145 Costco workers test positive in COVID ‘superspreader,’ Washington officials say

At least 145 employees at a Costco in Washington have tested positive for COVID-19 and that number is expected to go up, the Yakima Health District said.

“All 145 individuals that have tested positive are currently completing their isolation or quarantine period,” the Yakima Health District said in a Tuesday news release. “After reviewing the number of cases, and the timeline in which they were identified, there is evidence to show that this sharp increase in cases mimics the type of activity that happens after some sort of superspreader event where multiple people are infected at the same time.”

The Union Gap store employs 383 people total, according to KOMO News. Before Christmas, 68 staff members tested positive for COVID-19, and that number quickly grew to the current 145 reported cases, the Yakima Herald reported.

The health district is investigating the outbreak, but officials haven’t recommended that the business close its doors to customers, according to the release.

The Costco location must test all employees on site, regardless of if an individual had close contact with someone who reported having COVID-19, according to the health district.

“As Costco continues its site wide testing, we anticipate the number of cases to continue to go up over the next few days as results are received,” Melissa Sixberry, director of disease control, said in the news release.

Officials will continue to investigate the outbreak to see if Costco can “demonstrate that they are complying with COVID-19 safety precautions” or if there is “evidence of ongoing transmission.” The health district will also determine if the business can clean the building when closed or if there’s an exposure risk for the community.

Yakima County has had more than 18,000 reported cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, and 313 people have died, according to county data.

To help slow the spread of COVID-19 within its stores, Costco has strict mask policies, McClatchy News previously reported. Shoppers with medical conditions that prevent them from wearing face coverings are required to wear face shields instead.

“This updated policy may seem inconvenient to some, however we believe the added safety is worth any inconvenience,” Costco said in November. “Our goal is to continue to provide a safe shopping environment for our members and guests, and to provide a safe work environment for our employees.”

Costco has not publicly commented on the store outbreak in Washington.

This story was originally published December 30, 2020 at 2:33 PM with the headline "145 Costco workers test positive in COVID ‘superspreader,’ Washington officials say."