CORONAVIRUS
Numerous staff members have told ABC10 over the past week that Safeway’s new actions to prevent COVID-19 spread at the storage facility are “insufficient, too late.”.
TRACY, Calif.– After announcing a brand-new executive order that permits front-line vital employees to take an additional paid sick leave, Governor Gavin Newsom referred to the Safeway Distribution Center in Tracy as an example of why he acted.
The storage facility, which has more than 1,700 employees, has had 51 individuals test favorable for COVID-19 and someone die due to problems from the infection.
ABC10 has actually spoken to several workers at the storage facility over the past week, all of whom have said the number of COVID-19 cases might have been avoided had Safeway acted sooner.
One of the factors employees state there’s been a large number of workers evaluating positive is because numerous staff members can’t manage to go unpaid if they’re missing out on work.
Employees said as the demand on grocery shops increases, the distribution center has been having workers work overtime– 16 hours a day, 6 days a week.
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” I stated overtime is tough to get, and now all these men are getting fat paychecks,” another staff member told ABC10 “Therefore people who are ill don’t wish to remain at home since they make that cash. So it’s producing a bad circumstance. There were men coughing and they were trying to hide it.”
Newsom directly resolved this after revealing the additional paid authorized leave by stating just, “We don’t desire you to go to work if you’re sick.”
One Safeway Distribution Center employee, who is presently at home and not getting pay after he apparently tested positive for COVID-19 at work, said he enjoys state leaders are taking action.
” It has to do with time something took place,” he said. “The words reached where they required to be reached and something was done about it.”
He stated he intends on benefiting from Newsom’s new instruction in order to get paid while recovering. He formerly told us while he was deemed essential, he feels exchangeable and questioned why was putting his health on the line.
It’s a sentiment that was heard by Newsom.
” I heard a few grocery workers say they’re called essential however increasingly they seem like they’re disposable. You are important and you’re valued,” Newsom said. “I want to extend my deep adoration and gratitude to you that need to be called out at this moment for conference this moment.”
RELATED: Safeway distribution worker tests positive for COVID-19 after voicing issues about storage facility conditions
ABC10 has actually reached out to Safeway numerous times. We initially requested a verified variety of staff members that have tested positive. After Newsom’s statement, we requested a remark. The only action we’ve gotten is the same press release that was sent out after they executed new safety measures following our preliminary report.
In the release, Safeway called the steps their taking they’re asking associates to stay at home if a member of their household has actually been detected with COVID-19 or if they have symptoms. Other steps they say they’ve taken are:
- Sourced masks to be worn by all associates.
- Adjusted times for lunch and breaks to maintain social distancing.
- Put social distancing signs and floor markers near the time clocks in the distribution.
- Stopped briefly turn-style entries into the distribution center and got rid of some furnishings in break spaces.
- Improved our cleansing and disinfection schedule throughout the circulation.
- Installed hand sanitizer stations at crucial locations within the distribution.
We also reached out to the San Joaquin County Health Department. They said they’re working with the state on containment and infection control procedures.
Follow the discussion on Facebook with Andie Judson.
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VIEW MORE: Tracy Safeway distribution center worker says business did not do enough to prevent virus spread
