Thousands of Trader Joe’s Employees Test Positive for COVID-19

In an article that originally appeared in USA Today, Trader Joe’s has announced that of its 53,000 employees, 1,250 of them had tested positive for COVID-19 within the last eight months.

The grocery store chain says this is an infection rate of about 2.4% and that the coronavirus was “suspected to be a contributing factor” in two employee deaths. Trader Joe’s has 514 stores in 42 states and Washington, D.C.

One of the biggest concerns this year about the virus was about the susceptibility of catching it at the grocery store, a place that has been deemed essential even during the lockdowns.

Recent analysis published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that 20% of 104 grocery workers tested positive at a store in Massachusetts that was not identified and that most of those workers were asymptomatic.

The study had found that employees with direct customer exposure were five times more likely to test positive for SARS-CoV-2.

Trader Joe’s has said it believes its COVID-19 figures are “below the average rates of positive cases in each community where we have stores,” and also said 83% of 514 Trader Joe’s stores nationwide have had under four reported cases.

“We believe that the results in virtually all areas are below the average rates of positive cases in each community where we have stores,” the company said.

Trader Joe’s has noted that 95% of the employees who tested positive and completed a quarantine period have recovered and chosen to return to work.

The grocery store chain says it has continued to meet or exceed guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention while developing effective procedures to protect the health and safety of customers and employees.