Hey y’all, happy holidays! I hope you and your loved ones are staying safe this winter season. I cannot say the same for myself, my family, and my partners families. We had to shut down our store on Saturday due to a confirmed case of COVID. The partner who tested positive has a girlfriend who lives with them and ALSO works at our store in a separate time block, we’re still waiting on the girlfriends results but in the time being our 2 morning shifts are in mandatory isolation and they are insisting on opening our store again without a confirmed negative from the other partner. My manager themself said “I highly doubt their test will come back negative” considering they live with one another and have had the same symptoms. As you all know by now, our lives are just mere dollar signs to corporate so they scheduled the opening with three shifts, one of which is a high risk asthmatic and has a loved one going through chemo, the other two, showing -severe- signs of covid. My manager knows these two shifts are showing signs of covid but still insists on opening the store without any covid tests being done on anyone. Mind you, all of these people have worked long shifts with the partner of the confirmed positive, but starbucks says we can’t technically do anything until we get a positive test back. Needless to say, I’m frustrated, I’m stressed, I’m in isolation and awaiting test results as I have now been exhibiting symptoms as well. At this rate there are only about 3 people at our store who haven’t been exposed and aren’t showing symptoms. None of which will be actually working when we reopen. I know I can’t direct all my anger at my manager, they’re being told to open the store from our DM (whose on vacation... ya know how it is). I honestly don’t know what to do anymore. We are located near 2 senior care facilities and a large majority of our customers are elderly. We don’t keep up to date with sanitizing because we simply don’t have the staff for it. It’s a breeding ground a bacteria in that store and it’s heartbreaking to see these decisions being made knowing lives are on the line. Should I take it higher and report this mess or is it even worth it? I’m not asking for the store to close for a week, it would just be so much easier to wait until the other partners results came back and just go from there. I have a feeling their positive test result is gonna come in tomorrow morning after we’ve reopened and exposed everyone, and they’re gonna need to shutdown all over again. Even as a business that isn’t a smart idea and it’s a waste of money. Why not just wait 1 or 2 more days? It’s just absurd. Please stay safe guys. Happy holidays.