Amazon will begin evaluating some warehouse employees for Covid-19 symptoms as they report to work, marking the latest effort to increase coronavirus security measures at its facilities.
The company notified warehouse workers in at least two states, Michigan and Virginia, Wednesday that they would be subject to a new symptom detection process upon arrival at its facilities, according to documents obtained by CNBC.
“Starting this week, we will present a symptom screen at our entrances in accordance with the guidance of local authorities,” the notice sent to the worker states. “In the future, when you get to your shift, you will read signs that list possible Covid-19 symptoms when you enter the building.”
Amazon did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
If workers do not report any symptoms of Covid-19, they will scan their credential, complete a temperature check, and enter the building normally, according to the notice.
If workers say they are experiencing symptoms of the virus, they will be asked to “return home as a precaution and receive a Covid-19 test,” according to a notice sent to Michigan workers. It is unclear whether that measure will be taken at all facilities that implement the new detection measures.
Amazon has taken a number of security measures to make it safer for the hundreds of thousands of warehouse employees who have continued to work during the pandemic. The company employs 125,000 full-time workers at its North American facilities, and typically has at least 100 employees per shift at compliance centers.
He began taking temperatures for workers and demanding facial masks in warehouses in April. The company is also tracking contacts when it identifies positive cases, reviewing camera images to identify anyone who has come in contact with people who have tested positive, along with interviews with infected people.
Despite these measures, warehouse workers have repeatedly criticized Amazon’s response to the pandemic, arguing that it has not done enough to keep them safe.
Increased evidence
Amazon has also stepped up its plans to test warehouse workers on the front line. In April, CEO Jeff Bezos said the company would soon begin “regularly testing all Amazonians, including those with no symptoms.”
Since then, Amazon has deployed coronavirus testing sites in nearly a dozen stores, according to notices sent to workers. CNBC previously reported that the company’s goal is to evaluate the bulk of its warehouse workers every two weeks.
Workers are evaluated with a nasal swab using a video as a guide. A medical professional is nearby to help. In some facilities, workers are paid if they choose to participate in the pilot test, according to notices sent to workers in Ohio and Arizona. Employees generally receive their test results within three to five days, Amazon told workers.
In addition to collecting nasal swabs, Amazon plans to develop independent diagnostic laboratories at various sites, beginning in Sunnyvale, California and Hebron, Kentucky. Amazon is hiring a number of diagnostic research scientists for the labs’ staff, who would analyze some of the test samples to see if they are positive or negative, among other efforts.
.
