5 Food Lion workers test positive for the coronavirus in the Charlotte area

Five workers at Food Lion grocery stores in the Charlotte area have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the company confirmed Friday.

Food Lion spokesman Matt Harakal said the cases were at four stores.

Two workers tested positive at a Mooresville store at 1088 Brawley School Road store, Harakal said. The employees last worked Aug. 3 and Aug. 7.

One worker reported being positive for the virus at the East Sunset Drive store in Monroe and another worker was at the North Statesville Road store in Huntersville, Harakal said. Both last worked Aug. 7.

And a worker also tested positive at Heckle Boulevard in Rock Hill, and last worked Aug. 3.

Nine employees at six Food Lion stores in York County, S.C., tested positive for COVID-19 last month, according to The Herald newspaper in Rock Hill. Three of those cases were at the Heckle Boulevard store.

There have been several other cases in York, Chester and Lancaster counties since the pandemic began, according to The Herald.

Harakal did not say how many cases total there have been in the Charlotte area for Food Lion employees.

“None of these associates will return to work until cleared by health personnel,” Harakal said. “Our thoughts are with these associates and with all of those who have contracted this illness across the community.”

Each store underwent enhanced cleanings in addition to the ongoing sanitary practices already in place during the health crisis, he said.

The Salisbury-based grocer has 105 Charlotte-area stores and is the third-largest local grocer by market share.

Other COVID cases

Grocery stores have remained open as essential businesses since COVID-19 pandemic hit the area in March. Several local grocers have reported employees getting the coronavirus, including Publix, Harris Teeter and Reid’s Fine Foods.

Matthews-based Harris Teeter confirmed at least 10 cases by mid-June, which included Charlotte area stores and its North Carolina distribution centers.

While many grocers, like Harris Teeter, have required workers to wear masks since April prior to the statewide mask mandate, Food Lion did not. Harakal told the Observer then and again in June that workers were encouraged to wear them and non-surgical masks would be available.

In mid-July, after Gov. Roy Cooper issued a statewide mask mandate tp help slow the spread of the disease during the pandemic, Harakal said Food Lion would have its workers wear masks and ask customers to comply.

“We will communicate the order’s mask requirements through signage in each of our nearly 500 stores in North Carolina, and via regular in-store announcements,” Harakal said. “We will also respect the needs of our customers who are exempt from the order’s requirements.”

Most businesses are not required to publicly report COVID-19 outbreaks.

This story was originally published August 14, 2020 at 2:34 PM with the headline "5 Food Lion workers test positive for the coronavirus in the Charlotte area."