4 employees at Giant Eagle distribution center in Freedom test positive for coronavirus

Four employees at a manufacturing and distribution facility in Freedom, Beaver County, have tested positive for coronavirus, Giant Eagle officials announced Monday.

Company spokesman Richard Roberts said workers have had their temperatures taken when they arrive at the facility since the first case was confirmed on May 8. About 400 people work at the 171,000-square-foot building, which is used as a warehouse, corporate office and a manufacturing facility for some items sold in Giant Eagle stores.

“Giant Eagle has undertaken numerous safety and sanitization practices at its Freedom facility since the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic,” Roberts said via email. “These efforts include employing team members whose sole responsibility is to sanitize various areas of the facility, requiring all team members to wear masks or other face coverings, making gloves available to all interested team members, revising work schedules to allow for necessary social distancing and installing protective screens separating team members in the manufacturing area.”

He said the site is a USDA-certified facility, and the company follows strict guidelines to ensure food safety and is routinely in close contact with USDA representatives.

“The health, safety and well-being of all team members and guests remains Giant Eagle’s top priority,” Roberts said. “Importantly, the Centers for Disease Control (and Prevention) continues to state that there is no evidence to support transmission of covid-19 associated with food or food packaging. Other team members at the Freedom facility who may have been in close contact with the four team members either in or outside of work are being tested. The company will continue to closely monitor all activities at its Freedom facility and will consider additional operational steps as more is learned.”