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Supermarket worker's shocking act while cleaning shopping baskets

A supermarket employee has been filmed spitting into a cloth and using it to wipe down shopping baskets despite the fact the highly contagious coronavirus can be transmitted through saliva.

The elderly male was spotted “cleaning” a stack of baskets at a FreshCo store in Toronto, Canada, on July 5, according to Toronto City News.

Video showed him doing a thorough job on each basket before stacking it on a new pile, using a white cloth to wipe each of them down inside and out.

Photo shows a man spitting into a cloth before using it to clean supermarket baskets.
The man was filmed spitting into a cloth then using it to wipe down a stack of baskets. Source: City News Toronto

It was an alarming sight for shopper Marta Casimiro, who was disturbed by the cleaner being seemingly unaware of the severity of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

She told the publication she was in shock and felt “sick” when she witnessed the concerning act, claiming the man also used his spit to wipe down trolleys.

When she contacted the store to complain, she claimed the manager refused to watch the video and instead defended the actions of their employee.

Eventually, she was contacted by head office and informed that the cleaner had been suspended from work, but argued it was too little too late.

“We cannot allow such things to be overlooked. I’m furious and very disappointed... We are living in a pandemic… how do you think we feel? This is terrorism for me,” she told the publication.

The cleaner was reportedly hired through a third party to clean the store, and was not a direct employee of the supermarket.

After watching the video, spokesperson for FreshCo Jacquelin Weatherbee, described the actions of the man “absolutely reprehensible”.

“[It is] completely against the standards we work so hard to achieve in our stores each day,” she said.

Photo shows supermarket cleaner wiping baskets with a cloth covered in his own saliva.
The cleaner was suspended from working at the store after footage of him using saliva as cleaning product emerged. Source: City News Toronto

“The health and safety of our customers and teammates is our top priority – that has never been more true than right now, through the COVID-19 pandemic.”

She added that a full investigation would be conducted into the matter.

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