OK FOODS, THEKWINI SPAR CLOSED AS 2 TEST POSITIVE

MANZINI – OK Minimark (Ok Foods) and Thekwini Spar had to close yesterday as a worker and outside merchandiser tested positive for COVID-19.

However, both supermarkets are anticipating reopening today after they were fumigated and thoroughly sanitised. It is worth noting that these supermarkets are among the busiest in the city since they are located on the boundary line of the city’s central business district (CBD).

Minimark, which is widely referred to as Ok Foods, is found at President Centre, near Ngwane Street and is sharing walls with Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) 1 and Galito’s Flame-Grilled Chicken. On the other hand, Thekwini Spar is located behind Manzini Bus Rank.
According to a statement sent by Sanele Dlamini, a Group Administrator and Systems Manager at Linac Investment, trading as OK Foods, their employee tested positive on Monday.

In that regard, he said they had to close OK Minimark in Manzini yesterday to allow a professional decontamination company to fumigate, sanitise and deep clean the store before it could reopen after inspection. He said all protocols as per the Ministry of Health guidelines  had been followed.
The administrator said the COVID-19 positive employee was last in the supermarket on Sunday and was currently recovering at Lubombo Referral Hospital.

Results

Dlamini clarified that the employee, who showed mild symptoms of illness, yet she had no history of travel, was sent to self-isolation while awaiting her test results after she was tested on Monday.
“The results came back on Wednesday,” he said.

Thereafter, the administrator said all employees in the supermarket were screened. He added that a total of eight workers, who had close contact with the infected employee, were sent to self-isolation for 14 days.
In addition, Dlamini said OK Foods management had also secured temperature scanners for all its stores. He said every employee’s temperature would now be checked prior to commencing his/her work.

“All frontline staff have been given face shields as an extra precaution,” the administrator said in the statement.
He further assured their customers that every preventative measure would continue to be taken and all safety guidelines as issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Ministry of Health would be adhered to in order to ensure that all their clients and staff remained safe.

On the other hand, Anita Belcher from Thekwni Spar, also announced the closure of the store yesterday in a statement. She said the store was closed for purposes of fumigation and sanitising. She said this followed information they received to the effect that one of the outside merchandisers who entered the supermarket in question had tested positive for COVID-19.

In that regard, she said management found it necessary to close the store for a day (yesterday) to fumigate, deep clean and sanitise it. She said this was meant to ensure that all their staff members and customers were kept safe from being infected.
“The store will be reopened for business tomorrow (today),” Belcher said.

She said their staff members who could have been in contact with the affected merchandiser would be tested and put in self-isolation according to guidelines set by the Ministry of Health. She said this would be done to ensure that their health was not at risk.
Belcher added that they had notified the Ministry of Health about the matter and it was involved in the fumigation and sanitising exercise.
She said they did so because the welfare of their staff and customers was of paramount importance to them.

“We remain committed in constantly improving safety standards to fight this pandemic while serving our customers,” she said.

Sanitise

Thereafter, she appealed to their customers to follow the guidelines set by the Ministry of Health; to wear masks, sanitise and observe social distancing so that they could all beat this virus.

Meanwhile, it is worth noting that Linac Investments is among the first organisations with supermarkets that invited health experts to train staff members on how to protect themselves and their customers from contracting the deadly virus.

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