Employees at several major grocery, drugstore, and home improvement stores in Metro Vancouver have tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19).
Loblaw Companies Ltd, the parent company of Real Canadian Superstore, No Frills, and other local chains, provided updates to its COVID-19 employee case listings on March 9, indicating cases among staff at the following store locations in the Metro Vancouver region:
- Shoppers Drug Mart, 885 West Broadway Vancouver: The last day the team member worked was on March 4
- Real Canadian Superstore, 333 Seymour Blvd., North Vancouver: The last day the team member worked was on March 5
- Shoppers Drug Mart, 8525 River District Crossing, Vancouver: The last day the team member worked was on March 1
While T&T Supermarket is owned by Loblaw, the Canadian Asian grocery chain lists its COVID-19 cases separately on its own site.
On March 9, T&T's case tracker indicated a part-time associate from its Surrey store has tested positive for the virus:
- #101T, 15277-100th Ave, Surrey: The last day the part-time associate worked was March 6.
None of the above stores are considered coronavirus public exposure sites by Fraser Health or Vancouver Coastal Health.
Loblaw joins Sobeys, Inc. (Safeway, FreshCo, Thrifty Foods) as one of a handful of major Canadian retailers that shares employee COVID-19 cases with the public. Outside the grocery and drug store sector, companies like McDonald's Canada and home improvement chain Lowe's Canada provide public listings.
While McDonald's Canada reported March 8 that a restaurant employee at its location Robson and Bidwell in Vancouver had tested positive for the virus, Lowe's reported in early March two store associate cases for retail outfits in Metro Vancouver. Those Lowe's store cases are as follows:
- Lowe’s Vancouver Grandview - 2727 E 12th Avenue, Vancouver: Last workday of the infected associate was March 1
- Dick’s Lumber Surrey - 12433, 80th Avenue, Surrey: Last workday of the infected associate was Feb. 26
While Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health do not consider these sites public exposure locations, the Dick's Lumber in Surrey had been subject to such a listing back in the fall, when a warning was issued to customers who had visited the site anytime during a period of days in late September and early October.
