Employees of major grocery stores operating across British Columbia have tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) recently, including several in Metro Vancouver.
Newly-announced cases reflect affected workers from stores in the Lower Mainland in Vancouver, Coquitlam, and Surrey. Additional cases have been listed elsewhere in the province in the Okanagan and on Vancouver Island.
Sobeys, Inc, the parent company of Safeway has indicated on its case tracker that an employee working at one of its Vancouver stores has tested positive for the virus. The affected store is as follows:
- Safeway, 3410 Kingsway, Vancouver: The last day the team member worked was on Dec. 10.
Sobeys has also confirmed a second employee at its Thrifty Foods location in Mill Bay has tested positive.
Loblaw Companies Ltd, the parent company of Real Canadian Superstore provided updates to its COVID-19 employee case listings on Dec. 16, indicating cases at the following store locations in Metro Vancouver:
- Real Canadian Superstore, 3000 Lougheed Hwy, Coquitlam: The last day the team member worked was on Dec. 12.
- Real Canadian Superstore, 14650 104th Ave., Surrey: The last day the team member worked was on Dec. 9.
In addition to the new cases in Metro Vancouver, both in the Fraser Health region, Loblaw confirmed Dec. 16 a store worker employed at the Superstore at 3020 Louie Drive in West Kelowna has tested positive for COVID-19.
None of the stores above are considered COVID-19 public exposure locations by local health authorities.
First COVID-19 vaccines administered in British Columbia
On Tuesday, the first doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine were administered in B.C. at two facilities, one each in Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health. The first recipients to get the vaccine in both health authorities were women who work in the healthcare industry.
"I have seen first-hand what COVID-19 does to families, and I am hopeful we are getting closer to finally reaching the end of this pandemic, so people can reunite safely with their loved ones and put this behind us," said Nisha Yunus, the 64-year-old residential care aid from the Vancouver Coastal Health region who was the first in the province to be vaccinated.
According to the results of a recently-released national survey, 48 per cent of Canadians say they will take the COVID-19 vaccine once it becomes available to them.
B.C. Premier John Horgan said last week he is willing to roll up his sleeve to receive the vaccination if it bolsters public confidence in the science behind it.
With files from Rob Brown, Stefan Labbé, and Elana Shepert
