By Mike De Felice

Special to Kitsap Daily News

PORT ORCHARD – The Fred Meyer shopping outlet in Port Orchard is the latest store to suffer an outbreak of the coronavirus among employees.

Nine employees at the store have been infected with the virus and are self-quarantining, according to company spokesperson Jeffery Temple.

“Currently, nine associates out of the store’s total approximate 330 associates have tested positive for COVID-19, all who have been self-quarantining in alignment with the company’s Emergency Leave Guidelines,” Temple said this week in a news release.

The Sedgwick Road store has had recent multiple professional third-party sanitation deep cleaning sessions, according to the company.

“Fred Meyer has taken extensive measures to safeguard our associates, customers and supply chain, ensuring local communities always have access to fresh, affordable food,” Temple said.

Measures being taken to protect staff and customers include employees wearing face masks, plexiglass shields at checkout stands, decals to ensure social distancing, cleaning high-touch areas every 30 minutes, and mandatory temperature and symptom checks for associates before shifts, according to the company’s news release.

“We are in communication with our associates that have tested positive to assist in their needs. Our thoughts are with them as they recover, and we wish them well,” Temple said.