A worker from Amazon’s Moreno Valley fulfillment center has tested positive for COVID-19 and is in quarantine, the company confirmed in an email Wednesday.
The employee last visited the Moreno Valley site on March 18, according to Amazon.
“We are supporting the individual who is recovering. We are following guidelines from local officials and are taking extreme measures to ensure the safety of employees at our site,” a statement from Amazon read.
Other employees at the site have been informed of the confirmed case and anyone who was in close contact with the diagnosed worker has been asked to stay home for 14 days in self-quarantine.
Any employees who are diagnosed with COVID-19 or asked to quarantine will receive up to two weeks of pay. “This additional pay while away from work is to ensure employees have the time they need to return to good health without the worry of lost income,” the statement read.
Amazon says it has also adjusted its practices to help prevent the spread of the virus.
The changes include frequent and intense cleanings at all sites, “including regular sanitization of all door handles, stairway handrails, elevator buttons, lockers, and touch screens, to name a few,” the statement read.
Moreno Valley Mayor Yxstian Gutierrez said it was unclear if the diagnosed worker was a resident of the city.
“The coronavirus pandemic is affecting nearly every community nationwide, and it is no surprise that there is an increase in positive cases,” Gutierrez said. “This is precisely why Governor Newsom issued the Stay at Home order. Along with social distancing and proper hand washing, it remains the most effective means of slowing the spread of the virus,” the Mayor added.
Amazon workers have now been diagnosed with COVID-19 at eight U.S. warehouses, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.
Workers have tested positive in New York City; Shepherdsville, Kentucky; Jacksonville, Florida; Katy, Texas; Brownstown, Michigan; Oklahoma City; Moreno Valley; and Wallingford, Connecticut, according to the Post.
Amazon’s fulfillment centers have been deemed essential and remain open during the country’s fight against the spread of the coronavirus.
The company recently announced plans to hire 100,000 new U.S. employees to help keep up with the growing demand of Americans who are trying to get needed food and supplies without leaving their homes.
