Deli at SLO County supermarket closed due to COVID-19 exposure
The deli at Cambria’s Cookie Crock Super Market has been closed due to COVID-19 exposure, and as of June 15, the shutdown was expected to last at least another week if not longer, according to a June 13 phone interview with a manager and an explanation posted later on the market’s Facebook page.
It’s a conundrum that potentially faces virtually all business owners as the worldwide pandemic stretches out into an uncertain future: what to do if they or employees test positive, get the virus or is exposed to it.
On June 15, Cookie Crock’s Facebook message said, “Late last week, we were informed that several of our deli employees were exposed to the COVID virus. Out of an abundance of caution, we decided to close the deli and do a thorough sanitizing of the department and the rest of the store, too.”
Randy Arnett, a market manager, and the Facebook message said the deli is closed temporarily “because we don’t have enough trained staff to keep it running.” The corporate message said, “We should be able to get it opened back up in about a week.”
Apparently, any deli employees who weren’t directly affected or exposed also are off work.
In answering a question on the Facebook page, a corporate spokesperson said, “I want to clarify that the deli employees are under quarantine, but have not tested positive. ... There was an exposure to a COVID-positive person. We are prohibited from saying anything about the person.”
The posting also said, “We did have one positive case,” but didn’t indicate if the positive case was part of the rationale for the deli closure or was some time ago..
The June 15 message continued, “The exposure happened over a week ago, and those who were affected have been quarantined.”
The Cambrian reached out several times to get further details from the corporate office but received no response.
Arnett said, “We went the extra mile to make sure customers and employees are safe. During the last two months, the corporate office has been in constant contact with the health department.”
The message explained that the market has “been working closely with the San Luis Obispo County Health Department. Since they have dealt with this issue with several other chain stores, they were well prepared to help us take the necessary steps to contain the spread. Rest assured, we are following their guidelines.”
The message didn’t elaborate about which chain stores in the county had experienced similar problems.
Community reactions
As expected, the deli closure created a storm of conversations, comments and concerns in town, expressed in person and online.
“The Crock,” as the supermarket is sometimes nicknamed, is the largest of three markets in Cambria.
By Monday night, Cookie Crock’s corporate Facebook posting about the deli closure had received more than 100 comments, some praising the store’s actions and indicating support. A few people said when they’d asked market staff why the deli was closed, they were told it was a “refrigeration issue.” Still others were critical of how the situation was handled and the store’s policy of recommending and providing masks to employees, but not requiring them.
Mask advice from health officials has wavered throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., although they’ve been more consistent recently in recommending mask use for everyone.
Currently, the Centers for Disease Control advises, “While people who are sick or know that they have COVID-19 should isolate at home, COVID-19 can be spread by people who do not have symptoms and do not know that they are infected. That’s why it’s important for everyone to practice social distancing (staying at least 6 feet away from other people) and wear cloth face coverings in public settings. Cloth face coverings provide an extra layer to help prevent the respiratory droplets from traveling in the air and onto other people.”
However, the experts have consistently said that among those who should not wear a mask is “anyone who may have difficulty breathing” while wearing it.
That could include patients with lung conditions such as COPD, emphysema, asthma, etc.
For this county’s details on the mask pro-and-con discussion, go to https://www.emergencyslo.org/en/resources/Current-Emergency-Information/Documents/COVID-19-and-Use-of-Face-Masks.pdf.
