Two employees at a Whole Foods Market in East Pasadena have reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus, a few weeks after another employee there tested positive and died, it was reported Wednesday.
Three cases have been confirmed over the last month in text messages sent to Whole Foods employees. The most recent cases have been yet been publicly disclosed by the company.
According to a text message sent to employees on May 5: “Your location has a confirmed case of COVID-19. Your safety and health is our top priority.''
A second text message sent on May 8 told workers of “an additional confirmed case of COVID-19.''
A third text message was sent on May 19, in which the company informed employees another case of the coronavirus had been confirmed, however, the employee who fell ill had not been at work for more than two weeks.
An email from a company spokesperson confirmed there have been positive tests of employees at the store.
“I can confirm that we have had team members diagnosed positive with COVID-19 at this location,'' the email read. The company did not elaborate on the exact number of cases at the store.
When the company learns of a positive case in their stores, it “activates a swift and comprehensive action plan, which includes contact tracing and a formal notification process for those working in our stores," the spokesperson said.
Any employee who came in close contact with an infected worker, as well as anyone who has tested positive or has a presumptive positive dianosis, are asked to quarantine themselves with up to two weeks of additional paid time off.
An employee who worked at the store previously died on May 8 of coronavirus-related complications, the store said on May 15. Information about the employee's age or whether they had any underlying health conditions was not released at the time.