Coronavirus Brookline: Whole Foods Worker Tests Positive

BROOKLINE, MA — An employee of Whole Foods in Brookline tested positive for the new coronavirus, the chain confirmed to Patch Tuesday.

"The safety of our Team Members and customers is our top priority and we are diligently following all guidance from local health and food safety authorities," Whole Foods said in an emailed statement.

A spokesperson declined to say when the person last worked or whether customers or other employees were potentially exposed at the store on Beacon Street in the St. Mary's neighborhood of Brookline.

"We’ve been working closely with our store Team Members, and are supporting the diagnosed Team Member, who is in quarantine," the spokesperson said. "Out of an abundance of caution, the store performed an additional cleaning and disinfection, on top of our current enhanced sanitation measures."

The company has been closing stores up to two hours early to give staff more time to restock shelves, sanitize stores and rest.

The case comes as the number of cases across the commonwealth jumped to 6,620 Tuesday, with 89 deaths. Thirty-three people died during the past 24 hours, the biggest one-day jump the state has seen since the beginning of the outbreak.

Gov. Charlie Baker on Tuesday increased the stay-at-home advisory through May 4.

Also on Tuesday, Whole Foods employees were set to strike. They criticized the company for having what they called a lack of protections for workers.

"As this situation progressed, our fundamental needs as workers have become more urgent," Whole Worker, a labor movement within the grocery chain, said in a statement. "COVID-19 poses a very real threat to the safety of our workforce and our customers. We cannot wait for politicians, institutions, or our own management to step in to protect us."

Patch has reached out to Whole Foods for comment on the strike.

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Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).