More Buffalo City shops close as retail workers test positive

More retail stores in the Buffalo City metro temporarily closed their doors on Wednesday after staff members tested positive for Covid-19.

Store closures have now become a daily occurrence in the Eastern Cape as the virus tightens its grip on the province.  

OK Foods in Cambridge, East London, was closed on Wednesday afternoon, the store confirmed.

The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) and the health department were informed of an employee’s positive status, prompting decontamination, sanitising and deep cleaning before the store reopened, after inspection.

“All protocols as per the department of health have been followed,” read a statement that the store said was from the OK franchise division.

According to the statement, the employee in question was last at the store on May 8 and was currently recovering in quarantine.

Speaking to the DispatchLIVE on Wednesday, the employee said: “I can’t talk to you at the moment. There is a lot I am processing. This thing is irritating me. I will talk when I am ready.”

All employees at the store have been screened, and further screenings will take place on Friday.

Provincial health spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said Shoprite stores were closed in King William’s Town and East London for decontamination after workers tested positive for the virus. DispatchLIVE understands that the King William’s Town store was a Checkers.

“This [decontamination] was done with the help with environmental health practitioners. There was initially no easy way to have the King William’s Town workers quarantined and tested but later a solution was found,” he said.

Shoprite Group told DispatchLIVE in terms of patient confidentiality it could not provide details on specific cases.

“Since the start of the coronavirus outbreak the Shoprite Group has proactively acted to safeguard our employees and customers and we will continue to do everything in our power to protect their wellbeing and health.”

The Shoprite Group is in the process of issuing each of its employees with two fabric masks in line with the updated Disaster Management Act regulations.

Spar Eastern Cape MD Angelo Swartz said they had decided to close SuperSpar Nicks Food in King William’s Town from Wednesday until the end of May after having one confirmed positive case for Covid-19.

The closure will allow for a decontamination process to take place.

“We will reopen refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to serve. The affected staff member and those people she was in direct contact with have already been isolated and placed in quarantine,” Swartz said.

He said they were not willing to risk the health of their customers and staff.

“The wellbeing of staff and customers remains our number one priority and, in this regard, we have, of our own volition, decided to temporarily close our store for two weeks as an extra precaution."