Employee at Flour Bluff H‑E‑B Plus! has tested positive for COVID-19

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — H-E-B Stores has announced that an employee at their Flour Bluff location has tested positive for COVID-19. 

In a statement, H-E-B says, "as COVID-19 continues to impact communities around the world, our H-E-B family has not gone unaffected. A partner who was confirmed positive for COVID-19 was last in the store on April 1, 2020."

H-E-B officials say all directly affected partners at the Flour Bluff location have been notified. 

The store has been deep cleaned and sanitized multiple times since April 1, and store officials continue to enforce proper social distancing practices, according to a press release.

According to H-E-B officials, a "partner" might be someone who works in their stores, warehouses, or manufacturing and transportation facilities. 

All other employees will be strongly encouraged to wear masks, which H-E-B will provide starting Saturday, April 4. Gloves, which have been available to partners, are also provided for their use. 

“As an essential service provider at this time, masks and gloves are just another safeguard we’ve implemented across our company to protect the health and safety of our Partners, customers, and communities,” said Martin Otto, H-E-B Chief Operating Officer. 

“We are here for all Texans and we take our role to protect public safety seriously,” stated Otto.

"All partners who choose these options must continue to follow H-E-B’s strict hygiene and sanitation measures as well as proper social distancing protocols. Partners who wear masks must keep them clean and maintain our high standards for hygiene and sanitation while at work," added Otto.

H-E-B officials say all partners who wear gloves must continue to frequently wash their hands and apply hand sanitizer. Gloves must also be regularly changed and properly discarded after use.

Deep cleaning and disinfecting of all H-E-B locations will continue to speed up as the spread of the coronavirus progresses in Nueces County.  

This announcement comes after the public learned there was an employee at a San Antonio store location that tested positive for COVID-19.

This is a developing story and 3News will keep you updated as more details become available. 

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