Pennywise branch closed for covid19 sanitising

ABOUT 25 staff members were kept inside Pennywise's Charlotte Street, Port of Spain branch for several hours on Wednesday morning after public health officials closed the store due to a covid19 scare.

Sources told Newsday that at about 7.30 am, public health officers informed staff that they may have come in contact with someone who may have contracted the virus on Tuesday.

Pennywise CEO Dalvi Paladee told Newsday that Pennywise "may have been exposed to a secondary contact."

Later that morning, security staff was seen turning away customers telling them the store was closed.

Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh confirmed that Pennywise branches on Charlotte Street, and Long Circular Mall as well as First Citizens' San Juan branch had both been closed to be sanitised owing to suspected exposure to covid19. He was speaking at Ministry of Health virtual presser on Wednesday morning. The bank's San Juan ATM section was later reopened.

Newsday was told public health officials are expected to return to test people inside the store.