Lex Hollmann, owner of Malelane SUPERSPAR, posted a YouTube video saying the Department of Labour “informed (them) that they were to test all the staff, swab them and that they would need to go into isolation for 14 days”.
Hollmann asked the department if it would be closing the store, to which it responded that it can remain open, “there just won’t be any staff”.
“All the employees we had in the store today have gone into isolation for 14 days. We plan on contacting our top staff who have been on leave, and looking for those whom we have sent on leave in this period and have not had contact with anyone in the store during the period that is required.”
Hollmann went on to say that Malelane SUPERSPAR would possibly call on community members and some “old hidden talent” for assistance.
It was reported last week that a woman who had worked at the Bureau de Change kiosk at the store tested positive for the Covid-19 virus on March 28. She had travelled to work with her husband and a third party, who was later identified as an outside merchandiser, based at SPAR.
Hollmann took all the necessary precautions and has been updating the public on the situation on a daily basis. Yesterday, he posted another YouTube video explaining that the outside merchandiser has now also tested positive.
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In it, he described the timeline and the actions that management took to further prohibit the spread of the virus.
“When I made the video (about day five), I did not know about the individual who has now tested positive.”
He went on to say the store was only notified on March 30 that the merchandiser had been in contact with the woman.
“We immediately sent him off, took his details and sent it to the department. One of our store managers has been phoning the young man every day to find out how he is doing. He was fine up until April 4, when he tested positive. At that point we received the information because we were keeping in contact with him, not from the Department of Health.”
He further explained that they have traced close contact of the man and have sent home everyone they suspected could have been exposed.
“There are six individuals who have been in close contact with him. Those who were at work we called in and interviewed, got their close contacts and immediately sent them into self-isolation. We also supplied the department with their information.”
Malelane SUPERSPAR has been under pressure since the first confirmed case. An image of a document calling for the temporary closure of the store has been circulating locally.
“I have seen the image, although I haven’t received the official document yet,” he said.
A message has also been circulating stating that the store has been closed for 24 hours for a “deep clean”, but Hollmann dispelled the rumours by posting on his personal as well as the Malelane SUPERSPAR Facebook pages, stating that the business is open as usual.
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