Publix said Wednesday that another 20 of its Central Florida stores have had a worker test positive for coronavirus, bringing the total confirmed in the region to 30 locations.
The Lakeland-based grocery store giant had previously confirmed 10 stores with cases to the Orlando Sentinel. It has about 125 stores in Orange, Seminole, Lake, Osceola and Volusia counties, so nearly a quarter of its stores in the region have had an employee test positive for the virus throughout the course of the pandemic.
“Like other essential service providers, we have seen our own associates and their families personally impacted by COVID-19,” spokeswoman Maria Brous wrote in an emailed statement confirming the stores. “Unfortunately, as public health officials have indicated, we expect to see an increase in cases as the virus spreads in our communities.”
Publix is the only Central Florida grocery chain that has confirmed COVID-19 cases to the Sentinel. Walmart and Winn-Dixie have not released that information when asked about specific stores.
The Publix stores at the following addresses were confirmed by the company on Wednesday:
2300 S. Chickasaw Trail, Orlando
409 S. Chickasaw Trail, Orlando
12231 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando
741 S. Orlando Ave., Winter Park
440 N. Orlando Ave., Winter Park
951 N. State Road 434, Altamonte Springs
2381 W. State Road 434, Longwood
7880 Winter Garden Vineland Road, Windermere
1160 E. State Road 434, Winter Springs
15502 Stoneybrook West Parkway, Winter Garden
1720 E. Silver Star Road, Ocoee
8863 W. Colonial Drive, Ocoee
2840 David Walker Drive, Eustis
24420 State Road 44, Eustis
18955 U.S. 441, Mount Dora
1951 S. Narcoossee Road, Saint Cloud
3372 Canoe Creek Road, Saint Cloud
2431 S Woodland Blvd., DeLand
709 E. 3rd Ave., New Smyrna Beach
2400 S. Ridgewood Ave., South Daytona
The company had previously confirmed the following stores:
2873 S. Orange Ave., Orlando
10615 Narcoossee Road, Orlando
14185 Lake Nona Blvd., Orlando
5350 Central Florida Parkway, Orlando
16825 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando
2295 Aloma Ave., Winter Park
482 Altamonte Drive, Altamonte Springs
5400 Hamlin Groves Trail, Winter Garden
29 Blake Blvd., Celebration
2338 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, Kissimmee
Publix offers paid leave for 14 days for employees who test positive for the virus. It is also notifying and giving paid leave for up to 14 days to workers who have been in “close contact” with infected staffers, Brous said.
The company began requiring its employees wear masks on April 20 and has also installed sneeze guard-like barriers and directional floor markers to separate people. It does not require customers to wear masks but posts signs asking them to abide by government mandates to do so.
“The testing and reporting of cases by health departments varies widely state-by-state,” Brous said. “As a result, we cannot fully and accurately report cases in real time, but we have been, and will continue to be, keenly focused on intensive, ongoing protective measures in all our stores.”
For the first three months of the year, Publix’s sales soared to $11.2 billion, with the company estimating business was up about $1 billion because of the pandemic.
Contact Austin Fuller at afuller@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5664; Twitter @afullerreporter
