A Burger King in Santa Monica is facing criticism after one of its employees, who has passed away, was allowed to work for a full week while experiencing coronavirus symptoms.
Angela Martinez Gomez, 41, died on July 6. Once her co-workers learned of her passing, many of them silently walked out of the establishment. They are demanding the location be shut down temporarily for failure to protect Gomez as well as all the other employees.
In a complaint filed with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and the local CalOSHA division, Yolanda Garcia, “accused the franchise of allowing Gomez to work while sick, as well as failing to offer fresh masks for each shift and conduct frequent cleanings of high-touch surfaces,” Heavy.Com reported, citing Daily Press.
Garcia, an employee, openly criticized the restaurant saying, “A worker shouldn’t have to die, and workers shouldn’t have to strike to call attention to COVID-19 safety at Burger King.”
While Gomez’s cause of death is unclear, she is someone who lived with diabetes and would have been considered high-risk. Before finally being sent home, on June 29, apparently, she was “coughing, nauseous and taking frequent bathroom breaks” on top of having a fever.
However, the manager of the Burger King refuses to believe she died of the virus, blaming her death on the hormones she had been taking as a transgender woman.
“I told (the manager) I was going to get tested for COVID-19, and she said she was going to get tested too, but she also said she didn’t think Angela died of COVID-19, she said Angela died of injecting hormones. That doesn’t make sense to me,” Garcia said.
Until that specific Burger King location aligns with the current health codes, Garcia is demanding it close temporarily and pay employees during its closure. She is also demanding all “health-order violations be prosecuted.”
Meanwhile, Burger King stated that there have been no reported cases of coronavirus at the location and have expressed their sincere condolences in regards to Gomez’s passing.
“Burger King restaurants follow rigorous precautions to keep team members and guests safe at all times,” their statement read. “We have not received any news or confirmation that Angela’s tragic death was associated with Covid-19. No symptoms were reported by the team at that location. Our deepest condolences go out to Angela’s family and friends during this devastating time.”
