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An employee at the Eureka Target store is among the 52 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Humboldt County, a spokesperson for the county’s Public Health Branch confirmed this afternoon. 

“The Public Health Branch has been working with Target to actively investigate this case and has determined that the individual worked on-site but did not work with customers,” Public Information Officer Heather Muller said in an email to media. “Close contacts have been identified. Any close contact with symptoms to date has been tested, and we have no additional positives to report. Close contacts are nonetheless quarantined and being monitored.”

The Outpost has communicated with two Target employees, who asked to remain anonymous to protect their jobs. One, who we’ll call John, said he and his coworkers were notified about the confirmed COVID case last Thursday, April 16, by the store’s human resources department.

“That’s when Target called all the employees, and health officials contacted all the people who interacted [with the positive employee] for longer than a 30-minute timeframe,” John said in a phone interview. He spoke to us while on a half-hour break in his latest shift at the store. 

John said the afflicted employee was part of an overnight crew working on a store remodel. The sick employee was placed on a 14-day quarantine, along with any coworkers who had direct contact with him or her, John said.

Another employee reached out to the Outpost via email on Thursday. “I received a call from our HR this evening, April 16th, [stating] that one of our staff has a confirmed case of Covid-19 and I may have been exposed,” she wrote.

John said that since learning of the possible exposure, a number of his coworkers have chosen not to come to work for their own safety. 

“There are at least four of the team leads who are not here,” he said. “I’m pretty sure the majority of people who have been put on leave were from the remodel or overnight crew.” But others are staying home, too.

“A good portion, since hearing the news, have basically taken a leave of absence, [and] said, ‘Hey, we’re not going to work until this clears up,’” John told the Outpost. “The one nice thing that Target has been doing is not punishing anyone who wants to self-quarantine. As far as I know, no one is going to be punished for leaving during this time.”

But only employees with a certain amount of longevity are given that leeway, John said. Asked why he chose to return to the store, he said, “I still have to pay rent and pay bills.” He’s not eligible for paid time off, he explained.

John said the night crew that’s working on the remodel regularly touches shelving and products as they “move stuff around the store,” but county health official said that there’s no evidence of risk to the public.

Muller’s statement to local media continued, “Our investigation and isolation/quarantine activities are ongoing. There is no evidence of contact exposure for members of the general public visiting the store.”