Lowe’s employee in Apex, NC, tests positive for COVID-19
A Lowe’s Home Improvement store employee in Apex has tested positive for COVID-19.
The employee, who worked at the Beaver Creek Commons shopping center location, is currently quarantined and receiving care, according to company spokesperson Sarah Lively.
That person last worked on March 30. Lively, who works for Lowe’s Corporate Communications, said the store has been cleaned per CDC guidelines and remains open.
She also said any other employees who worked closely with the employee is on paid leave.
Under North Carolina’s stay-at-home order, hardware and supply stores are considered “essential” businesses and can remain open.
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On Thursday, a Lowe’s employee who works in the Triangle emailed a reporter at The N&O to voice concerns about worker safety in the store. He asked to remain anonymous, for fear of losing his job.
He said employees want more access to protective equipment, and he wants the stores to limit the number of people in the store at a time and enforcing distancing guidelines more strictly.
He also said customers should only come to the store to buy essential items, to increase the safety of employees and shoppers.
Lively wrote in the email to The News & Observer that “the health and well-being of our associates and customers is our priority, and we continue to operate under CDC guidelines and take preventative measures to ensure the safety of our operations.”
She said that every 15 minutes, stores are reminding customers to distance themselves from other customers. She added that individual stores have the ability to limit customer capacity, and that customers can check out via mobile in the store or purchase products online
Lowe’s also announced a temporary $2-an-hour wage increase for all full-time, part-time and seasonal hourly employees on Thursday.
