The employee at the Venice store at the corner of Tamiami Trail and Jacaranda Boulevard was the first of the chain’s Sarasota County employees to test positive.

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VENICE — Sarasota County has its first confirmed COVID-19 case involving a Publix employee.

Publix communications director Maria Brous confirmed in an email to the Herald-Tribune that the employee was working at the store at the corner of Tamiami Trail and Jacaranda Boulevard in Venice.

Brous did not release any information about the employee, including when the person was infected.

“Like other essential service providers, we have seen our own associates and their families personally impacted by COVID-19,” Brous said. “Unfortunately, as public health officials have indicated, we expect to see an increase in cases as the virus spreads in our communities.”

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Publix has been confirming positive employee cases when asked based on store number and address. The Herald-Tribune requested confirmation for all of the chain’s 30 locations in Manatee and Sarasota County.

Brous said in an emailed statement that due to testing and reporting varying from state-to-state, the chain is unable to fully and accurately report cases in real time. The Florida Department of Health provides information with cases broken down by zip code for all of the state’s 67 counties.

Venice Publix store No. 384 at 4173 S. Tamiami Trail is among the region's hottest areas for confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to the health department. The 34293 zip code area, which includes Venice Gardens, South Venice and Lake of the Woods, had 28 COVID-19 cases as of Friday.

Sarasota County has 315 positive cases and has so far reported 101 hospitalizations, health department data shows; 32 people have died of COVID-19.

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Employees who test positive are provided with paid leave for 14 days to recover, according to Brous. Any employee who was in close contact with a positive employee is also granted paid leave for up to 14 days and notification of the positive test.

Brous stated that Publix has focused on “intensive, ongoing protective measures in all our stores.”

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That includes an ongoing disinfection program focusing on high-touch surfaces; continued cleaning and sanitation of stores; the installation of plexiglass shields at registers, customer service desks and pharmacies; in-store signage and visual reminders reminding customers of social distancing; requiring employees to wear face coverings; and adjusted store hours to allow more time to clean and restock.