Fort Lauderdale Whole Foods worker tests positive for coronavirus

An employee of the Whole Foods Markets grocery store in Fort Lauderdale has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

The infection marks the first known case of a grocery store employee contracting the virus in Broward County.

Representatives for Whole Foods late Sunday confirmed that the employee tested positive, though it is unclear when the person was tested for the virus, how they were exposed, or whether they worked at the Fort Lauderdale location for any length of time while exhibiting symptoms or otherwise contagious.

The diagnosed employee is in quarantine, representatives from Whole Foods said in an email.

The Fort Lauderdale store, at 2000 N. Federal Highway, was subjected to “an additional cleaning and disinfection, on top of our current enhanced sanitation measures,” according to Whole Foods representatives.

Like other grocery chains, Whole Foods has stepped up sanitation efforts at its stores in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The grocery chain has altered its hours, closing earlier for re-stocking and cleaning.

This is entire statement from Whole Foods Representatives:

“The safety of our Team Members and customers is our top priority, and we are diligently following all guidance from local health and food safety authorities. We’ve been working closely with our store Team Members, and are supporting the diagnosed Team Member, who is in quarantine. Out of an abundance of caution, the store performed an additional cleaning and disinfection, on top of our current enhanced sanitation measures. As we prioritize the health and safety of our customers and Team Members, we will continue to do the following to help contain the spread of COVID-19:

We have implemented enhanced daily cleanliness and sanitation protocols across all stores and facilities, on top of our standard stringent protocols.

We are operating under social distancing guidelines in our stores and facilities, ensuring that interaction between Team Members and between Team Members and customers can happen at a safe distance.

We are closing stores up to two hours early to give our Team Members more time to restock shelves, sanitize our stores, and rest in preparation for the next day.”

Mario Ariza can be reached at mariza@sunsentinel.com or 786-210-6548.