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Worker at Richmond FreshCo grocery store tests positive for COVID-19

An employee at a bargain grocery franchise store in Richmond has tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19).
freshco-blundell-richmond-bc
An employee at the FreshCo store at Blundell Centre in Richmond, BC has recently tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19). Photo by Alvin Chow/Richmond News

An employee at a bargain grocery franchise store in Richmond has tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Sobeys, Inc, the parent company of franchise chain FreshCo has indicated on its case tracker that an employee working at one of its Richmond locations is infected with the virus. 

The affected store is as follows:

  • FreshCo: 6140 Blundell Road, Richmond, BC. Franchise employee last worked Dec. 10.

The store is not considered a COVID-19 public exposure site by Vancouver Coastal Health.

"Out of respect for our teammates and their confidentiality, we will never release any personal information about our people. We will always do everything we can to support our teammates and ensure their safety," indicates Sobeys on their corporate website.

"Where required, we will communicate with customers who have shopped in the impacted location, with store signage, outlining our steps to manage the situation."

Not all grocery retailers share employee case updates

Sobeys and Loblaw Companies Ltd. are the two major grocery retailers operating in B.C. that publish employee COVID case information and store location details online.

Loblaw operates high-profile stores such as Shoppers Drug Mart, Real Canadian Superstore, and No Frills. They are also the parent company of Canadian Asian grocery giant T & T. 

On Wednesday, Sobeys and Loblaw both indicated there were several newly-diagnosed test positive cases among its employees at stores in Vancouver, Coquitlam, and Surrey, as well as in the Okanagan and on Vancouver Island.