SUPER Value's president Rupert Roberts says while COVID-19 vaccines won't be mandatory for employees, the food store chain is considering only hiring fully vaccinated people in the future

Speaking to The Tribune yesterday, Mr Roberts voiced growing alarm about the surge in COVID-19 cases, saying the number of Super Value workers infected in this third wave have been greater than what was seen in the previous waves.

Added to this situation is the nation’s climbing death toll, which rose to 284 on Sunday after two men from New Providence died from the virus on July 14 and July 19.

Yesterday, Mr Roberts said in recent days, it is believed that death brought on by COVID-19 has reached the company’s doorstep.

He told The Tribune the chain is currently mourning the death of an employee, who is believed to have died from the virus.

If confirmed, this would make the second Super Value employee to have died from the deadly disease since the pandemic began.

Mr Roberts said the latest deceased employee worked in the trucking department.

He added the employee got tested for the virus last week after experiencing flu-like symptoms.

However, the test later yielded negative results, but Mr Roberts suspects the test result was inaccurate.

“We are mourning our second COVID death last week,” Mr Roberts said. “Our employees are in shock at the moment. Our employee originally tested negative at a (local clinic) and continued his illness for a week until he passed out and was rushed to Doctors. We suspect the test was wrong. He died Thursday or Friday. He has children and I believed he’s in his 40s.”

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