Employees at two Kroger owned stores have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Sunday.
One comes from Fred Meyer’s in Washington state on March 5th who is now recovering after testing positive for COVID-19. The other is from Kroger owned King Scoopers in Denver, Colorado on Sunday. Kroger said in a statement the employee at the Colorado store had not been to work since March 6th.
“Upon learning of these cases, we partnered with state and local health experts, followed all sanitation and cleaning procedures, communicated with and supported our store teams, and with the support of the state governments, the stores remain open,” Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen said in the statement. “We will continue to follow guidance from local, state and federal agencies, including the CDC and other health organizations.”
McMullen released the following for all Kroger Co. workers:
- The store is enacting an Emergency Leave Guidelines policy, allowing paid time off for associates diagnosed with COVID-19 and for associates placed under mandatory quarantine by their medical provider or by a public health authority.
- Kroger has been informed by public health officials that a King Soopers associate in Colorado has also tested positive for coronavirus.
- They have immediate positions available across their retail stores, manufacturing plants and distribution centers. Candidates may apply via jobs.kroger.com and may be hired within several days of applying.
Both stores are open for business. On Sunday, new hours went into effect for Kroger; the store will now operate from 7 am to 10 pm at stores in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio.
