Walmart management is reassuring the public of its COVID-19 safety measures in place after four associates recently tested positive for COVID-19 at its Wallaceburg location on McNaughton Avenue.
Corporate Affairs Manager Felicia Fefer confirmed to Blackburn News that associates who had "close prolonged contact" with the four positive cases were advised to self-isolate.
"We are in contact with local public health," said Fefer.
The Walmart associates who tested positive for COVID-19 last worked on December 31, 2020, January 2, and two of the associates last worked on January 3.
A spokesperson for the Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit confirmed three of the four positive cases Thursday evening, noting that the employees had contracted the virus outside of the workplace, so that is why a "workplace outbreak" was not declared at the store.
Fefer said Walmart locations continue to take measures to support the well-being of customers and associates. Some of those measures include mandatory masks, limiting the number of people allowed in at once, increased cleaning measures, and floor markers to indicate one-way aisles.
The provincial government announced plans on Thursday to have 50 inspectors visit big-box stores in Toronto, Hamilton, Peel, York, and Durham Region over the weekend to ensure that COVID-19 measures are being followed.
"We know most businesses are operating responsibly and taking the necessary steps to protect their workers and customers, and I want to thank them for their efforts," said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. "Where we find an employer who has been acting in bad faith, we won't hesitate to take action by immediately slapping them with a ticket and a fine. There will be real consequences for those who break the rules."
A stay-at-home order in Ontario came into effect as of 12:01 a.m. on January 14.