Wawa shuts Montgomery County store after suspected coronavirus case

Wawa on Friday temporarily shut down a store in Skippack, Montgomery County, after it became aware of a suspected case of coronavirus, the company said.

“The store is temporarily closed to the public out of an abundance of caution as we became aware of a suspected (not confirmed) case of COVID-19 at the store,” Lori Bruce, Wawa’s spokeswoman, said in an e-mail. She did not specify if the suspected case involved a customer or an employee.

» READ MORE: Wawa changes hours, ends self-service coffee due to coronavirus outbreak

Montgomery County is the hardest hit area in the region as coronavirus spreads across the state.

“The store is being professionally deep cleaned and disinfected, and we’re working closely with the Montgomery County Department of Health and will follow any guidance they provide," she said. "At this point, we don’t have a timeline for reopening the store.”

The closure came a day after the popular convenience-store chain announced a series of operational changes to address the coronavirus emergency, including reducing hours and eliminating self-serve beverage services.

Under the new guidelines, Wawa employees will serve coffee to customers, and the stores are suspending all self-service fountain beverages, Icee drinks, cappuccino and iced coffee. The stores will individually bag all bakery products for customers.

Wawa is adjusting store hours and implementing overnight closure between 2-3 am at all locations for additional store cleaning, sanitation and stocking. It is also enhancing its frequency of cleaning and disinfecting all touch points and surfaces.