Amazon knowledgeable US warehouse workers on Friday that it’s as soon as once more requiring them to put on masks to work in response to the unfold of the extra contagious COVID-19 delta variant (through CNBC and Bloomberg). The corporate says it affords access to vaccines to over half a million of its employees, however it can require workers to masks up, no matter their vaccination standing.
Amazon confirmed the masks mandate in an e-mail assertion to The Verge:
In response to the regarding unfold of latest COVID-19 variants within the U.S. and steerage from public well being authorities and our personal medical specialists, we’re requiring face coverings indoors no matter vaccination standing. We’re monitoring the scenario intently and can proceed to comply with native authorities steerage and work intently with main medical healthcare professionals, gathering their recommendation and proposals as we go ahead to make sure our buildings are optimized for the protection of our groups.
Non-warehouse workers at the moment don’t need to cope with Amazon’s coverage change. The corporate just lately adjusted its return-to-office plans on August fifth, pushing back its return date to January 2022. Like different corporations, Amazon had previously considered implementing a hybrid work schedule, with plans to deliver workplace employees again to places of work for at the least a part of the week beginning on September seventh.
Taking the additional precautions for warehouse workers looks as if the suitable concept if it plans to proceed having workers work in individual. Amazon reported in October 2020 that 19,816 employees of its 1,372,000 frontline workers throughout Complete Meals and Amazon had COVID-19 “or the place presumed Positive” from March 1st to September nineteenth, 2020.