D’Iberville Walmart store closes for deep cleaning as COVID delta variant spreads
Walmart will temporarily close its D’Iberville supercenter location at 2 p.m. so crews can deep clean and sanitize the building during the COVID-19 pandemic, the company announced Monday.
The store at 3615 Sangani Blvd. will stay closed Tuesday, allowing third-party crews to clean the store and staff to restock the shelves.
It will reopen at 6 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 4.
This comes after the Mississippi health department announced Monday nearly 5,000 new cases of the coronavirus over the weekend, a new record high.
Walmart said in a statement Monday morning the company knows the role its stores play in providing our customers with food, medicine and other essential items, especially at this time.
“As you know, several areas across the country have begun seeing a renewed increase in positive COVID-19 cases, mainly in regions with low vaccination rates, and we want to assist health officials working against the pandemic,” the statement said.
Last week, Walmart required face masks for all employees in locations with high transmission.
“Given the rise in positive cases through the Delta variant, we will follow CDC guidance, which includes fully vaccinated people wearing masks in public indoor settings in counties with substantial or high transmission,” the company’s statement said.
All Mississippi counties are now areas of high transmission, the CDC’s map shows, except for two counties in northern parts of the state.
In January, Walmart closed the Gulfport Neighborhood Market for deep cleaning. Media reports stores temporarily are being closed in Alabama, Florida and other locations for sanitizing.
Walmart offers COVID-19 vaccines to customers through walk-in or online appointments. Employees who get vaccinated receive a $150 bonus and up to three days paid leave, the company said.
This story was originally published August 2, 2021 at 12:04 PM.
