Toms River ShopRite Employee Tests Positive For Coronavirus

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Toms River ShopRite has added shields at its registers and undergone an enhanced cleaning and sanitization after an employee at the store tested positive for the new coronavirus, the company announced.

ShopRite of Fischer Bay, at the corner of Fischer Boulevard and Bay Avenue, posted a notice on its Facebook page Monday that an employee has a confirmed case. The employee is not working, and other employees who may have been in close contact with that worker and may have been exposed have been asked to self-quarantine for 14 days, the company said.

In addition, the store has put up Plexiglas shields at its checkout areas and is deep cleaning and sanitizing "all workspaces used by the associate and common areas," the company said.

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The Fischer Boulevard store is the sixth ShopRite in the state where an employee has tested positive, NJ.com reported. It has been taking extra steps to deep clean and sanitize all food-contact and high-touch surfaces and to promote social distancing in the store.

"It's important that you know we remain committed to transparency, and we think sharing this information with you is the right thing to do," the Facebook post said. "We also feel it’s important to protect the privacy of our hardworking colleagues; should we learn of additional associates who have been affected, we’ll continue to implement the CDC protocols."

ShopRite's corporate owner, Wakefern, said its stores are undergoing a daily deep cleaning, including cleaning of common areas, restrooms, and high-touch surfaces such as conveyor belts and credit card keypads. It is not closing stores due to a sick employee unless told to do so by health officials. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

"... a member of our work family – the associates who provide essential services every day – has reported a confirmed case of COVID-19.You should know that ShopRite is prepared and has implemented the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended protocols to reduce the spread of the virus," the company said. "While we can’t predict the evolution of this unpredictable challenge that Toms River is facing, please know we are doing everything we can to protect the health and safety of our associates and customers while continuing to serve the community we all call home."

As of Thursday afternoon, there were 25,590 positive tests for COVID-19 in New Jersey, including more than 1,200 in Ocean County.

NOTE: This article has been updated to correct the name of the road to Fischer Boulevard. Patch regrets the error.

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