A worker at a Whole Foods Market location on Market Street in San Francisco has been diagnosed with COVID-19, a company spokesperson confirmed to KQED on Thursday.
The diagnosis marks at least the second confirmed case of a Whole Foods employee in San Francisco coming down with the virus. A worker at the grocery chain’s Stanyan Street location previously tested positive in March. Both stores remain open.
In an emailed statement, the Whole Foods spokesperson said the infected worker at the Market Street location is in quarantine and that the company is following guidance from the CDC, local health and food safety officials.
The Market Street store performed an additional deep cleaning and disinfection on top of enhanced sanitation measures implemented at all stores during the coronavirus pandemic, according to the spokesperson. It’s the same protocol taken after the Stanyan Street location worker tested positive.
Whole Foods stores across the nation with employees confirmed to have come down with COVID-19 have also stayed open to customers after performing additional disinfections and deep cleanings, including in Huntington Beach, Chicago and Houston.
In light of the coronavirus crisis, the company has implemented enhanced sanitation measures and a relaxed worker attendance policy, and has begun paying employees $2 more per hour. The week following the announcement of the Stanyan Street case in San Francisco, the company rolled out daily temperature screenings for their workers and Prime Now shoppers across the country.
Whole Worker, an advocacy group that describes itself as a “grassroots movement” of Whole Foods team members working to unionize, said the measures taken by the Amazon-owned company arenât sufficient. The group spearheaded a nationwide sickout on March 31 to demand paid leave for all workers who self-quarantine, hazard pay of double wages while the crisis continues and the immediate shutdown of any store where a worker tests positive for the coronavirus.
This post will be updated.
Resources for Workers and Shoppers
How to File for Unemployment
If you are a worker who is sick with what appears to be COVID-19, or you are caring for someone who is sick from coronavirus, you may be eligible for paid time off, disability insurance or family and medical leave if the business you work for has less than 500 and more than 50 employees. You can apply here at the Employment Development Department website, although they admit that they are still waiting for more details from the federal government.
Specific policies instituted as a result of the coronavirus can be seen here (also available in Spanish). The department is providing workers and caregivers various options to collect payment. Learn more here.
You should also seek legal counsel for advice on how to communicate with your employer about coronavirus. Here is a list of pro bono employment lawyers in California.
How Long Should You Isolate Yourself if You Test Positive for COVID- 19?
Guidelines for how long to isolate after testing positive for COVID-19 are changing rapidly, so it’s important to seek out the most up-to-date information, according to Dr. Sajan Patel of UCSF. When you do, he says, refer to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. Here are two routes to take when wondering when to end home isolation.
How to Buy Groceries Safely and Efficiently
During the statewide shelter-in-place order, grocery stores are among the few places shoppers can go to stock their pantries. But empty shelves, large gatherings of people and reports of sick employees are a major issue of concern for shoppers and health officials alike. Hereare some precautions you can take.
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