On Tuesday and Wednesday the usually busy Shoprite outlet on the Hexagon closed its doors after confirmation that one of the staff had tested positive for coronavirus.
Confused customers were left to decipher hand signals from staff who were seen inside as no signage had been posted on the doors to indicate why the supermarket was closed.
According to Saccawu regional organiser, Fuzeka Hoho, the store was closed after a worker who lived in Cacadu confirmed that she was positive for Covid-19 and had been admitted to Glen Grey Hospital.
The worker had recently been on sick leave after she had communicated that she had coronavirus-like symptoms.
“All the workers must be tested,” said Hoho, who said the union was dissatisfied with the way the store had managed the matter.
“On Tuesday, the health department was at the store to conduct screening of all the workers. However, our members were not satisfied as no tests were actually conducted,” said Hoho.
She said the union had approached the department of labour on Wednesday to ensure the store was closed and that testing would be conducted on everyone.
“We were told by the health officials conducting the screenings that only workers who also lived in Cacadu and had been identified as contacts of the positive employee were tested. We were told to wait for results.”
On Thursday the store was open, with employees saying they had received an sms the night before, telling them to report for duty the next day.
“We insist that everyone must be tested and that it will be prudent for the store to remain closed, for both workers and the customers,” added Hoho.
When The Rep went to print Hoho said the store had given the assurance that workers would be tested yesterday as a mobile clinic was on its way to Komani.
Over the weekend, a message circulated on WhatsApp about abuse of workers at the store. Hoho distanced the union from the message and said they were not the sentiments of their members.
A Shoprite group spokesperson said since the start of the outbreak the company had been proactive in its preparation and response to the virus.
“The Shoprite Group confirms that Shoprite Queenstown was closed following positive testing for Covid-19. The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) and Department of Health were informed.
“An employee screening programme, supported by the company’s mobile clinic has immediately been put into place. Those who had close contact are now self-quarantining for 14 days,” they said.
According to the spokesperson, the store closed and a professional decontamination company was brought in to sanitize and deep clean the store. They stated that the reopening of the store had been in consultation with the provincial department of health.
“Various measures have been put in place for all stores, including daily temperature testing when employees arrive at work. Mobile clinics have been dispatched for referrals; plastic face shields rolled out to employees; and stringent hygiene and sanitising protocols remain in place across all our operations.
“The Shoprite group is in the process of issuing each of its employees with two fabric masks in line with the updated Disaster Management Act regulations published on April 29.
“For their own safety, and also that of our employees, customers are requested to follow the simple steps that help to stop the spread of the virus. These include washing hands regularly, not touching faces, covering coughs and sneezes and maintaining the required social distance.”
In response to queries sent to Health MEC Sindiswa Gomba’s spokesperson, Judy Ngoloyi, a report was forwarded from the Enoch Mgijima local service area Covid-19 report team.
According to the report a team from the department of labour accompanied by an Enoch Mgijima health Practitioner had gone to the store on Monday.
It stated that according to Shoprite management, three managers, a security guard and 11 employees who had commuted from Cacadu had contact with the infected employee.
The report also said 152 employees were screened, three were “eligible” for testing and were tested on site and those identified as her contact list had been referred for quarantine at their homes.
