Employees working in at least 36 different ShopRites in New Jersey have been sickened with the coronavirus, the company says.
Stores across the state have been sharing updates on their Facebook pages when an employee has tested positive for the virus, and five stores have said employees have symptoms consistent with the coronavirus.
In all cases, the sickened employee is no longer working. Close contacts of the employee have been told to self-quarantine for two weeks, and all workspaces used by the employee have been deep cleaned, ShopRite says.
A spokesman for ShopRite previously said they cannot provide the names, schedules or departments of the sickened employees, citing federal health privacy laws.
“It’s important that you know we remain committed to transparency and we think sharing this information with you is the right thing to do. We also feel it’s important to protect the privacy of our hardworking colleagues; should we learn of additional associates who have been affected, we’ll continue to implement the CDC protocols," ShopRite says in their announcements.
Not all ShopRites have Facebook pages, and some that do have not been providing online updates. There are 140 ShopRites around New Jersey.
Wakefern, a member-owned cooperative, owns the ShopRite brand. Fifty different members own and operate ShopRite stores in six different states. Wakefern directly owns and operates 28 stores.
A Wakefern spokesman declined to say if employees at any additional stores had been sickened.
“The safety and well-being of our associates and customers is always our highest priority and we are taking the necessary steps to keep our stores a safe place to work and shop,” the spokesman said in a statement. “All of our associates are working hard throughout this unprecedented national health emergency to replenish shelves, run checkouts and help our shoppers access the fresh foods and vital supplies they need to take care of their loved ones.”
The following stores have announced at least one confirmed case:
- Aberdeen
- Bloomfield
- Brick
- Brooklawn
- Byram
- Carteret
- Clark
- Clinton
- East Windsor
- Englewood
- Fair Lawn
- Flemington
- Garwood
- Howell
- Lincoln Park
- Livingston
- Manahawkin
- Manchester
- Morristown
- New Milford
- Newark
- Newton
- North Bergen
- Northvale
- Oakland
- Old Bridge
- Palisades Park
- Parsippany
- Perth Amboy
- Phillipsburg
- Ramsey
- Spottswood
- Toms River
- Wall
- Wayne
- West Caldwell
Five stores have reported having suspected cases of the virus: Hillside, Little Falls, Bayone, Passaic, and Sparta.
In an effort to reduce the spread, ShopRite has installed Plexiglass shields at checkout, limited the number of shoppers allowed in stores at a time, and reducing service at the fish and meat counters.
ShopRite is not the only grocery store with sickened employees, although they have taken steps to be transparent about employee health. An Acme store in New Providence confirmed an employee was sickened, and has deep cleaned their store.
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Katie Kausch may be reached at kkausch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KatieKausch. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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