Whole Foods Workers To Hold 'Sick Out' Over Coronavirus

SUDBURY, MA — After two local Whole Foods employees tested positive for the new coronavirus recently, workers at the Amazon-owned supermarket chain are planning a "sick-out" protest on Tuesday.

The group Whole Worker is organizing the protest to get more safeguards for workers, and additional benefits like hazard pay and paid leave for employees who have to enter self-quarantine.

Last week, a worker at the Sudbury Whole Foods tested positive for COVID-19. The store was closed for cleaning and disinfection, and the Board of Health identified people who had close contact with the employee and instructed them to stay home, Sudbury Health Director Bill Murphy said Monday. The store has since reopened.

Another worker at the Arlington Whole Foods also tested positive, a spokesperson told Patch on Monday. That worker entered quarantine, and the store was cleaned, the company said.

Many service workers are protesting workplace safety during the coronavirus outbreak. On Monday, workers with the grocery delivery service Instacart refused to work. And workers at an Amazon warehouse in New York City walked off the job.