A worker at the Whole Foods store in Burnaby’s Brentwood area has tested positive for COVID-19.
The news has left at least one co-worker feeling nervous due to what they called a lack of details provided to staff by management.
A Burnaby Whole Foods employee contacted the NOW about their co-worker’s positive test and their concerns that staff weren’t told more.
“The leadership told everyone in the store that they won’t say who has it or which department they are in,” said the employee, whose name has been withheld by the NOW due to concerns about being disciplined for speaking up. “All the team members are really scared.”
The employee who contacted the NOW says they are now afraid to go back to work.
When contacted by the NOW , Whole Foods confirmed via email that a “Team Member in our Burnaby store has been diagnosed with COVID-19,” adding that the company wasn’t going to share more details “out of respect for the privacy of our Team Members,” including the date of the positive test.
The company did issue a statement.
“The safety of our Team Members and customers is our top priority and we are diligently following all guidance from local health and food safety authorities,” said Whole Foods. “We’ve been working closely with our store Team Members, and are supporting the diagnosed Team Member, who is in quarantine. Out of an abundance of caution, the store has performed a professional deep cleaning and disinfection, on top of our current enhanced sanitation measures. All Whole Foods Market stores continue to operate under social distancing and crowd control measures. Additionally, we have installed Plexiglass barriers at check out, are requiring temperature checks and face masks for anyone working in our stores, and have implemented enhanced daily cleanliness and disinfection protocols in all of our stores.
“Any time we learn of a presumed or confirmed diagnosis in any of our stores, we activate a set plan to protect the privacy of the impacted person while also mitigating any potential risks to our Team Members and customers," the statement also said. "That plan includes comprehensive cleaning, contact tracing and a formal notification processes for those working in our stores. Any Team Member with a positive or presumed positive diagnosis is provided with up to two weeks paid time off, as are any Team Members asked to quarantine. There is no higher priority for us than ensuring the health and safety of our Team Members and customers.”
Whole Foods stores in Canada do request that customers wear face coverings and it provides masks for any customer who does not have a face covering.
