Colorado has a new leader in the contest for the state s most ignominious honor: the national chain with the most outbreaks of COVID-19. Kroger, the grocery giant whose affiliates here operate under the King Soopers and City Market nameplates, has been surpassed by Walmart, with a stunning eleven new Colorado outbreaks in a little over a month.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment considers an entity an outbreak after two or more COVID-19 cases among residents, staffers or other people connected to a specific location are confirmed within a fourteen-day period, or two or more cases of respiratory illness with an onset of symptoms within a fourteen-day period are paired with at least one additional COVID-19 diagnosis. The vast majority of businesses and facilities identified as outbreaks remain open, while working with the department to monitor symptoms and prevent future infections.