Walmart Neighborhood Market in Gulfport temporarily closes for COVID-19 cleaning
A Walmart Neighborhood Market on U.S. 49 in Gulfport is temporarily closing at 2 p.m. Friday for a deep cleaning to prevent any COVID-19 outbreak.
The store at 11333 U.S. 49 is scheduled to reopen to the public at 7 a.m. Sunday, though the employees will return Saturday to restock the shelves.
During the closure, a third-party cleaning crew is going into the store to “thoroughly clean and sanitize” the building, Walmart’s Corporate Affairs Manager Rebecca Thomason said in a statement Friday.
Walmart did not announce any other closures in South Mississippi or say whether there had been a coronavirus outbreak at that store.
“Everything we’re doing is for the well-being of our associates and customers, and in consideration of guidance by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and health experts,” Thomason said in the release. “When the store reopens Sunday, we will continue conducting associate health screens and temperature checks, and all associates will be provided with facemasks and gloves.
“These protocols are in addition to the extensive measures we’ve put in place during the pandemic to help protect our associates and customers, including installing sneeze guards at registers, temperature checks and mandatory mask-wearing for associates, placing social distancing signage and enacting emergency leave policy for associates who are unable or uncomfortable coming to work”
The store will continue to require customers to wear face coverings while they are in any of stores.
“We will continue working closely with elected and local health officials, adjusting how we serve the community while also keeping the health and safety of our customers and associates in mind,” Thomason said in the statement.
