KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI – Walmart is temporarily closing its Oshtemo Township location, as part of a company-initiated program to allow third-party cleaning crews to deep clean and sanitize the building.
The Kalamazoo County store, at 501 9th St., was closed at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 7, and will reopen at 6 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 9.
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Walmart associates will begin restocking shelves on Wednesday, so the store is fully stocked once reopened, said Tyler Thomason, senior manager of the company’s corporate media relations team.
“As an essential business and a member of the Kalamazoo community, we understand the role we play in providing our customers with food, medicine and other essential items, especially at this time,” Thomason said. “Several areas across the country have begun seeing a renewed increase in positive COVID-19 cases, and we want to assist health officials working against the pandemic. In support of this effort, we have chosen to temporarily close our Kalamazoo store location.”
New cases of coronavirus have been on the rise, in the Kalamazoo area and across the state, in recent weeks. Bronson Healthcare on Tuesday reported 143 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized within the Bronson Healthcare system, 40 more than the hospitals had admitted three weeks ago.
Countywide, there were 1,339 new COVID cases from Nov. 26 to Dec. 2. Public health officials and hospital leaders held a news conference Tuesday to urge members of the public to get vaccinated.
As Kalamazoo County is among those counties with a high community transmission rate, Thomason said the company will adhere to CDC guidance which states that all people, vaccinated or not, should wear masks in public indoor settings.
“Everything we’re doing is for the well-being of our associates and the thousands of customers we serve daily, and in consideration of guidance by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and health experts,” Thomason said.
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