Raley's worker in Benicia gets COVID after mask-less potluck
The store was criticized after a social media post showed mask-less employees attending a holiday party at the supermarket.
(Graphic by Solano News Update)
A Raley’s supermarket in Benicia is drawing controversy after more than two dozen employees attended a potluck at the store around the Christmas holiday.
The controversy came after a social media post revealed many of those who attended the potluck weren’t following social distancing guidelines and did not wear masks. Another photo showed around three dozen employees who were wearing masks but were not practicing social distancing measures while standing next to refrigerated units where groceries were stored prior to their delivery to customers.
A spokesperson for Raley’s acknowledged the store didn’t follow the company’s safety protocols, and the company has since approached store management as part of an internal investigation.
An employee who tested positive for COVID-19 attended the holiday potluck at the store, according to two people who spoke with Solano News Update. The store didn’t notify employees about the diagnosis for several days, the two sources said. Their accounts were later backed by two separate news reports.
At least one person who closely interacted with the employee who tested positive for COVID-19 remains at work, according to one source.
(Photo courtesy Facebook.com, Graphic by Solano News Update)
On Monday, a store manager tried to dispel social media rumors that as many as 20 employees were afflicted with COVID-19, telling the Vallejo Times-Herald newspaper that the rumor was “not true, not at all.”
Around the same time, the City of Benicia issued its own statement saying it was learning about the COVID-19 cases directly from store management.
“City staff have contacted management and they have indicated that they currently are not aware of any positive cases, although a potluck was held over the holidays,” the statement said.
Steve Young, Benicia’s mayor, told the newspaper that city officials were “waiting for confirmation as to whether there are, in fact, employees who have tested positive.”
“Our first concern remains the health and safety of the community as well as the workers,” Young said.
As of Monday evening, the store remained open for business.
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