Walmart has temporarily closed its Camden store in central Delaware to allow for the location to be thoroughly cleaned, sanitized and restocked as the state experiences a winter surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
The store, located at 263 Walmart Drive, closed at 2 p.m. Sunday and will reopen at 6 a.m. Tuesday, according to a written company statement. The closure is part of a company-initiated program that was enacted in response to the surge in COVID-19 cases nationwide.
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The decision to temporarily close the store comes alongside dozens of similar store closings across the country and follows the company’s decision to close 60 stores in December amid the rising Omicron variant. In recent weeks, Walmart has closed stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and Texas.
On Friday, the company closed a store in northeast Philadelphia following the closure of another nearby location in the city earlier in the week. Similarly, a store in Laurel, Maryland, was closed for the last two days of 2021 before reopening on New Year’s Day.
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“As an essential business and a member of the Camden community, we understand the role we play in providing our customers with food, medicine and other essential items, especially at this time,” spokesperson Charles Crowson said.
“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 and health experts.”
On Saturday, 784 Delawareans were in the hospital due to COVID-19, breaking another grim record, according to state data. On Jan. 6, Delaware saw 4,347 new positive daily cases, the highest number recorded since the start of the pandemic.
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When the store reopens Tuesday, the company will continue to conduct associate health assessments and enforce local and state mask mandates among its employees. Unvaccinated employees will still be required to wear face coverings, the company said.
The company will also offer vaccines to their employees at their home store pharmacy, on or off the clock. Employees will receive two hours of paid leave to get their vaccination and up to three days’ paid leave should they experience an adverse reaction.
Contact the reporter at jcastaneda1@delawareonline.com or connect with him on Twitter @joseicastaneda.