CVS has been pressured to briefly shut a number of pharmacy places nationwide on account of COVID-19 infections amongst staffers.
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Two of the nation’s largest retail pharmacies are briefly closing shops on weekends on account of a rise within the variety of COVID-19 infections amongst staffers.
The 2 chains mentioned that the fast unfold of the Omicron variant has depleted staffing at a number of places nationwide, affecting customer support and delaying key providers like remedy prescriptions and vaccinations.
Walgreens boasts almost 9,000 places throughout 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. CVS operates round 10,000 pharmacies all through the nation.
Reached by the Put up, a spokesperson for CVS declined to specify what number of shops have been closed and which places have been affected.
“The overwhelming majority of our shops are open on their regular weekend hours,” a CVS spokesperson mentioned.
“A small variety of shops might briefly shut on one or each days of the weekend to assist handle acute staffing points amidst the Omicron variant surge and a nationwide workforce scarcity.”
The corporate rep added: “This can be a fluid, evolving scenario and we would not have particular retailer places to share.”
“Within the occasion that a pharmacy is briefly closed, a affected person can go to any open CVS Pharmacy location for help with their rapid prescription wants.”
The Put up has additionally sought remark from Walgreens.
Shares of each Walgreens and CVS made modest good points in buying and selling on Wall Avenue on Friday.
Even earlier than the unfold of Omicron, the 2 chains slashed hours and elevated pay in an effort to handle staffing shortages, which have solely been exacerbated on account of file surges within the variety of COVID-19 instances.
An Akron, Ohio resident advised The Wall Avenue Journal that his spouse was pressured to go 12 hours with out prescription ache remedy as a result of their native CVS pharmacy closed on brief discover.
A Walgreens spokesperson advised the Journal: “The continuing labor scarcity, mixed with the surge of Covid-19 instances, has resulted in remoted situations by which we’ve needed to regulate working hours or briefly shut a restricted variety of shops.”
Different massive retail chains are additionally reeling from the consequences of the unfold of Omicron.
Lululemon Athletica mentioned its vacation enterprise took a success on account of staffing shortages attributable to the unfold of the variant.
Different retailers have been pressured to curtail their hours, together with Macy’s. Walmart closed 60 shops in December for 48 hours to sanitize the shops.
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