Coronavirus hits 13 Amazon warehouses
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The number of Amazon warehouses impacted by the novel coronavirus in the U.S. is increasing by the day as workers rush to package and deliver products as quickly as possible.
As of Thursday afternoon, employees at least 11 of the company's 110 North American facilities have tested positive for COVID-19, according to Amazon and local media reports.
In some cases, Amazon shut down facilities for cleaning, and some co-workers who were in close contact with their infected colleagues have been quarantined. Amazon has advised workers who do not feel well to self-quarantine for two weeks with 14 days of paid leave.
Here's a list of the impacted facilities so far:
1. Queens, NY
A warehouse in Queens called DBK1 was the first U.S. Amazon warehouse to have an employee test positive for COVID-19, the company confirmed on March 19.
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New York has seen the highest number of cases in the country, with some calling New York City the "Wuhan" of the U.S.
"We are supporting the individual who is now in quarantine," Amazon said in a statement at the time. "We continue to serve customers while taking care of our associates and we're following all guidelines from local officials about the operations of our buildings."
The center was temporarily shut down.
10. Wallingford, Conn.
An Amazon worker at a Wallingford warehouse has tested positive for COVID-19, WTNH confirmed on March 20.
"Since the early days of this situation, we have worked closely with local authorities to proactively respond, ensuring we continue to serve customers while taking care of our associates," a company spokesperson said in a statement.
"We're following all guidelines ... and have implemented proactive measures to protect employees including enhanced cleaning at the facility and maintaining social distance," the spokesperson added.
The center remains open.
8. Oklahoma City, Okla.
The tech giant on Monday confirmed that an employee at an Oklahoma City fulfillment center known as OKC1 had contracted the virus.
He was last on site on March 18, according to local news outlet The Oklahoman.
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"It's here, it's real and we need to take it seriously," OKC1 employee Steven Newton, who tested positive for COVID-19, told KFOR.
He added that he thinks he caught the virus at the warehouse because, as he said, "I don't really have much of a social life. I go to work, come home, go to work, come home, that's it."
The center remains open.
2. Staten Island, NY
An employee at a facility in Staten Island tested positive soon after the Queens warehouse was hit by the virus, Amazon confirmed Wednesday.
The employee was last at work on March 11, according to The Atlantic.
"We are supporting the individual who is now in quarantine," company spokesperson Rena Lunak told the magazine. "In addition to our enhanced daily deep cleaning, we've temporarily closed the Queens delivery station for additional sanitation and have sent associates home with full pay."
The center remains open.
3. Jacksonville, Fla.
An employee at a Jacksonville fulfillment center has tested positive for the virus, the company confirmed Tuesday.
The employee was last seen on site on March 18.
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Another worker who started at the facility on March 18, Kasaharra Johnson, said she was not informed about the COVID-19-positive employee, according to The Florida Times-Union.
"The employees asked: 'Hey, we’ve been hearing someone tested positive,'" Johnson said, "and they were told, 'That's not true. That's just a rumor,' instead of saying, 'it's a possibility.'"
Amazon said in a statement that it is conducting "contact tracing" at the facility and "will alert any associate who had close contact with this person at our building and will ask them to not return to the site and to self-quarantine for 14-days; we will pay them for their time at home."
The center remains open.
4. Moreno Valley, Calif.
Amazon confirmed on Tuesday that an employee at its facility in Moreno Valley had contracted the virus.
The worker was last on site on March 18, according to local news outlet The Press-Enterprise.
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Amazon shared the same statement that it gave in response to news of the Staten Island employee.
The facility employs about 2,000 workers, and the center remains open, the Press-Enterprise reported.
"The worker is undergoing treatment, and several co-workers have been directed to self-quarantine and are under observation by health officials," Moreno Valley Mayor Yxstian Gutierrez said in a statement.
5. Shepherdsville, Ky.
Several employees at an apparel returns facility in Shepherdsville has tested positive for COVID-19, the tech giant confirmed Tuesday.
The facility has been temporarily shut down "for additional sanitization," Kentucky news outlet the Courier-Journal reported.
"At the order of the Governor the site is closed until April 1. We will continue to work closely with health department and the governor to reopen the site," an Amazon spokesperson told FOX Business.
"We are supporting the individuals who are now in quarantine and recovering," a spokesperson said. "We are following all guidelines from local officials and are taking extreme measures to ensure the safety of employees at our site."
6. Joliet, Ill.
Amazon confirmed on Wednesday that a fulfillment center employee in Joliet who was last on site on March 18 had tested positive for COVID-19, according to local news outlet The Joliet Herald-News.
The tech giant shared the same statement that it gave in response to news of the Staten Island employee.
The center remains open.
7. Brownstown, Mich.
An employee at a warehouse in Browntown has tested positive for the virus, Amazon confirmed on Wednesday.
The worker was last at the facility on March 18, and five employees who were in contact with the COVID-19-positive worker have been told to stay home for two weeks, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Amazon shared the same statement that it gave in response to news of the Staten Island employee.
9. Katy, Texas
A delivery station manager in Katy has tested positive for the virus and is receiving medical care, the company said Wednesday.
Amazon shared the same statement that it gave in response to news of the Staten Island employee and told all workers who were in contact with the manager to stay home for two weeks, ABC 13 Houston reported.
11. Shelby Charter Township, Michigan
Amazon confirmed Wednesday that a worker at its facility in Shelby Charter Township, near Detroit, had tested positive for the virus.
The worker was last seen on site on March 18, according to The Detroit News.
The tech giant shared the same statement it gave in response to the Shepherdsville case.
12. Edison, NJ
Amazon confirmed on Thursday that an employee at a 923,000 square-foot Edison facility has contracted the virus.
Amazon shared the same statement that it gave in response to news of the Queens employee.
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The tech giant has come under fire for not taking the necessary safety precautions to protect its workers. More than 1,500 workers from around the world have signed a petition that calls on the company to take additional steps to ensure safety in the workplace.
13. Romulus, Michigan
An employee at a fulfillment center in Romulus, near Detroit, has tested positive for the virus, Amazon confirmed Thursday, according to The Detroit News.
The tech giant shared the same statement it gave in response to the Shepherdsville case.
The employee was last seen at work on March 14, The Detroit News reported.
Amid surging consumer demand, Amazon has decided to open "100,000 new full and part-time positions across the U.S. in [its] fulfillment centers and delivery network" and is temporarily prioritizing some shipments over others.
"People are depending on us. ... Much of the essential work we do cannot be done from home," Bezos said in a memo to employees. "... We’ve placed purchase orders for millions of face masks we want to give to our employees and contractors who cannot work from home, but very few of those orders have been filled. Masks remain in short supply globally and are at this point being directed by governments to the highest-need facilities like hospitals and clinics."
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This article will be updated to include more facilities as they are reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. This article has been updated to include an Amazon statement for Shepherdsville, Ky., saying the facaility will reopen on April 1.
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