Lakeland-based grocery giant Publix confirmed on Wednesday that yet another employee has now tested positive for coronavirus.
On Wednesday, the company said in a statement provided to WTSP that the employee worked at the store located at 12139 W. Linebaugh Ave in Tampa. This is now the fifth Tampa Bay employee to test positive for coronavirus, says the station.
Last month, Publix began offering a two-week paid sick leave for employees that test positive for the coronavirus. However, it’s important to point out that an employee who thinks they may have COVID-19 would need to first get tested, which can often take a considerable amount of time and effort that many hourly employees don’t have.
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Recently the company also previously announced that it would install plexiglass barriers at registers, customer service desks and pharmacies, and relaxed its policies to allow employees to wear masks and gloves while they work.
So far, there has been no announcement on employees receiving hazard pay.
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This article appears in Apr 16-22, 2020.