BRISTOL — The Walgreens drug store in Bristol closed its doors to the public for a few hours on Wednesday, after the company was notified that a store employee was being evaluated for COVID-19.
There are currently no indications that the employee has tested positive for the disease.
“In accordance with our established protocols, CDC guidance and out of an abundance of caution, we temporarily closed the store yesterday morning for cleaning in order to disinfect the premises, and reopened later that afternoon,” said Walgreens Manager of Corporate Media Relations Alexandra Brown in an emailed statement to the Independent.
Some customers were startled to find the store closed in the middle of the day, and to look through the window and see people in protective suits wiping down surfaces.
When reached by phone Thursday morning, store employees said they could not talk about the situation, and store manager Courtney Warren referred the Independent to the company’s corporate headquarters.
In her statement, Brown said Walgreens was “committed to providing a safe environment” for its customers and employees.
“When notified of a confirmed or presumed positive COVID-19 case, we take actions meeting or exceeding recommendations from the CDC, OSHA, public health officials and other credible sources while following federal, state and local health advisories,” Brown wrote. “Our clinical and safety teams work closely with our field and store leadership to respond accordingly, which may include identifying and contacting individuals who may be at risk in order to self-quarantine or self-monitor their health, as well as cleaning and disinfecting the location or impacted areas of the store.”
As of Wednesday Vermont had a total of 908 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 52 people have died from the disease.
A total of 20 people were hospitalized statewide “under investigation” for COVID-19 and another 20 people were being “monitored,” health officials said.
According to town-by-town data, which has been updated through April 30, six people in Bristol have tested positive for COVID-19, the second highest count in Addison County behind Vergennes, which is reporting 10 confirmed cases.
Reach Christopher Ross at [email protected].