T&T Supermarket employee gets COVID-19, prompting closures of store and Pacific Place Mall

A staff member at a T&T Supermarket in northeast Calgary has been confirmed to have COVID-19, prompting the temporary closures of the grocery itself and the surrounding mall.

T&T SupermarketCEO Tina Lee announced the confirmed casein a Facebook post Thursday.

She said the supermarketinPacific Place Mall at999 36thSt. N.E. had been closed for deep-cleaning and quarantine until April 8.

The infected staff memberlast worked at the store on Saturday, March 21, Lee said.

Patrons of the grocery store aren't among those needing to self-isolate, according to information provided by Alberta Health Services.

"Only those individuals contacted directly by AHS are considered exposed to any case," a spokesperson said in a statement late Thursday. "If you are not contacted directly by AHS, you are not considered exposed."

The T&T staffer felt ill on Sundayand stayed home from work, Lee said. They then received positive COVID-19 test results Tuesday.

'You can count on us'

All staff have been sent home into self-isolation for 14 days to monitor their symptoms.

"I ask for your patience as we work to ensure our staff are healthy before we reopen," Lee wrote to customers.

"This is a difficult time for all of us, but you can count on us to do the right thing."

The ill staff member feels better and doesn't have a fever, the CEO said.

The Pacific Place Mall closed for the day Thursday to clean all surfaces in theentire facility, according to a post on its website.

Essential services in the mall, including theCanadian Diagnostic Centre, Canadian Back Institute, Prime Care Health and Pharmasave, will remain open during the cleaning.

The mall said it had closed food court seating, increased security and cleaning, and added safety equipment for employees.

As of the province's daily briefing on Thursday afternoon, Alberta was reporting 67new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 486.

The majority of the cases 300 are located in the Calgary zone.