TRACY, Calif — A worker at the Safeway distribution center in Tracy, who last week voiced concerns over the warehouse's lack of personal protective equipment, said that he tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday.
The worker, who spoke to ABC10 on the condition of anonymity in fear of retaliation for speaking out, said he believes he contracted the virus while working at the warehouse, which redistributes stock in Safeways and Albertsons across northern California.
"It could have been prevented when they had rumors of the first case there. They could have took precautions," the employee said of the warehouse's policies. "They could done all this testing or whatnot to prevent people that were feeling sick, you know, from going inside and getting all of us sick."
ABC10's inquiries to Safeway about the employee's claims Tuesday went unanswered.
San Joaquin County has 335 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 17 deaths, according the public health department's most recent data. County health officials said they don't have specific information about how many cases are connected to the Tracy center.
Last week, Safeway confirmed at least one employee at the facility in Tracy had tested positive for COVID-19. It's unclear how many workers at the warehouse tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
"Like many neighbors in Northern California, COVID-19 has touched our own Safeway family with confirmed diagnosis among our associates, including the Tracy Distribution Center," the grocery store company said in a statement last week. "Our thoughts are with every associate and neighbor who receives a confirmed diagnosis, and we hope for a full recovery."
In response, Safeway said it would begin temperature checks on employees as well as enhanced disinfecting and adjusted break times for social distancing.
Only in the last few days did the warehouse begin supplying employees with masks, the worker told ABC10, weeks after the first person there reportedly tested positive.
"They told us it was for sure one person in our department that it was confirmed," he said. "And they waited about an hour before the end of our shift to let us know. That way, none of us got scared and went home because that means overtime for them."
He said employees are working 16-hour days, six days a week due to shoppers quickly clearing out stores. He said there are still around 100 employees working in the facility at a time, making it difficult to keep six-feet apart.
One woman, who asked to remain anonymous, told ABC10 that her husband works at the same distribution center and has had to take personals days, because he's being asked to work more than his normal work schedule of four 10-hour days each week.
"We see him one full day a week," the woman said. "And our daughter has asthma. Every time he comes home, he leaves his work clothes out of the house."
Andie Judson contributed to this reporting.
FOR THE LATEST CORONAVIRUS NEWS,
DOWNLOAD THE ABC10 APP:
►Stay In the Know! Sign up now for ABC10's Daily Blend Newsletter