Employees at grocery stores operating in Vancouver, Surrey, and the Fraser Valley have recently tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
Loblaw Companies Ltd, the parent company of the Your Independent Grocer chain provided updates to its COVID-19 employee case listings on Jan. 7, indicating the following affected store:
- Kerr Your Independent Grocer, 7190 Kerr Street, Vancouver: The last day the team member worked was on Jan. 4.
Previously, on Jan. 6, Loblaw listed a new employee coronavirus case at The Real Canadian Superstore on No. 3 Road in Richmond, and on Jan. 5 the company added the Superstore at 8195 120th St in North Delta to the list. Both employees at the two stores last worked Dec. 31.
Other Loblaw-owned stores operating in Vancouver with recent new team member virus infections include the following:
- Real Canadian Superstore, 350 S.E. Marine Drive, Vancouver: The last day the team member worked was on Dec. 30.
- Alfie's NOFRILLS, 1688 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver: The last day each of the two COVID-19 positive team members worked was on Dec. 30 and 31.
None of the stores are considered public exposure sites by Vancouver Coastal Health or Fraser Health.
Sobeys, Inc., parent company of familiar local grocery store chains Safeway, Thrifty Foods, and franchise operation FreshCo, also reports store employee COVID-19 test positive cases on its public web portal.
Since the start of January, Sobeys has had store worker cases at locations in Chilliwack, Fort St. John, Kelowna, and Abbotsford. Their franchise discount grocery brand FreshCo has reported a new case as of Jan. 7 at the following Metro Vancouver store:
- FreshCo: 7165 138 St, Surrey. The last day the franchise employee worked was Dec. 27.
The other major grocery chain operating in B.C. that posts store employee COVID-19 test positive cases on a public website is T & T, which is owned by Loblaw. T & T has not had a test-positive case reported by any of its B.C. store employees in the last 14 days, according to the company's website.
One major retailer, Quebec-based home improvement chain RONA, posts store employee COVID-19 cases to its Facebook page. The company has not announced a B.C. store case in several weeks.
