LONDON, ONT. – Walmart Canada has confirmed that three of its employees at its north-west London location have tested positive for COVID-19.
“Three employees at our Walmart London North Supercentre (1280 Fanshawe Park Rd. W.) have recently tested positive for COVID-19. Our thoughts are with the staff and we continue to wish them a speedy recovery,” spokesman Adam Grachnik said in a statement.
One of the employees was last in business on September 15th, another on September 13th and the third on September 6th.
Grachnik says the store has undergone a thorough cleaning and staff who may have been in close contact are in self-isolation.
The Middlesex-London Health Unit says the staff affected all worked in the checkout area and customers may have been exposed to a low-risk virus.
Officials are recommending both staff and customers to monitor themselves for symptoms. The health department is also urging those who don’t have symptoms not to get tested at an assessment center.
Grachnik said safety remains the top priority and certain measures have been taken, including:
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Increased cleaning throughout the store.
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Health checks, which include a temperature check for all employees at the start of each shift.
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Limiting the number of customers shopping in the store at the same time.
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Clean shopping cart.
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Encourage regular hand washing.
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Regular cleaning of the work areas (including cash registers).
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Installed Plexiglas partitions at checkouts, customer service counters and in our pharmacies.
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Introduction of floor markings and one-way streets to keep distance.
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Mask requirement for customers and employees
“We have contacted these individuals directly and continue to support not only them but their close contacts as we continue our investigation and take the necessary steps to contain further spread,” said Dr. Alex Summers, Associate Medical Officer of Health with the MLHU.
“We know this news could be a cause for concern, particularly as we’ve seen a spike in local cases this week, but it’s also an important reminder of the steps we can all take to stop the spread of COVID-19 prevent it.” We all have to do our part.”
