Temporary Walmart closure in Camden due to COVID-19 transmission concerns within store - The News Journal

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The Delaware Division of Public Health attributed the closure of Walmart's Camden location Sunday to company concerns about COVID-19 transmission within the store and advised shoppers who may have shopped there to follow the general COVID-19 guidance of the state, including getting tested when appropriate.

The store, which is currently the only Walmart location in Delaware scheduled for temporary closure, reopened Tuesday morning after it closed for extensive cleaning, sanitization and restocking as the state experiences an unprecedented level of COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases.

The central Delaware store, located at 263 Walmart Drive, is one of several Walmart locations that have been temporarily closed nationwide.

 "Walmart has taken this precaution in other areas when they are concerned about transmission within the facility," said Jamie Mack, chief of DPH's Health Systems Protection sector in an email Tuesday. "DPH encourages businesses to take steps they deem appropriate to protect staff and customers/clients, including temporary closure to allow for deep cleaning, staff testing, etc."

COVID-19 rates in the store's zip code over the last few weeks are "very similar" to trends seen statewide, Mack said. 

The percent of new positive cases in the store's zip code is currently hovering at 58.6%, one of the highest percentages in Kent County, according to state data. The zip code has a total of 2,550 positive cases.

Statewide, the weekly rate of new cases has jumped by 50%. 

The closure of the Camden store is part of a company-initiated program that both Walmart and Sam's Club have been doing since the beginning of the pandemic.

MASK REQUIREMENTS: Delaware requiring residents to wear masks in most public indoor settings starting Tuesday

When asked about the reasoning for closing the Camden store specifically, Walmart spokesperson Charles Crowson cited an in-house, health-related threshold that, if met, prompts the company to close certain stores for cleaning, sanitizing and restocking. 

Crowson declined to confirm if the closure in Camden was due to an employee outbreak in the store. 

"While we are not able to provide information about those impacted for privacy reasons, we are working with any affected associates so they have the time needed to get well," he said in a written statement. 

STATE EFFORTS: With COVID impacts worse than ever, should Delaware be doing more?

In December, Walmart, the world's largest retailer, temporarily closed 60 stores and has since closed stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and Texas as Omicron spread. 

On Monday, the state broke another grim record with 714 hospitalizations, the most since the start of the pandemic. 

'UNPRECEDENTED STRAIN': ChristianaCare, other Delaware hospitals implement emergency rules to handle COVID-19 surge

A majority of Delaware hospitals implemented emergency rules Monday in order to deal with the sharp uptick in COVID-19 patients. The rules, called Crisis Standards of Care, were implemented in ChristianaCare, Bayhealth, TidalHealth Nanticoke and Saint Francis hospitals. 

The rules will allow hospitals to redeploy clinical and non-clinical staff, adjust staffing ratios and change how treatment resources are distributed. 

DPH urged residents to follow Gov. John Carney's announcement mandate Monday requiring masks to be worn in most indoor settings. The mandate applies to convenience stores, grocery stores, gyms, restaurants, bars, hair salons, malls and casinos, according to the press release. 

Following its reopening Tuesday, Walmart will continue to conduct associate health assessments and enforce local and state mask mandates among its employees.

Contact the reporter at jcastaneda1@delawareonline.com or connect with him on Twitter @joseicastaneda. 

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