Denver King Soopers employee tests positive for COVID-19

Colo. (KRDO) -- An associate at a King Soopers in Colorado has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, said Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen in a statement Sunday morning.

Officials initially would not say which city or location the employee worked at. However, the company released a second statement a few hours later specifying that the employee worked at a Denver store on Chestnut Place. That associate last worked there on March 6, said Jessica Trowbridge with corporate affairs.

The statement also said that an employee at a Fred Meyer store -- another grocery chain owned by parent company Kroger -- in Washington had tested positive for the virus as well. The company said that both employees are receiving medical care and are recovering.

Kroger officials said their teams sanitized the stores where the infected employees worked.

"Upon learning of these cases, we partnered with state and local health experts, followed all sanitation and cleaning procedures, communicated with and supported our store teams, and with the support of the state governments, the stores remain open," McMullen said in the statement. "We will continue to follow guidance from local, state and federal agencies, including the CDC and other health organizations."

Kroger has also enacted an Emergency Leave Guidelines policy, allowing employees paid time off if they test positive for COVID-19.