2 grocers report positive COVID cases at local stores. Health department silent on details
Two local grocery stores have reported new cases of COVID-19 among workers.
Safeway reported Wednesday that one worker at its store at 1112 S. M St. in Tacoma has a confirmed case of COVID-19. The Fred Meyer store at 1201 Valley Ave. E. in Sumner also has at least one employee with a positive case, company officials said.
The two grocers joined a growing list of Pierce County businesses dealing with the coronavirus.
Dr. Anthony Chen, director of the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, said Wednesday during a COVID-19 business resources call that the department worked with around 20 businesses over the weekend.
“It is just spreading everywhere. Every day I see how many businesses that we’re helping with their investigations. ... Restaurants, coffee shops, hardware stores, shipping companies, warehouses, doctor’s offices. You name a business, and we’ve been working with them,” Chen said during the call.
Getting information on specific business outbreaks can be difficult because the health department does not disclose the names of businesses with outbreaks unless the business has 30 or more employees and 10 or more positive cases.
That follows similar guidelines the department uses in reporting and naming long-term care sites involved in outbreaks (sites with 30 or more beds and 10 or more cases).
On Wednesday, the department would not share details with The News Tribune on the Fred Meyer and Safeway cases.
Those cases “don’t meet the standard we use to release information about a specific business,” said Dale Phelps, who leads communications for the department’s COVID-19 response team.
The News Tribune first received notification about the grocery store cases from anonymous tips, later confirmed by representatives for the grocers.
The Safeway on M Street
The associate with the confirmed case has not worked at the Tacoma store since July 13, according to Tairsa Cate Worman, public affairs manager of communications for Safeway.
“That associate is now receiving medical care. Following CDC guidelines, our Crisis Response Team may recommend that additional members of the store team self-quarantine,” Worman told The News Tribune in response to questions via email.
“These employees will be eligible to receive up to 14 days’ quarantine pay.”
The store “has been through multiple cycles of our enhanced cleaning, sanitizing and/or disinfecting process since that day,” she wrote. “The store will remain open, and we will continue to follow an enhanced cleaning, sanitizing and/or disinfecting process in every department.
“We have reaffirmed with all associates that they need to wash hands and disinfect check stands every hour and to practice social distancing. We have also reminded them that if they develop a fever and symptoms of respiratory illness, such as a cough or shortness of breath, stay home and call their healthcare provider right away.”
Fred Meyer in Sumner
The Fred Meyer in Sumner has had at least one confirmed COVID-19 case among its workers, according to Jeffery Temple, director of corporate affairs for Fred Meyer.
In an emailed response to questions, Temple wrote: “Two associates out of the Sumner store’s total 300 associates have claimed to be positive for COVID-19, although we have only received the test results for one. Both have been self-quarantining in alignment with the company’s Emergency Leave Guidelines. The store has had a professional third party sanitation company provide deep cleaning on July 17 and July 19.”
In addition to temperature and symptom checks before shifts, Temple wrote, COVID-19 testing is provided for associates who have been recommended for quarantine by the county health department.
He added, “We are in communication with our associates that have tested positive to assist in their needs.”
Limited information on outbreaks
The health department lists the number of outbreaks weekly on its COVID-19 data tracker. Those are defined by two or more cases reported at any site. For the week ending July 17, it lists 11, down from 13 the week before.
“We work with any business when contact tracing leads us there because of a positive COVID-19 case,” Phelps said via email. “Safe Start guidelines require businesses to notify us when they have two or more cases or a concern that COVID could be spreading.”
Finding out if a business had or is in the midst of an outbreak was a topic during Wednesday’s regular COVID-19 Resource and Information call hosted by The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County.
Chen was asked how the public could get more information on outbreaks at local businesses.
“That’s information we don’t divulge. You know, we work in public health ... people have to trust us,” Chen said. “We need them to know that it is confidential, and we need them to allow us to work with them.”
He went on to note that while The News Tribune recently reported on four restaurants that had cases, “it’s a lot more than four.”
This story was originally published July 23, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
