Two employees at the Walmart in south suburban Evergreen Park have died from the coronavirus, attorneys and family members tell NBC 5.
Family members identified one of the employees as Phillip Thomas. A second employee was identified as Wando Evans, according to an attorney representing Evans' family.
Walmart confirmed the passing of two employee in a statement, adding the company was heartbroken and mourning along with the victims' families.
"While neither associate had been at the store in more than a week, we took action to reinforce our cleaning and sanitizing measures, which include a thorough deep-cleaning of key areas of the store," Walmart Corporate Communications Manager Payton McCormick said. "Within the last week, the store passed a third-party safety and environmental compliance assessment as well as a health department inspection.
McCormick also said Walmart decided to bring in an outside company to further clean and sanitize the store to ensure the safety and well-being of our associates and customers. Additional steps will be taken as needed, he added.
