A Walmart location in Gloucester County is the latest New Jersey location that will close temporarily because of coronavirus concerns.
The Williamstown store at 1840 S. Black Horse Pike will close at 2 p.m. Tuesday so that a third-party company can sanitize the location and store employees can have time to restock shelves and prepare for a scheduled reopening at 6 a.m. on Thursday, a company spokeswoman announced Tuesday.
The announcement did not indicate if any staff members in that store had tested positive for COVID-19.
“As you know, 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,” the announcement stated. “When the store reopens Thursday, we will continue conducting associate health assessments, and all unvaccinated associates must still wear face coverings.”
This is the fourth Walmart location in New Jersey that has temporarily closed because of the virus since last week, including similar moves in Manville and Kearny.
The closure of a location in Linden last week followed media reports that dozens of employees tested positive in that store.
COVID-19 cases have skyrocketed across New Jersey and the nation in recent weeks as the omicron variant continues to spread.
The state reported 20,428 new infections on Monday and 12 more deaths, bringing New Jersey’s total death toll from COVID-19 to 29,073 since 2020.
“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,” Walmart stated in its latest announcement. “We will follow CDC guidance, which includes fully vaccinated people wearing masks in public indoor settings in counties with substantial or high transmission.
All of New Jersey’s 21 counties are listed as having “high” rates of coronavirus transmission, according to the CDC.
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Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com.