Following “several” coronavirus outbreaks at its fulfillment centers, Amazon plans to implement COVID-19 tests for warehouse workers every two weeks, CNBC reports. A clinical professional will supervise employees as they test themselves with nasal swabs.
CEO Jeff Bezos in April announced that Amazon expects to spend $4 billion, “and perhaps a bit more,” to protect workers as they continue making deliveries. The money is earmarked for personal protective equipment, cleaning company facilities, and raising wages. Another $300 million will go toward funding an in-house COVID-19 testing process to screen all employees for the virus. A testing pilot program has already been rolled out at a “handful” of fulfillment centers, according to CNBC.
“We’ve started our first small-scale testing pilot,” an Amazon spokesperson told CNBC. “We don’t know exactly yet how it’s going to shape up, but we continue to believe it’s worth trying.” The firm is also eyeing standalone diagnostic labs for analyzing samples. Other testing options include pulse oximetry screenings (measuring oxygen levels in the blood) and more regular temperature checks. Amazon did not immediately respond to PCMag’s request for comment.
The company has been grappling with the coronavirus for months. In late March, employees at a Staten Island facility planned a strike to pressure Amazon into closing the warehouse and offering paid time off. A month later, the company allegedly fired two workers for calling out the lack of medical protections at its depots, which led to the resignation of a VP in protest.
