2 Ocean City Wawa Employees Test Positive For Coronavirus

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Two employees at Wawa's 34th Street store tested positive for the new coronavirus, the company told Patch on Tuesday. The last day they worked there was April 12.

"In accordance with its protocols, Wawa took immediate action and closed the store to have it professionally deep cleaned and disinfected by a third-party," said a statement from Wawa. "The store will reopen as soon as possible with associates from neighboring stores, if needed."

Wawa is working with the Department of Health to notify any employee who may have had close contact with them.

All Wawa stores in New Jersey have instituted several policies because of the coronavirus. Most recently, stores set aside the hour of 2-3 p.m. each day for high-risk shoppers. The change came shortly after Governor Phil Murphy ordered all shoppers in essential businesses to wear a face mask. Read more: NJ Shoppers Must Wear Masks: Where To Get Them, How It's Enforced

Wawa employees in New Jersey now wear masks, and the stores will feature prominent signage reminding everyone to wear masks. Several Wawa locations have announced that at least one employee has tested positive for the virus, including stores in Philadelphia, South River and Cherry Hill.

The company provides 14 days of paid time off if an employee or their family member is potentially impacted by COVID-19.

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"We have taken steps to recognize their hard work with additional pay and by continuing to review and update our paid time off policies to be more flexible and supportive, and to minimize the impact to them should they be affected by COVID-19," the company wrote.

The Cape May County Health Department has reported 14 active cases in Ocean City, along with four people cleared off quarantine, as of Tuesday afternoon. Countywide, the department has reported 140 active cases, including 15 deaths and 62 people cleared off quarantine.

It was not immediately clear whether the Wawa employees counted toward Ocean City's case total. Denis Brown, administrative aide to the county freeholders, would not comment on individual cases. But Brown said it would typically depend on where they were staying and quarantining.

"We have included out of County individuals in our count before, but they were staying here and quarantined here," Brown said, "not the ones that quarantined elsewhere."

Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

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