ASHTABULA, Ohio — Two Northeast Ohio Walmart stores will be undergoing cleaning to fight the spread of COVID-19.
Ashtabula
The Walmart store in Ashtabula, located at 3551 N. Ridge Road, will close this afternoon at 2 p.m. for an "ongoing company-initiated" cleaning program.
"As you know, several areas across the country have begun seeing a renewed increase in positive COVID-19 cases, and we want to assist health officials working against the pandemic," Walmart spokesperson Ashley Nolan said.
The Ashtabula store will reopen on Friday at 6 a.m.
"This will allow extra time for a third-party specialist to further sanitize the store and will also give our associates additional time to restock shelves and prepare the store to once again serve the community," Nolan said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ashtabula County has a 26.18% positivity rate. Only half of Ashtabula County's population is vaccinated against the disease. And according to the Ohio Department of Health, there have been 15,052 cases of COVID-19 in the county since the pandemic began. More than 800 people have been hospitalized and 298 people have died. The U.S. Census Bureau states that as of July 1, 2020, the county has a population of around 97,000.
"Everything we’re doing is for the well-being of our associates and the thousands of customers we serve daily, and in consideration of guidance by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and health experts. We will follow CDC guidance, which includes fully vaccinated people wearing masks in public indoor settings in counties with substantial or high transmission," Nolan said. "When the store reopens Friday, we will continue conducting associate health assessments, and all unvaccinated associates must still wear face coverings."
Bainbridge
The Walmart located at 7235 Market Drive Place, Bainbridge, Geauga County, closed Tuesday for cleaning. According to Nolan, the store will reopen Thursday at 6 a.m.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Geauga County has a 30.1% positivity rate. Around 60% of Geauga County's population is vaccinated against the disease. And according to the Ohio Department of Health, there have been 12,979 cases of COVID-19 in the county since the pandemic began. More than 700 people have been hospitalized and 203 people have died. The U.S. Census Bureau states that as of April 1, 2020, the county has a population of around 95,000.
Two Sam's Club locations — on Brookpark and in Oakwood Village — recently closed a few days for cleaning as well. They were both slated to be reopened by today.
RELATED: Health experts warn more children to be hospitalized with COVID-19 in coming weeks
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