles, and — of course — she always brings her reusable bags to the grocery store.