2 More South Suburban Walmart Closed For COVID Deep Clean
BEDFORD PARK, IL — The Walmart Supercenter in Bedford Park closed temporarily Sunday to allow for third-party cleaning crews "thoroughly clean and sanitize the building.” The Bedford Park location is expected to reopen Jan. 4. The closure was prompted by the rise of positive omicron variant cases throughout the Chicago region and country.
"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,” Walmart spokesperson Felicia McCranie said in a written statement. “In support of this effort, we have chosen to temporarily close our Bedford Park store location at 7050 S Cicero Ave … as part of a company-initiated program. This will allow extra time for a third-party specialist to further sanitize the store and will also give our associates additional time to restock shelves and prepare the store to once again serve the community. We plan to reopen the store to customers at 6 a.m. on Tues., Jan. 4.”
The Walmart Supercenter in Orland Hills was also closed over New Year’s weekend and is expected to reopen Monday. Last week, the Olympia Fields location also closed.
The retailer said it would continue to follow CDC guidance, which includes fully vaccinated people wearing masks in public indoor settings in counties with substantial or high transmission, based on CDC data. Based upon weekly COVID-19 transmission rates, guidance on mask usage is likely to change over time in locations.
“In these counties and where there are state or local mask mandates, associates will be required to wear masks inside our facilities, including stores, clubs, distribution centers and fulfillment centers,” the retailer’s statement said.
Walmart continues to offer COVID-19 vaccines to customers through walk-in or online appointments. The retailer is also making access to vaccines available for associates.
“Associates can receive their vaccinations at their home store pharmacy, on or off the clock. They’ll receive two hours of paid leave to receive their vaccination and up to three days paid leave, should they experience an adverse reaction,” the retailer said.
Early in the pandemic, two employees at the Walmart store in Evergreen Park died from coronavirus in April 2020. Then-Mayor James Sexton suspended and reinstated the Evergreen Park location’s liquor license, stating he was satisfied that Walmart had taken corrective action by having a third-party cleaning crew clean and sanitize the building.
A wrongful death lawsuit was later filed on behalf of the family of one of the employees over claims the same month over claims that management ignored an outbreak at the Evergreen Park store even though several employees were showing symptoms of COVID-19. The retailer claims that it has since initiated extensive measures to protect store associates and customers during the pandemic to reduce the possible spread of the virus in its stores.
“We will continue working closely with elected and local health officials, adjusting how we serve the community while also keeping the health and safety of our customers and associates in mind,” the retailer said.
This article originally appeared on the Oak Lawn Patch
