Walmart cashier who died of coronavirus claimed ‘shoppers coughed on her’

A Walmart cashier allegedly complained that shoppers coughing on her shortly before she fell ill and died from COVID-19.

Sandra Kunz, 72, who worked at the Walmart Supercenter in Aurora, Colorado, passed away from complications related to the coronavirus on April 20.  

In an interview Thursday, Kunz’s sister, Paula Spellman, said Kunz had told her that customers had not been following proper protocols. 

‘I wish she [Kunz]  didn’t work there. I wish she had taken leave. I get angry because she should have been more protected,’ Spellman told CNN. 

The Walmart Supercenter in Aurora was temporarily shut down late last this week, after a security contractor who patrolled the store also died from COVID-19. 

Six other store employees have now tested positive for COVID-19, and several other workers are awaiting their lab results. 

Sandra Kunz, 72, who worked at the Walmart Supercenter in Aurora, Colorado, passed away from complications related to the coronavirus on April 20. It’s unclear whether she contracted the virus while working at the store. Kunz’s husband, Gus (right), also tested positive to COVID-19, and died two days after she did 

A Walmart spokesperson said in a statement: ‘Our hearts go out to Sandy Kunz and her loved ones. Her loss shows the devastating impact of the COVID-19 virus.’  

It is unclear whether Kunz contracted the virus while working at Walmart. Her husband, Gus, also tested positive to COVID-19 and has also passed away from the disease. 

Kunz was a cashier, which experts say is the most dangerous job inside of a grocery store. 

Brandon Brown, an epidemiologist at the University of California, Riverside told CNN: ‘The cashier spot is still the most dangerous since every customer passes this area and stands there for some time while groceries are moving down the counter’. 

Sandra Kunz worked at this Walmart Supercenter in Aurora, Colorado. She allegedly told her sister that shoppers were coughing on her 

Some stores have added plexiglass sneeze guards to cash registers to keep employees safe during the pandemic 

Spellman says her sister worried about not having access to a face mask while working at Walmart as she had a lung condition. However, the company said that face masks have been available for workers at the Aurora Supercenter since late March.  

But Eric Feigl-Ding, an epidemiologist and health economist at the Harvard, told CNN that cashiers ‘need N95 medical masks as much as health care workers.’

While some stores have implemented plexiglass shields around their registers, Fiegl-Ding says face shields would be more effective.  

Last Thursday, Sens. Cory Booker, Sherrod Brown, Richard Blumenthal and Kristen Gillibrand wrote a letter to Walmart CEO Doug McMillon to ask that the company prioritize the health of workers over income.

‘We write today to strongly urge you to do more to prioritize the health, safety, and well-being of your employees who are also our constituents, friends, family members, and neighbors,’ they wrote. 

The letter pointed to Walmart employees who complained that protective gear provided by the company was ‘in short supply, of poor quality, and that the gloves and masks only come in one size that is often too small for many of the workers who have to use them.’ 

Spellman says her sister worried about not having access to a face mask while working at Walmart. However, the company said that face masks have been available for workers at the store since late March. All Walmart cashiers are now required to wear them 

Eric Feigl-Ding, an epidemiologist and health economist at the Harvard says face shields should be used by all cashiers, such as the one seen in this photo

The letter also said Walmart locations haven’t implemented safeguards they announced in a March 31 memo, such as regular temperature checks. 

‘Given the size of your operation, any failure of Walmart to keep its workforce safe does not only put your employees at risk, it puts the entire country at risk,’ the letter said. 

Walmart has not disclosed how many employees have tested positive for COVID-19 or died of it, but two Evergreen Park, Illinois, employees died earlier this year from the disease.   

Wando Evans, a 51-year-old overnight maintenance worker, died on March 25 after working for Walmart for 15 years. 

Phillip Thomas, 48, died four days later on March 29 following nine years at the store. He was turning 49-year-old on April 12. 

(Left to Right) Wando Evans and Phillip Thomas, two employees at an Evergreen Park Walmart, died of coronavirus just four days apart 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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