Four Walmart stores temporarily closed due to coronavirus concerns in Massachusetts

Four Walmart locations in Massachusetts have temporarily closed due to concerns over coronavirus, officials said. One has since reopened.

Stores in Avon and Abington were closed Wednesday so employees could be tested for coronavirus, WCVB reported.

It’s the second time the Abington store has been closed, according to WBZ.

“While we followed our process at our Abington store, we have made the decision to close the store again to work with the health department to test our associates and others who work in the building,” regional general manager Eddie Bostic told the outlet.

“The nature of this virus makes it nearly impossible to track the source of anyone’s infection, so we are planning to work with health officials to review our measures, and determine additional steps, such as COVID-19 testing for associates and others who work at the store,” Bostic said, according to WBZ.

In an email to McClatchy News, Walmart said the Abington store was closed “as part of a company-initiated program, not at the request of any local official.”

Health officials said 11 people at the nearby Quincy location have tested positive for the virus and one has died, WCVB reported.

On Monday, the Quincy store voluntarily closed so it could be thoroughly cleaned, CNN reported.

“We are working with local officials on next steps to reopen, and are discussing measures like testing for associates and others who work at the store,” Walmart said in a statement obtained by CNN. “Once reopened, we will continue to conduct associate health screens and temperature checks, and all associates will be provided with face masks and gloves.”

The Quincy store is expected to reopen Friday, WBZ reported. Health officials said they aim for the Abington store to reopen by Sunday, according to the WCVB.

A reopening day for the Avon store has not been reported.

Last week, a Walmart store in Worcester was ordered closed by city officials to test 391 people who work in the building for coronavirus, McClatchy News reported.

A total of 81 people tested positive, according to the report. The people who tested positive include Walmart workers as well as employees from other companies who lease space inside the store and others, the company said in an email to McClatchy News.

The Worcester location reopened on Tuesday after an inspection “revealed that all benchmarks that were ordered have been met,” the city said in a news release.

Officials said the store was deep-cleaned by a third-party and has proper signage outlining social distancing and personal protective equipment expectations, the release said.

The store was told it must report all suspected and new cases of coronavirus immediately and to expect surprise inspections to ensure all safety guidelines are followed, according to the release.

Worcester officials also said customers should wear masks while shopping.

Massachusetts has been a coronavirus hot spot since the onset of the pandemic. The state has 70,271 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 4,212 deaths as of May 5, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

This story was originally published May 6, 2020 at 12:52 PM with the headline "Four Walmart stores temporarily closed due to coronavirus concerns in Massachusetts."