After outbreak at Hollywood store, Ralphs to begin testing employees

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- After an outbreak of COVID-19 among employees at a Hollywood store, Ralphs said it is offering testing for its employees.

Los Angeles County health officials reported on Friday that 21 employees tested positive for COVID-19 at the "Rock and Roll Ralphs" at 7257 W. Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood.

The results triggered protests by union workers outside the supermarket to call for greater protective measures.

The grocery chain now says it will offer testing to employees based on symptoms and medical need. The testing is expected to start in mid-May, conducted through a combination of at-home test kits and test site locations.

A company spokesperson also says the store has been closed for deep cleaning three times in recent weeks. The company is also requiring employees to wear masks and installing clear shields to create a barrier between customers and employees.

Customers say they are glad to see more testing.

"Everybody should be tested," said Ralphs shopper Andrew Schlessinger. "There should be no shame involved. We need widespread testing if we're ever going to be able to be back to some semblance of normalcy."