Breckenridge City Market Reopens After 8 Employees Test Positive For Coronavirus
BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. (CBS4) - At least eight employees at City Market in Breckenridge have tested positive for COVID-19 with one additional case pending. The store closed Wednesday for a deep cleaning and reopened Thursday.
Summit County Public Health is investigating the outbreak in coordination with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
"We are sorry to report this cluster of cases among these essential members of our local workforce," Summit County Public Health Director Amy Wineland said. "We are working closely with them and the management at City Market to ensure they receive the appropriate care and that we contain this outbreak to minimize further spread of the disease."
Summit County Public Health was notified of one positive case on April 22 and began working with the store to discuss sanitation and cleaning procedures. The Summit County Public Health Surveillance Team conducted a thorough investigation of the positive case's close contacts.
Those close contacts were referred to testing and required to self-isolate. Testing results were received on April 27 and 28, confirming additional positive cases.
"City Market management has been very proactive in implementing protective measures to minimize risk to its employees and customers," Wineland said. "This outbreak is a clear demonstration that we all are safer at home, and we should limit social interactions and time spent in public spaces. COVID-19's ability to spread from asymptomatic individuals makes it especially important that we all do our part to contain the disease."
Summit County Public Health emphasizes that cloth face coverings are an extremely important protective measure for workers and members of the public when in public spaces. Research shows that face coverings can help block the spread of COVID-19, especially by preventing transmission from people who are asymptomatically infected.
The Summit County Public Health Order requires face coverings that cover nose and mouth whenever indoors in buildings open to the public; face coverings are also required outdoors whenever 6 feet of separation between individuals is not feasible. Summit County is distributing hundreds of free cloth face coverings at grocery stores to members of the public who need them.
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In response to the outbreak, City Market has taken the following additional steps to protect its customers and employees at the Breckenridge store:
- Early closure on April 28 to complete full-store sanitation
- Communication with all employees to review, confirm and reinforce safety and social distancing best practices
- Reduced use of the employee break room to maintain social distancing
- Increased enforcement of face covering requirements for employees and customers
- Expanded COVID-19 testing for employees.
Prior to the outbreak, City Market implemented a variety of recommended measures to prevent the spread of disease, including the following:
- Enhanced daily sanitation practices, including more frequent cleaning of commonly used areas such as cashier stations, self-checkouts, credit card terminals, food service counters and shelves
- Procurement of face coverings for employees; employee requirements to wear face coverings over nose and mouth whenever in indoor areas open to the public whenever 6 feet of separation cannot be maintained
- Partitions at check lanes, the pharmacy and coffee shop registers
- Strict adherence to best practices for safe food handling
- Floor decals to promote physical distancing at check lanes and other counters
- More frequent sanitization and restocking of restrooms with supplies, including soap, paper towels and hand sanitizer
- Wiping down of shopping carts, baskets and equipment
- Expanded pickup and delivery services and contactless payment solutions
- Mandatory temperature monitoring for employees.
City Market is encouraging employees to closely monitor their health and well-being and asking them to stay home if they, or someone in their household, is sick. The company is ensuring associates who are affected by COVID-19 – whether experiencing symptoms and self-isolating, diagnosed or placed in quarantine – can recover with the support of emergency paid leave.
