Amazon's first coronavirus case in a US warehouse could complicate shipping

Amazon has reported its first confirmed COVID-19 case in its US warehouses, a network of facilities that has quickly turned into a critical need for millions of customers as they stay at home during the coronavirus crisis. The worker was stationed at a site in a Queens, New York, a company spokesperson said in a statement Thursday morning. The location is a delivery station, which is much smaller than one of Amazon's sprawling fulfillment centers. The site temporarily shut down for additional cleaning, and workers there were sent home with full pay, according to the spokesperson. "We are supporting the individual who is now in quarantine. Since the early days of this situation, we have worked closely with local authorities to proactively respond, ensuring we continue to serve customers while taking care of our associates and we're following all guidelines from local officials about the operations of our buildings," the spokesperson said. Some of that work includes increased cleaning in facilities, maintaining social distance in warehouses between workers and adding distance between drivers and customers during deliveries. Amazon had previously reported confirmed coronavirus cases in its Seattle headquarters and in warehouses in Spain and Italy. News of this first infection in a US warehouse could complicate Amazon's already huge burden to ship mountains of packages to customers while stores are shut down and people are asked to stay home. If the virus were to spread in Amazon's warehouse system, it could significantly hamper its ability to make deliveries. Amazon says it's implementing many new health protocols to prevent that situation from happening. The company this week announced plans to hire 100,000 new part-time and full-time workers in the US and raise wages in the US, Europe and Canada to help it respond to the spike in demand. It also said it will stop non-essential shipments from coming into its warehouses for now, so it can focus on bringing in and shipping medical supplies and household staples...MORE