LAKELAND, Fla. — A Publix store employee tested positive for COVID-19 coronavirus.
The person worked at the store at 4730 S. Florida Ave. in Lakeland, the company said in a statement.
At least five Publix employees across the Tampa Bay area have tested positive for the virus in recent months, including those at the following locations:
- 525 S. Belcher Road in Clearwater
- 1555 S. Highland Ave. in Clearwater
- 1491 Main Street in Dunedin
- 1075 Pasadena Ave. in South Pasadena
- 12139 W. Linebaugh Ave. in Tampa
"We are proud of how our dedicated associates are taking care of our customers and each other through this unprecedented and challenging time. And, we thank our customers for continuing to trust us with providing them with the goods and services they need," Publix's statement reads, in part.
"Like other essential service providers, we have seen our own associates and their families personally impacted by COVID-19. Unfortunately, as public health officials have indicated, we expect to see an increase in cases as the virus spreads in our communities."
RELATED: Publix buys 1 million pounds of produce, 100K gallons of milk from farmers to give to food banks
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