COVID prompts Walmart to close Auburndale store for cleaning - The Ledger

The Ledger

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Walmart has temporarily closed a store in Auburndale in response to the spread of COVID-19.

The Supercenter at 2120 U.S. 92 W. closed Monday at 2 p.m., a Walmart spokesperson said by email. The store is scheduled to reopen Wednesday at 6 a.m.

Walmart wouldn’t say whether the closing resulted from a COVID-19 outbreak among employees.

“As you know, several areas across the country have begun seeing a renewed increase in positive COVID-19 cases, and we want to assist health officials working against the pandemic,” Lauren Willis, global communications director for the Western United States said in the email to The Ledger. “In support of this effort, we have chosen to temporarily close our Auburndale store location at 2120 US Highway 92 W at 2 p.m. as part of an ongoing company-initiated program.”

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The closing will provide time for a third-party specialist to sanitize the store, Willis wrote. Employees will use the closure to restock shelves and prepare the store to open Wednesday.

“Everything we’re doing is for the well-being of our associates and the thousands of customers we serve daily, and in consideration of guidance by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and health experts,” Willis wrote. “We will follow CDC guidance, which includes fully vaccinated people wearing masks in public indoor settings in counties with substantial or high transmission.”

The CDC now rates the transmission level as high in Polk County and most of Florida. But Polk County does not have a mask mandate in place. All unvaccinated Walmart employees must still wear face coverings, Willis wrote.

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Walmart is offering COVID-19 vaccinations to employees, who can receive shots at their home store pharmacy, on or off the clock, Willis wrote. Employees also may take two hours of paid leave to get vaccinations elsewhere.

The company is offering $150 bonuses for employees who opt to be fully vaccinated and who haven’t already received a vaccination incentive, Willis wrote.

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