Aberdeen Walmart Shuts Down In Wake Of New COVID-19 Cases
ABERDEEN, Md. (WJZ) -- Walmart has temporarily shuttered the doors of its supercenter in Aberdeen to assist health officials with reducing the damage done by the latest wave of COVID-19 cases.
The company announced on Wednesday that it would be shutting down the store at 645 S. Philadelphia Boulevard for two days. Staff will sanitize the store and restock the shelves during that time, Ashley Nolan, a Walmart representative, said in a press statement.
The store will re-open again on Friday at 6 a.m. It is one of two supercenters in the northeast corner of Maryland. Hospitalizations in the state surpassed 3,000 this week.
It is unclear if Walmart has seen a spike in COVID-19 cases among its staff at the Aberdeen store. Nolan declined to say how many staff members had contracted the virus.
"We don't provide that information due to privacy protections for associates," she told WJZ.
Nolan said in a press statement that Walmart would continue to follow the guidance laid out by the Centers for Disease Control, "which includes fully vaccinated people wearing masks in public indoor settings in counties with substantial or high transmission."
Additionally, Walmart staff will have access to vaccines through the on-site pharmacy, Nolan said in the press statement.
Staff members will "receive two hours of paid leave to receive their vaccination and up to three days paid leave, should they experience an adverse reaction" to the vaccine, she said.