Rafu Staff Report
TORRANCE — Nijiya Market, located at 2121 W. 182nd St. in Torrance, closed over the weekend due to concerns about the coronavirus and was still closed Tuesday morning.
A manager for Nijiya explained that the market is currently doing a deep cleaning after two workers tested positive for COVID-19. He said that neither employee has been in the market for more than a week, but as a precaution they are doing a thorough cleaning and restocking of items.
He said it may be a few more days before the store reopens.
A sign posted in front of the store reads, in part: “There is nothing more important for us than the safety and health of our customers and employees at Nijiya Market. We have been closely following the advice of public health authorities as well as Nijiya company policies and we are temporarily closing our TR store location due to COVID-19 concerns.
“While we conducted professional cleaning and disinfecting service throughout the store, we decided to close the store until further notice in order to assure the safe and healthful working and shopping environment. We will do our best to reopen the store as soon as possible.
“We truly apologize for any inconvenience.”
On the company website (www.nijiya.com) in March, Nijiya announced that it was taking the following precautionary measures:
“Updated Store Hours: We have updated our store hours to increase the time to restock and clean our stores. We thank you for your understanding.
“Continued Communication: We are closely monitoring the situation, and regularly providing all of our stores and employees with the most up-to-date safety guidance, as recommended by the CDC and other health officials.
“Offering Time Off to Employees: Employees have been asked to exercise increased precautions to safeguard their health and the health of their community, including staying home if they have any symptoms of illness or do not feel well.
“Prioritizing Good Hygiene Practices: We are providing continuous reminders about good hygiene practices and supporting our employees with necessary resources. For instance, ensuring every cashier at the registers has the opportunity to regularly wash their hands.
“Increasing Routine Cleaning: In line with our long-standing commitment to provide a safe and clean shopping environment, stores have increased the frequency of cleanings, paying close attention to high-touch areas such as restrooms, register areas, shopping carts and baskets.
“Suspending Sampling in Store: As this situation has evolved, we have taken increased precautions related to our food and beverage sampling in stores, including our decision to stop the practice until further notice.”
In Southern California, Nijiya also has locations in Torrance’s Rolling Hills Plaza, West Los Angele, Little Tokyo, Puente Hills and San Diego. There are also four in the Bay Area and two in Honolulu.