Target Employee Confirmed To Have COVID-19

While many retailers are closed due COVID-19, the Target in Middletown has remained opened under Gov. Tom Wolf’s orders of “life-sustaining” businesses.

The store has been packed as customers go in and out purchasing groceries and other items.

Late last week, employees learned a co-worker had been diagnosed with COVID-19. They said management at the store have provided few details that have left them worried for their health and that of customers.

“They didn’t tell the public,” a concerned employee said.

Another employee said the company had been providing regular cleaning at the store, but Target’s public-facing stance on the issue was not as straight forward as the one taken by Redner’s Market in Middletown last week when an employee tested positive.

On Sunday, Target confirmed to LevittownNow.com that a single employee tested positive for COVID-19 last week.

Employees at the Target said they were concerned the large big box store would not pay them if they stayed out of work for a 14-day self-isolation period. One complicating factor, two of the employees said, is that management had not alerted them more information on the employee with COVID-19.

“Our top priority is the health and safety of our team members and guests, and we’re taking a number of steps to move forward. First, we’ve communicated directly with the impacted team member, who is in quarantine and following all health department guidelines, and we’ll pay them while they’re on leave,” Target spokesperson Shane Kitzman said.

The company, according to Kitzman, is has been working in “close partnership” with health officials.

“We’ve also worked quickly to deep clean and sanitize the store, which is the recommendation of public health experts. We have notified the entire store team and provided them with the appropriate CDC guidance. We’ll continue to first and foremost take care of our team and guests,” he stated.

In public statements, Target CEO Brian Cornell has said there would be additional cleaning measures in place and checkout lanes and carts would be cleaned more often. He also said in-store returns are being halted for the time being.

Bucks County officials said they have not been releasing information on where COVID-19 patients were employed or other identifying information. An exception could be made in an “extraordinary” situation.

County health officials have said in the past that the risk of someone who is asymptomatic passing along the virus in low.

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