Walmart scrutinized for employee’s method of disinfecting carts
LA JUNTA, Colo. (KRDO) — Cellphone video taken by a Walmart shopper in La Junta shows what appears to be a store employee disinfecting only some shopping carts.
The shopper wants to remain anonymous, but gave KRDO permission to use the video.
Walmart writes on its website:
“We continue to focus on cleaning and sanitizing our stores, including shopping carts so customers can feel safe. We found a new solution to help associates clean carts quicker and more thoroughly, making them ready when customers need them.”
Walmart's website also says stores use two gallon spray kits to "sanitize the whole cart."
KRDO sent the video to Walmart’s corporate office and got this statement in response:
“We appreciate this being brought to our attention and are working with store management to ensure associates know and are following the proper spraying procedures. During this challenging time we’re working to balance health and safety concerns while still meeting the needs and expectations of our customers and associates. We’ve seen a positive response to the measures we’ve taken and will continue to put safety first.”
El Paso County Public Health says grocery stores are advised to clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces as much as possible. The health department says disinfecting carts between customers is recommended, but not required.
Luis Gonzalez shopped at the La Junta Walmart on Wednesday, Aug. 19, when the video was taken.
"That’s just lazy," Gonzalez said. "Maybe he was having a bad day or something, I don’t know, but that’s just careless.”
Gonzalez is from Texas where the virus is more prevalent. He tells KRDO he knows 13 people who have died from COVID-19.
"There is a lot of elderly people that live in this community and this area," Gonzalez said. "So that does scare me, especially my mom, that she shops there a lot. She is 60-years-old and it concerns me that she has to go to that Walmart.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also has sanitation guidelines for businesses operating the pandemic. Its recommendations are more vague.
