Missouri McDonald's employee worked while symptomatic before coronavirus diagnosis
Employee worked shifts on seven days before testing positive, health officials say
Public health officials in Springfield-Greene County, Missouri issued a warning on Friday about potential coronavirus exposure from a McDonald's employee who worked seven days before testing positive for the respiratory illness.
The warning comes as fast-food workers continue to come down with the virus.
The employee in question worked at the McDonald's located on 2811 North Kansas Expressway while showing symptoms, officials said.
The employee wore a face covering and gloves during their shifts, and customers who patronized that store were characterized as having a "low risk" of contracting the coronavirus, according to officials.
Sneeze guards were also in place at the restaurant.
CORONAVIRUS LAWSUIT TAKES ON MCDONALD'S LIKE IT WAS A ROWDY BAR
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCD | MCDONALD'S CORP. | 299.14 | +4.46 | +1.51% |
Dates worked by the McDonald's employee prior to testing positive for COVID-19, according to the Springfield-Greene County Health Department:
- Friday, May 29 from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m.
- Saturday, May 30 from 5 a.m. to 8:20 a.m.
- Tuesday, June 2 from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Wednesday, June 3 from 6 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Friday, June 5 from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Saturday, June 6 from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Tuesday, June 9 from 5 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
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An exterior shot of a McDonald's fast-food restaurant. (iStock)
The health department did urge that customers closely monitor their health for symptoms and to isolate or self-quarantine if symptoms show.
Health officials are also contacting employees who were in close contact with the McDonald's worker who tested positive.
FOX Business has reached out to McDonald's for comment. McDonald's Kansas Expressway store owner-operator Rex McMillian told the Springfield News-Leader that the restaurant has conducted a "thorough sanitization procedure in accordance with CDC guidelines."
Staff members who were in contact with the person "have been asked to self-quarantine at home for 14 days to ensure they remain healthy before returning to work," McMillian told the News-Leader. "We have been in contact with the employees and are providing support during this time."
McMillian said his stores conduct wellness checks and temperature checks before workers' shifts.
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McDonald's announced last month it made nearly "50 process changes" last month in accordance with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local health experts to protect its 850,000 employees and customers. Some of these processes included wellness and temperature checks, PPE such as masks and gloves, social distancing guidelines, increased cleaning, installation of protective barriers, a reopening "playbook" and sick pay.
McDonald's is not the only fast-food establishment to have restaurant-level employees contract the novel coronavirus.
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Popular quick-service chain Chick-fil-A has had select locations throughout the U.S. that have had workers test positive, including Colorado, where nine Fort Collins employees tested positive in May, according to the Coloradoan; Georgia, where three employees tested positive in Lake Park this week, according to the Valdosta Daily Times and New York, where one employee tested positive in Cicero, according to Syracuse.com.
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Similarly, at the height of pandemic in early April, a Popeyes cashier in Albany tested positive, according to local news outlet WNYT.
The headline has been updated.