Amazon employees say a worker tested positive for novel coronavirus at Amazon warehouse where photo appears to show lack of social distancing
- The news of a positive COVID-19 case at the Amazon fulfillment center in Jeffersonville, Indiana, was announced to employees in a voicemail obtained by Business Insider. Amazon confirmed the case.
- Business Insider previously reported about a photo sent by an employee at this same processing center.
- The photo appears to show managers at this facility not abiding by social-distancing guidelines, the employee, who wishes to stay anonymous due to fear of retribution, claims. Amazon said it would investigate the claim.
- The company said that beginning April 3, it will start checking employees at the site for signs of fever.
- "We are supporting the individual who is recovering," Timothy Carter, an Amazon spokesperson, said in an email to Business Insider. "We are following guidelines from health officials and medical experts, and are taking extreme measures to ensure the safety of employees at our site."
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
A worker at an Amazon warehouse has tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, according to a voice message sent to employees and obtained by Business Insider. Amazon confirmed the case.
The case happened at a processing center in Jeffersonville, Indiana, where Business Insider reported on Wednesday about a photo sent by a worker at the facility, who wishes to stay anonymous out of fear of retribution. The photo appears to show managers huddled closely around a table, the employee claims, despite social distancing recommendations to stay six feet apart. Amazon said it would investigate the claim.
"This is your GM ... calling to provide an update: Today we learned of a confirmed case of COVID-19 at SDF8," states a voice message sent to employees Thursday evening, referencing the internal code for the warehouse.
In the voice message, workers were told that "the affected individual was last on-site on March the 26th."
"We are following the CDC's guidance and will inform any coworkers who may have been in close contact with the affected individual," the message states, asserting that the risk to other employees is minimal.
"We have taken a number of measures to keep all of us safe and healthy, including mandatory social distancing," the message states, adding that the company will now begin conducting temperature checks for all employees, as of April 3.
In a statement to Business Insider, Timothy Carter, an Amazon spokesperson, said, "We are supporting the individual who is recovering. We are following guidelines from health officials and medical experts, and are taking extreme measures to ensure the safety of employees at our site."
Amazon said they will notify employees who were in close proximity to the worker who tested positive, and they will be put on a 14-day self-quarantine. Those who test positive or are put on quarantine will receive up to two weeks of pay.
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