Big Box Stores Close for Cleaning Amid COVID-19 Surge

Don’t put down that disinfectant yet. The highly contagious omicron variant of COVID-19 is causing businesses to temporarily close for cleaning, reminiscent of the closings early in the pandemic.

Reuters reported that last month Walmart temporarily shut down almost 60 stores in COVID-19 hotspots across the country to sanitize them against the coronavirus. The stores remained closed for two days for cleaning to “present a safe and clean in-store environment for our associates and customers,” according to a company statement. “We’ve been closely monitoring our stores across the country, making the decision to temporarily close locations on a store-by-store basis through a collection of market-related data.”

Walmart has more than 4,700 U.S. locations in total.

Apple stores in New York, Tennessee, Georgia, and California also closed for cleaning in December, along with several chain restaurants in New York City, Milwaukee, and other cities.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that retailers close off areas used by the people found to have COVID-19 and to not reopen these areas until they have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. The CDC does not strictly recommend shutting stores or other facilities.