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Riverside Square Publix Employee Tests Positive for Coronavirus

by Anne Geggis June 30, 2020

by Anne Geggis June 30, 2020 2 minutes read

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Riverside Square Publix {Google Maps}

By Anne Geggis

An employee who works at Riverside Square’s Publix has tested positive for the coronavirus, company officials confirmed Tuesday.

Employees who work directly with the infected employee at the 8160 Wiles Road supermarket were notified and told to self-quarantine, according to a notice distributed Sunday to store employees, not in direct contact with the person who tested positive.

A spokeswoman from Publix said that measures in keeping with the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control have been followed.

The supermarket company continues to be vigilant and as transparent as privacy laws allow, Spokeswoman Maria Brous said.

“Unfortunately, as public health officials have indicated, we expect to see an increase in cases as the virus spreads in our community,” she wrote in an email Tuesday.

The only defense against the virus that causes COVID-19 is to avoid those who have been infected.

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Teri Post, who lives nearby and has often patronized the affected store, said the news does not concern her — and won’t have any bearing on whether she shops there.

“It makes me feel better that they are acknowledging and responding to the problem,” said Post, who works in logistics.

Gil Sternbach, a finance business advisor who lives in Coral Springs, said he doesn’t shop at this particular Publix, but his regular Publix had a similar incident a few weeks ago.

He said it’s not the Publix employees he’s worried about.

“I know Publix is taking corrective action,” Sternbach, 55, said. “I’m more concerned about a customer who will walk into Publix and spread their disease because they are not sufficiently considerate to wear a mask.”

As president of the Parkland-Coral Springs Business Group and member of the Coral Springs Economic Development Advisory Council, Sternbach said he is eager to support business, especially the Mom and Pop businesses, but is not quite ready to resume his pre-COVID-19 life 100 percent.

“I am worried (about coronavirus infection) but I also recognize that I can’t completely avoid the risk — the only way is to stay home permanently,” he said. “And I need to lead a life with some semblance of normalcy, ” said Sternbach.

He said he’s been dismayed of the viral videos showing people protesting the face mask requirement. He said he thinks it’s absolutely necessary.

“As a courtesy to humanity, it’s a minor discomfort that we all need to follow to rid ourselves of COVID-19,” he said.

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Anne Geggis

Anne Geggis has been a newspaper reporter for 30 years, most recently at the Sun Sentinel. She graduated from St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vt., with a double major in journalism and sociology.