Trader Joe's worker dies from coronavirus, store to temporarily close
Staff member in New York had underlying health conditions
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A Trader Joe's in Scarsdale, New York, has temporarily closed its doors after a staff member with underlying health conditions died Monday from COVID-19.
The location will remain closed until Thursday to give fellow staff members "time to process and grieve," Trader Joe's spokeswoman Kenya Friend-Daniel told the Washington Post.
THESE GROCERY STORES ARE CLOSED EASTER SUNDAY
Trader Joe’s on 727 White Plains Rd in Scarsdale, New York. (Google street view)
During this time, all employees will be paid for their scheduled shifts, as well as receive two additional days of paid leave, Friend-Daniel said.
Grocery workers are considered essential amid shelter-in-place orders. On top of long shifts, the job has left many with fears of falling ill or bringing the virus home to loved ones.
CORONAVIRUS FEARS WEIGH ON FRONT-LINE GROCERY WORKERS
Trader Joe's previously noted on its website that all temporarily closed stores will undergo additional cleaning and sanitization.
Customers in masks line up outside waiting to enter after other shoppers have left, at a Trader Joe's grocery store in Los Angeles on April 3. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
"At Trader Joe’s, there is nothing more important to us than the health and safety of our Crew Members and customers," the company previously wrote in a note on its website. With this in mind, we have temporarily closed some stores related to coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns, including for additional precautionary cleaning and sanitization."
Six other Trader Joe's locations across the country are temporarily closed or are slated to close within the coming weeks for additional cleaning, according to the retailer's website.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.