More Positive Tests Confirmed at East Pasadena Whole Foods Location

Two more employees at the Whole Foods Market at 3751 E. Foothill Blvd. in East Pasadena have tested positive for coronavirus just weeks after another employee tested positive and died, it was reported Wednesday evening.

Text messages to Whole Foods employees obtained by the Southern California News Group confirmed three cases, all in the last month. Neither of the recent cases has been publicly disclosed by the company.

A text message sent to employees May 5 read “Your location has a confirmed case of COVID-19. Your safety and health is our top priority.”

A second text message sent on May 8 told workers of “an additional confirmed case of COVID-19.”

On May 19, employees received a third text message that confirmed another case of coronavirus, but the employee had not been at work for more than two weeks.

An email from a company spokesperson confirmed there have been positive tests of employees at the store.

“I can confirm that we have had team members diagnosed positive with COVID-19 at this location,” the email read. It did not specify an exact number of cases at the store.

The spokesperson said when the company learns of a positive case in their stores, it “activates a swift and comprehensive action plan, which includes contact tracing and a formal notification process for those working in our stores.”

Employees who comes in close contact with an infected worker, as well as anyone who has tested positive or has a presumed positive diagnosis, are asked to quarantine with up to two weeks of additional paid time off.

On May 15, the supermarket chain confirmed that an employee at the store had died on May 8 of coronavirus-related complications. Information about her age or if she had any underlying health conditions was not released.

The official told City News Service on May 6 an employee at that location had contracted the virus. It was not immediately clear if the woman who died is the same employee.