Walmart in Laurel closes temporarily for cleaning

Walmart says its store in Laurel, located in the 1600 block of Highway 15 North, will close this afternoon at 2 p.m. and remain closed until Friday morning, August 27, at 6 a.m.

An official tells FOX23 the temporary closure is part of a program to allow third party crews time to thoroughly clean the store.

The official statement from Walmart follows.

"As an essential business and a member of the Laurel, MS community, we understand the role we play in providing our customers with food, medicine and other essential items, especially at this time.

As you know, several areas across the country have begun seeing a renewed increase in positive COVID-19 cases, and we want to assist health officials working against the pandemic. In support of this effort, we have chosen to temporarily close our Laurel, MS store location at 1621 Highway 15 N, today at 2 p.m. as part of a company-initiated program. This will allow extra time for a third-party specialist to further sanitize the store and will also give our associates additional time to restock shelves and prepare the store to once again serve the community. We plan to reopen the store to customers at 6 a.m. on Aug. 27.

Everything we’re doing is for the well-being of our associates and the thousands of customers we serve daily, and in consideration of guidance by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and health experts. Given the rise in positive cases through the Delta variant, we will follow CDC guidance, which includes fully vaccinated people wearing masks in public indoor settings in counties with substantial or high transmission." To contact the pharmacy during this temporary closure, call 601-577-9615.