Several more staff members at major grocery and drugstore chains operating in Metro Vancouver have tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
New cases have been announced for people working at stores across the Lower Mainland, including in Vancouver and Surrey.
Loblaw Companies Ltd, the parent company of retailers Shoppers Drug Mart and Real Canadian Superstore provided an update to its COVID-19 employee case listings on Nov. 26.
The affected stores are as follows:
- Real Canadian Superstore, 19851 Willowbrook Drive, Langley: The last day the team members worked were on November 13 and November 16.
- Deepu's No Frills, 12852 96th Ave, Surrey: The last day the team member worked was on November 21.
- Shoppers Drug Mart, 20159 88th Ave, Langley: The last day the team member worked was on November 20.
- Real Canadian Superstore, 7550 King George Blvd., Surrey: The last day the team member worked was on November 17.
- Real Canadian Superstore, 2855 Gladwin Road, Abbotsford: The last day the team members worked were on November 13 and November 16.
Sobeys, Inc, the parent company of Safeway, has indicated on its case tracker that employees at two Metro Vancouver store locations have tested positive recently. The affected stores are as follows:
- Safeway, 700 – 15355 24 Avenue, Surrey: The last day the employee worked was November 17.
- Safeway, 8475 Granville Street, Vancouver: The last day the employee worked was November 19.
None of the store locations are considered public exposure sites by Vancouver Coastal Health or Fraser Health.
New mandatory mask measures in B.C.
On Nov. 19, B.C.'s provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry leveraged the Emergency Act to mandate all staff and customers wear masks at indoor retail outlets.
"In all of our stores, we encourage our colleagues and employees to wear masks, particularly where physical distancing is not always possible," says Loblaw. In fact, at their T&T Supermarket, Real Canadian Superstore, and No Frills stores, the company has mandated that staff and customers wear masks since the summer.
