Valyou Warehouse in Naxxar was on Monday fully sanitised following the confirmation that one of their storekeepers tested positive for COVID-19.

The supermarket immediately took all measures to ensure the safety of their staff and customers, under the direction of the Office of the Superintendence of Public Health and are in close contact with the authorities who advised that following the sanitisation, the supermarket could continue to operate as usual. Such sanitisation has also been certified by a reputable company.

The affected worker was a storekeeper and had no contact with customers on the shop-floor at any point. Fellow store-employees who were in direct contact with the storekeeper, have been put on mandatory quarantine, and all suppliers with whom he had recent contact, have been advised as directed by the local authorities.

Both the warehouse and the supermarket itself have been sanitised, even though the worker did not access the supermarket, but this was taken as an extra precautionary measure.

Last month, the company issued a number of measures in response to COVID-19, one of which was monitoring staff temperature as they turned up for work each day. The affected worker displayed no fever or typical symptoms associated with the virus. He did not turn up for work on Sunday due to stomach pains and was subsequently tested; and has since not turned up for work.

The supermarket was one of the first to implement a number of precautionary measures to safeguard its staff and the general public. Internally the company had vigilantly advised all staff who have travelled to adhere to the directives of the Ministry of Health, and their temperature readings were and are still being taken daily. Staff also wear protective garments at all times.

In addition, the supermarket also implemented a number of crowd control measures including on-site security, sanitisers at each entrance, as well as floor stickers and signage indicating the adequate social distance to keep from one another, amongst other measures.

The company will continue to take every measure to ensure the wellbeing of their employees and customers and reiterate that this is their main priority.