VANCOUVER -- A Metro Vancouver grocery store says one of its employees has tested positive for COVID-19.
The Real Canadian Superstore says an employee at its Surrey store on 104 Avenue near 146 Street was confirmed to have the virus.
In a notice issued Sunday, the company says the last day the employee worked was July 15.
At one point, Loblaws said in a post online that the employee's last day was July 20, but that date has since been corrected to match the date the company provided to CTV News.
"It's not easy to hear that one of our team members and friends has been impacted. We know you will have questions and concerns and we'll do our best to answer them and help you remain calm and informed," the statement from the grocery chain says.
"The store has been taking this situation very seriously. As soon as news (came) through we immediately put our incident management team in place. We request that you respect the privacy of this colleague."
The statement says colleagues who worked closest with the person who tested positive have been notified and are being asked to self-isolate at home and watch for symptoms of the virus.
Loblaws, which owns the Real Canadian Superstore, told CTV News in an email that the company is working with local public health teams to minimize risk of transmission and has increased its sanitizing and physical distancing protocols.
"The store also arranged for additional cleaning last night and has since reopened," the email said.
Other outbreaks have been recorded at larger retailers including at two Walmart locations earlier in the pandemic.
And, in April, a Real Canadian Superstore in Vancouver sent out a warning to customers that one of its staff members was believed to have the virus.
Last month, a small fast food restaurant dealt with an outbreak, though health officials said the risk of exposure to the public was low, and wouldn't identify the specific location.
