Third retail worker tests positive for COVID-19 – Brantford Expositor

A third case of COVID-19 this week in a retail store was confirmed Friday by the Brant County Health Unit and Walmart, saying an employee at the King George Road store was found to be positive for the virus on Thursday.

Word of the situation spread quickly among employees who were angry they were learning about it from each other, or social media, said one worker who asked not to be identified.

“They’re still open and they’re not doing anything about it,” said the man Thursday evening. “Management has not contacted any staff.”

But, on Friday, acting Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Elizabeth Urbantke, said the person’s test results were only confirmed on Thursday.

“Through our case management as well as through conversations with the store, we have determined that the risk of exposure to the public is low,” Urbantke said Friday afternoon.

“This employee spent minimal time interacting with customers or other employees and was wearing a mask and gloves during any potential exposure period.”

Still, she said, anyone who shopped at the store on July 5, when the employee was last working, and is experiencing either symptoms or concerns, can contact the Brant Community Healthcare System to arrange for testing.

Adam Grachnik, director of corporate affairs for Walmart, said those workers who were identified as being in close, prolonged contact with the affected employee have been directed to self-isolate.

“We also have regular enhanced cleaning in the store and other social distancing measures. We are in contact with public health,” said Grachnik in an email.

Some of the measures at the store include temperature checks for workers at the start of each shift, encouraging hand-washing and cleaning of all work areas, offering gloves and masks for use, cleaning shopping carts and installing Plexiglas dividers in many areas.

The worker who spoke to The Expositor said Friday Walmart management was gathering staff in small groups to speak to them about the affected worker.

“The problem is there are a lot of staff that do not distance themselves in the lunchroom. And if they did not have a temperature (at the beginning of their shift) they could grab a mask from the box and contaminate all the masks being handed out.”

Walmart’s Grachnik said the store is remaining in contact with its worker and wishes them a speedy recovery.

Walmart is the third retail employee found with COVID-19 this week. Last weekend, a Lowe’s worker and a Burford LCBO worker also tested positive.

It brings the local numbers to a total of 125 confirmed cases with just two known active cases in Brantford-Brant. The case from the Burford LCBO comes under the mandate of Halton region where the employee lives.

Urbantke said there have been no further positive test results from anyone associated with those two cases.

The MOH also addressed some of the negative feedback she has heard about the proposed mandatory face covering bylaw.

“There have been questions from our community about why a face-covering bylaw would be enacted now, with our case numbers so low,” Urbantke said.

“Early in our response, public health guidance was largely centred on asking people to only leave their homes for essential trips.

“With Stage 2 well underway, we’ve moved into a period where staying home and limited social interactions are no longer the expectation.”

Urbantke said Brantford-Brant is “under fairly good control” but it doesn’t mean the virus is gone.

“The more businesses that open up, the more potential there is for interaction with each other. What will get us through is good hand-washing, respiratory etiquette, staying home if you’re sick and wearing a face covering.”

She said the health unit will be looking at concerns about ensuring equal access to face coverings for all and to ensure vulnerable people are not left out.

“We’re not saying face masks have to be worn all the time, just in indoor public spaces where it’s hard to physically distance.

“If we can prevent the spread of one case, isn’t it worth it?”

The doctor also said the health unit continues to watch for “unintended consequences” of the pandemic restrictions that have been put in place, such as mental health issues, a lack of physical activity for kids and opioid use.

“We’ve been monitoring opioid use and found the numbers stable over the past two months. In fact, they’re lower than last year.”
Urbantke said the health unit will be looking at numerous health indicators and comparing them to previous years.

Beginning next week, the ongoing media briefings offered by the MOH will be cut to once a week on Tuesdays. The health unit expressed thanks to all the media partners who have helped get critical messages out to the community.

Brantford and Brant County’s numbers of a total of 125 cases, which include four cases that ended in death, don’t include Six Nations, where there have been 14 confirmed cases and one death, or New Credit, where there was one case.

Additional stats show a total of 14,109 tests have been done in this area, 10,040 of them at the assessment centre at the Brantford General Hospital and another 4,069 done in congregate living settings like long-term care homes, homeless shelters and group homes.

The daily statistics also show that 72 per cent of the cases have been either part of an outbreak or associated with the person being in close contact of a case that was later confirmed positive for the virus.

Another 16 per cent of cases have been community spread, 11.2 per cent are travel related and just one case is still pending categorization.

Currently 56 per cent of the area’s cases are female and 44 per cent male. The highest age bracket of cases is still 40-59 (46 cases), followed by people 20-39 (39 cases).

SGamble@postmedia.com

@EXPSGamble