Xtra Foods group marketing manager Daniel Austin said while there have been covid19 cases among the staff at its Grand Bazaar branch, the number is nowhere as large as rumours have made out.

He said precautions have been taken to ensure the store is safe for staff and customers alike.

WhatsApp messages and texts circulating on Friday said over 50 members of staff had tested positive for the virus.

While Austin did not disclose the exact number of cases at the branch, he said it was much smaller.

“We do have staff members who tested positive for covid19, but the numbers in the WhatsApp messages are false.

"Some staff members are being quarantined because they are awaiting results, while others are in quarantine because they have been in contact with someone who has tested positive.

"If one person tested positive for covid19, the others who were working with them have to get tested and be quarantined until the test results come back. This is the protocol we have in place.”

He said protocols for staff members also include daily temperature checks and reporting immediately if they feel unwell, or if they observe any co-worker being unwell.

"Any worker feeling unwell or exhibiting covid19 symptoms is required to get tested, and quarantine and advised to stay away from work while waiting for results. If positive they are to quarantine in accordance with the Health Ministry’s guidelines. Anyone who was in contact would be required to quarantine, and can only return to work when the relevant healthcare authority gives the go-ahead.

"We are in the frontline and face a daily risk of being exposed to the virus, just like hospitals and banks, which are also having positive cases.”

He said there are many safety measures in place to guard against covid19, including daily sanitisation, and this was why the store did not need to close after staff members were reported as having tested positive.

Listing them, he said, "When people enter, there are sinks for members of the public to wash their hands, and temperature checks before anyone enters the building. All trolleys are being sanitised on a daily basis once customers use them. All surfaces, especially by the customer service counters, by the cash registers, by the bakery, are sanitised periodically.

"We also do a full sanitisation of all departments through the entire building when the store is closed every night, so employees that are suspected of having covid19 who are not returning the day after would not contaminate the services throughout the store.

"This is why we did not need to close, because if you went home today and called in sick the next day, the store had already been sanitised the night before. We also have certificates to prove that we sanitised on a daily basis.”

Austin said while a staff member had died, that death was not connected to the covid19 virus. He said the store was guided by its commitment to respect the identity of the individual and their fam