Walmart Inc., an American multinational retail corporation, has recently reported the death of two of its employees, who contracted the COVID-19 disease, in Chicago. This has significantly prompted the retail chain to reinforce additional safety and precautionary measures.

The victims of the novel coronavirus were 51-year-old Wando Evans and 48-year-old Philip Thomas. According to the medical examiners, these two associates also had underlying health conditions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reportedly informed that the COVID-19 symptoms typically occur from 2-14 days after the exposure to the virus.

According to a statement made by the company, neither of them were present at the Evergreen Park store for over a week. Therefore, it remains unclear on how long they have been affected by the virus, and also whether they got infected at the store or other places that they attended. Walmart extended sincere condolences to the two employees who worked at the store, as well as their families for the unfortunate event.

The company has been altering its sanitization process by hiring a 3rd-party company to sanitize and clean high-touch surfaces and key areas at the store, following the deaths of the two employees. The Evergreen Park store had reportedly already passed a 3rd party safety & environmental compliance test, as well as completed the health department inspection in the last week.

With an aim to promote health official guidelines to ensure social distancing for public health, the company has reduced the total number of shoppers allowed in a store. The retailer has reportedly announced that each store will allow a maximum number of only 5 customers for every 1,000 sq. ft. at a given time, which is nearly 20% capacity of the entire store. Once the store reaches the maximum capacity, the shoppers can enter on a 1-out-1-in structure.

Source credit:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/04/05/two-walmart-employees-died-coronavirus-company-responds/2951849001/