Worcester Walmart Reopens After Coronavirus Outbreak

WORCESTER, MA — The Worcester Walmart that was shut down last week due to a coronavirus outbreak has reopened, the company said on Tuesday morning.

Worcester city officials shut the Tobias Boland Way Walmart down on April 29 after 23 employees there tested positive for coronavirus. Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. has said officials found out about the outbreak from the public.

The store underwent a deep cleaning on April 30, and city officials required all 400 of the store's employees to get tested before allowing it to reopen. Eighty-one employees eventually tested positive.

Walmart officials said that all employees at the Worcester store will get masks and gloves and will be "encouraged to communicate with management during their shift if they have any changes in health or if they are not feeling well."

"The cleaning of our store — and the testing of our associates and others that work in the building — have all been in addition to the measures that are in place there to help keep people safe," Walmart said Tuesday in a statement. "This includes sneeze guards at registers, limiting the number of customers in the store at any one time, one-way aisle shopping, social distancing signage, and reinforcing our COVID-19 emergency leave policy with associates so they feel fully comfortable staying at home if they need to or want to. We will continue to conduct associate health screens and temperature checks before all shifts."

Walmart must report any new coronavirus infections to city officials.

On Tuesday, Augustus reminded Worcester residents about a city order requiring everyone to wear face coverings in public. A statewide Gov. Charlie Baker order on face coverings goes into effect on May 6.

"This is the reason we put [the face covering order] in place several weeks ago," Augustus said.

There is now another coronavirus outbreak at a local Walmart. The location in Quincy had 11 sick workers, and one worker, an elderly woman, who died. The store was shut down on Monday.