ARNOLD, Mo. — Another local Walmart is closing temporarily to allow time to clean, in response to the COVID-19 surge.
This comes as the Walmart in Bridgeton also announced the closure of thier store for the same reason. This location in St. Louis County reopened Sunday after being thoroughly sanitized.
The Arnold location, at 2201 Michigan Ave, sent a release saying they are closing on Sunday at 2 p.m. The store goes on to say the will remain closed through Monday to give associates time to restock shelves and prep the store to reopen on Tuesday at 6 a.m.
"Walmart’s place within the community is considered essential, and we understand the role we play in providing customers with food, medicine, and other needed items during this time," they wrote.
To read more about what the company has been doing to keep customers and employees safe during the pandemic, click here.
The store released an official statement:
As an essential business and a member of the Arnold community, we understand the role we play in providing our customers with food, medicine and other essential items, especially at this time.
As you know, several areas across the country have begun seeing a renewed increase in positive COVID-19 cases, and we want to assist health officials working against the pandemic. In support of this effort, we have chosen to temporarily close our Arnold store location at 2201 Michigan Ave today at 2 p.m. as part of an ongoing company-initiated program. This will allow extra time for a third-party specialist to further sanitize the store and will also give our associates additional time to restock shelves and prepare the store to once again serve the community. We plan to reopen the store to customers at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 11.
Everything we’re doing is for the well-being of our associates and the thousands of customers we serve daily, and in consideration of guidance by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and health experts. We will follow CDC guidance, which includes fully vaccinated people wearing masks in public indoor settings in counties with substantial or high transmission.
In these counties and where there are state or local mask mandates, associates will be required to wear masks inside our facilities, including stores, clubs, distribution centers and fulfillment centers. You can find the county-by-county breakdown here. The CDC updates its data on transmission rates weekly, so the guidance on mask usage is likely to change over time in different locations.
When the store reopens Tuesday, we will continue conducting associate health assessments, and all unvaccinated associates must still wear face coverings.
In addition to offering COVID-19 vaccines to customers through walk-in or online appointments, we’re also offering easy access to vaccines for associates. Associates can receive their vaccinations at their home store pharmacy, on or off the clock. They’ll receive two hours of paid leave to receive their vaccination and up to three days paid leave, should they experience an adverse reaction.
These protocols and convenient access to vaccinations are in addition to the extensive measures we’ve put in place during the pandemic to help protect our associates and customers. We will continue working closely with elected and local health officials, adjusting how we serve the community while also keeping the health and safety of our customers and associates in mind.