Walmart temporarily closes NJ stores in Hamilton, North Bergen, Teterboro

It might be a matter of time before the Walmart in your neck of the woods suddenly closes for a few days.

Three more Walmart stores have temporarily closed in New Jersey as part of an ongoing company program to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

The retailer announced that stores in Hamilton on Nottingham Way, in Teterboro on Route 46 and in North Bergen on Tonnele Avenue will be closed from 2 p.m. on Friday until 6 a.m. Sunday.

The closures are not the result of an outbreak of COVID-19 at the stores but rather a proactive move as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise in New Jersey.

As of Friday, the state Department of Health COVID-19 dashboard reports nearly 40,000 new COVID-19 tests, 5,621 hospitalizations and 63 more deaths.

Why are Walmart stores being temporarily closed?

"The temporary closure initiative is something Walmart has been doing since shortly after the pandemic’s beginning in 2020. This is a proactive measure, based on market-specific data, and is intended to present a safe in-store environment for our associates and customers," spokeswoman Ashley Nolan previously told New Jersey 101.5.

During the closure, an outside company will sanitize the store as employees restock.

Since December, five stores have been temporarily closed in Linden, Kearny, the Williamstown section of Monroe in Gloucester County and Manville. At least 60 stores nationwide have also been closed under the initiative.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ