Covid-19: Dis-Chem at Ballito mall shuts down after staff member tests positive

The Dis-Chem pharmacy at the Ballito Junction mall has been shut down after a member of staff at the pharmaceutical retail giant tested positive for Covid-19.

"We can confirm that one of our staff members has tested positive for Covid-19, but we have ensured that the risk of infection has limited transmission to anyone else, thanks to the rigorous preventative health and safety protocols we have implemented," the group said in a statement on Wednesday.

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They said precautions included ensuring daily temperature checks, social distancing, the use of masks, deep cleaning of the entire store with special attention to high-touch areas, sanitiser and protective perspex sheets at tills. 

Decontamination

"In addition, we have just completed a full professional decontamination and sanitisation of the store. We are in close contact with the Department of Health and are working towards reopening Dis-Chem Ballito Junction."

Close contacts of the affected person were immediately identified, placed in self-isolation and were being monitored, Dis-Chem said.

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"We have worked closely with the Department of Health throughout the lockdown period. The department has reviewed our protocols and confirmed that we are taking appropriate, swift action to contain the spread of the virus."

Stringent trading safety measures remained a top priority at the store. 

"These include limiting the number of customers in the store so that we can ensure appropriate social distancing and sanitising of every trolley before it is used," the statement read.

In mid-April, News24 reported that 24 staff members at the Dis-Chem branch at Retail Park, Boksburg tested positive for Covid-19.

At the time, Dis-Chem said all the of 132 employees did not have any symptoms.

Toward the end of April, News24 also reported that two employees at Dis-Chem in BluBird Shopping Centre, Johannesburg had tested positive for Covid-19.