Checkers closed for cleanse

The Checkers store in Nahoon, East London, was closed yesterday after an employee tested positive for Covid-19.

About 100 workers formed queues outside the store in the morning while they were screened for Covid-19 symptoms and customers were turned away.

However, many employees were unhappy that they had not been not tested.

Some workers, who refused to give their names to the Dispatch because they were not allowed to speak to the media, said they were unhappy that the store’s management had told them they would be screened but not tested.

“They are telling us to use our own money to test. We don’t have R850 to do the test. The store should have called a doctor to come and test us,” one employee said.

“Screening is not going to detect someone who has been infected if the person does not tell the truth.

“Our lives are at risk.” Another employee said: “We had contact with the positive employee and we might be infected.

“We should have been told to quarantine. What is worse is that management says if we test, we should quarantine, and while quarantining for 14 days, they will pay us for only three days.”

The Shoprite Group confirmed the store had closed after the employee tested positive.

“We closed this store and brought in a professional decontamination company to sanitise and deep-clean the store,” it said.

After the employee tested positive, “an employee screening programme supported by the company’s mobile clinic was immediately put into place. Where necessary, those with close contact are now self-quarantined for 14 days.

“We are working closely with all the authorities and the store will be reopened in consultation with the provincial department of health.

“The wellbeing and health of our employees and customers remain our top priority.”

A number of other Shoprite stores — as well as grocery outlets owned by other companies — in the province have had to close temporarily after employees tested positive.

With regard to other employees whose tests had come back positive, the company said it was “not able to provide more detailed information”.

Picture: MICHAEL PINYANA WAITING: Nahoon Checkers staff members wait outside the screening van following the positive case in their store that led to the closure of the branch temporarily.