Ocean County ShopRite Employee Tests Positive For COVID19

With grocery store workers being part of the "essential personnel" group, they've been stuck on the front line during this pandemic. They've had to interact with the entire public day in and day out, and with that many people, it was just a matter of time before a store announced that an employee tested positive.

In a statement on Facebook, the ShopRite in Manchester said they were implementing CDC protocols to prevent the spread of COVID19 after an employee got sick. Here's the statement:

The impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the community of Manchester has been felt by us all. Many of us know a friend, family member or co-worker who has been affected. The same holds true at ShopRite of Manchester, where a member of our work family – the associates who provide essential services every day – has reported a confirmed case of COVID-19.
You should know that ShopRite is prepared and has implemented the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended protocols to reduce the spread of the virus, including:

· Making sure the diagnosed associate is no longer in the workplace
· Asking colleagues who may have been in close contact with that person to self-quarantine for a period of 14 days
· Implementing deep cleaning procedures including sanitizing all workspaces used by the associate and common areas.
· Taking extra steps to deep clean and sanitize food contact surfaces and high-touch areas throughout all our stores while promoting social distancing and putting up Plexiglas shields to provide a measure of protection to our associates and customers. To learn more about these measures, please visit facts.wakefern.com.

It’s important that you know we remain committed to transparency, and we think sharing this information with you is the right thing to do. We also feel it’s important to protect the privacy of our hardworking colleagues; should we learn of additional associates who have been affected, we’ll continue to implement the CDC protocols.

For nearly 75 years, ShopRite has played an important role during times of crisis and, once again, we see our customers – many of whom are also our friends and neighbors – turning to us for the food and supplies they need. While we can’t predict the evolution of this unpredictable challenge that Manchester is facing, please know we are doing everything we can to protect the health and safety of our associates and customers while continuing to serve the community we all call home.

Be safe when you need to go food shopping! At this point, I'm for doing whatever you have to do, wear a mask, wear gloves, wear a dinosaur costume, sanitize your groceries when you get home, just do anything to stay safe.

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