Trader Joe's Forced to Temporarily Close Stores Due to Possible Coronavirus Contamination

Trader Joe's has temporarily closed six of its grocery stores across the country after employees at those stores either tested positive for the coronavirus or began showing symptoms consistent with the virus. The closures were announced Monday and come as grocery stores across the country work on adjusted hours to allow time to sanitize and restock amid the pandemic.

"We would like to notify our customers that we are temporarily closing the following stores for precautionary cleaning and sanitization related to coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns," a statement from the company read. "As soon as the store has been fully cleaned and restocked, we plan to reopen."

Affected stores include four locations in New York City, which is now considered the epicenter of the outbreak in the United States, and two locations in New Jersey. The full list of closures can be found by clicking here. Two other stores that had previously been closed – one in Maryland and one in New York – have since reopened.

In its statement, Trader Joe's explained that they were working to contact all employees at the impacted locations and were encouraging those who may have come into contact with someone who has tested positive for the coronavirus to follow CDC guidelines. The company added that during the temporary closures, Trader Joe's will continue to pay employees for their scheduled shifts.

"We are working closely with local health officials to take all necessary measures and provide our communities with the most appropriate information needed to make an informed decision regarding their health and safety," the statement continued. "We encourage customers who have health-related concerns to review CDC and local health department guidelines and to contact their healthcare providers with any questions."

"As we continue to respond to this rapidly evolving situation, our focus remains on doing whatever is necessary to safeguard the health and safety of our Crew Members and customers and best support our communities," it concluded.

On Thursday, the United States officially surpassed China in total number of confirmed cases, making the U.S. the country with the highest number of cases in the world. As of Friday morning, there were nearly 86,000 confirmed cases in the U.S., with fatalities reaching 1,300. Globally, there have been more than 540,000 cases of coronavirus and more than 23,000 deaths, according to a Johns Hopkins database.