Did you shop at Bichelmeyer Meats before its COVID closure? Here’s what you should know
Bichelmeyer Meats was experiencing a boom in business after the coronavirus pandemic forced the closing of some meat packing plants in the region, which limited the meat supply in some stores.
But when two employees tested positive for COVID-19, the longtime butcher shop decided to temporarily close its doors to the general public.
“It was our decision at that time, since we have a diminished workforce, to suspend retail operation to the general public, but to continue with our custom processing operation,” owner Joe Bichelmeyer said Thursday.
But those who visited the shop in Kansas City, Kansas, before its closure don’t need to worry unless they have been in close contact with someone who tested positive for the virus, meaning they have been within six feet of the person for at least 10 minutes.
“Being in the same general building or the same outdoor space or something like that is not going to be the same as if you were having that close contact,” said Janell Friesen, the public information officer for the Unified Government Public Health Department. “Of course, we still encourage people to wear the masks and meet the social distancing in general, and to do the combination of the two.”
Bichelmeyer said the two employees were sent home when they came in feeling unwell, so they did not have close contact with customers while symptomatic.
Additionally, other employees in contact with those who tested positive have been tested for COVID-19. All their tests came back negative, but they will not come into work until the end of the positive employees’ quarantine period, Bichelmeyer said.
Customers can also rest easy about the safety of their purchases, as there is no evidence of COVID-19 being transmitted through food, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says COVID-19 has a “very low risk of spread from food products or packaging.” As long as customers practice general food safety, they should not have problems.
And, Bichelmeyer said, “the employees that were tested positive were not in the meat company during that time, so there should be no concern on behalf of the public as to their meat purchases being contaminated.”
Bichelmeyer Meats has been following guidelines the Health Department gave to the shop after its employees tested positive, Bichelmeyer said. These include keeping the employees who tested positive home until they have been symptom-free for 10 days and having employees social distance and wear masks, Friesen said.
Friesen said people going out in public should continue with COVID safety measures.
“Remember that even though more things have reopened, COVID-19 is still a threat in our community, so we need to be wearing those cloth face coverings,” Friesen said. “And the mask is not a substitute for social distancing.”
If someone has had close contact with a symptomatic person or is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, Friesen said they should only leave home to get tested for COVID-19. If someone in Wyandotte County has concerns about COVID-19, they can visit the county’s COVID-19 website or call 311.
This story was originally published June 18, 2020 at 5:11 PM.