JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Another Walmart in our area is closing temporarily due to a surge in COVID-19 across the First Coast.
Walmart has made the decision to temporarily close its Jacksonville store location at 8808 Beach Boulevard starting Friday at 2 p.m. as part of a company-initiated program to allow cleaning crews time to thoroughly clean and sanitize the building.
The location will remain closed through Saturday to provide associates time to restock shelves and prep the store to reopen on August 8 at 6 a.m.
Statement from Walmart:
As an essential business and a member of the Jacksonville, FL community, we understand the role we play in providing our customers with food, medicine and other essential items, especially at this time.
As you know, several areas across the country have begun seeing a renewed increase in positive COVID-19 cases, mainly in regions with low vaccination rates, and we want to assist health officials working against the pandemic. In support of this effort, we have chosen to temporarily close our Jacksonville store location at 8808 Beach Blvd., today at 2 p.m. as part of a company-initiated program. This will allow extra time for a third-party specialist to further sanitize the store and will also give our associates additional time to restock shelves and prepare the store to once again serve the community.
We plan to reopen the store to customers at 6 a.m. on August 8.....
When the store reopens Sunday, we will continue conducting associate health assessments, and all unvaccinated associates must still wear face coverings.
In addition to offering COVID-19 vaccines to customers through walk-in or online appointments, we’re also offering easy access to vaccines for associates. Associates can receive their vaccinations at their home store pharmacy, on or off the clock.
Should associates choose to schedule their vaccinations elsewhere, we will provide two hours of paid leave. Associates who receive the vaccine are given a $150 bonus for doing so and up to three days paid leave, should they experience an adverse reaction to the vaccine.
These protocols and convenient access to vaccinations are in addition to the extensive measures we’ve put in place during the pandemic to help protect our associates and customers. We will continue working closely with elected and local health officials, adjusting how we serve the community while also keeping the health and safety of our customers and associates in mind.