Two employees at Amazon’s Palmer Township fulfillment center have tested positive for the coronavirus, but the Van Buren Road facility remains open.
Amazon confirmed the positive tests Monday evening and said they’ve notified all employees at the site — dubbed ABE4 — of the confirmed cases.
Anyone who came in close contact with the diagnosed individuals is to stay home with pay for 14-days in self-quarantine, according to the Seattle-based e-commerce giant.
“We’re continuing to monitor the situation in our facilities and corporate offices, and we are taking proactive measures to protect employees and associates who have been in contact with anyone who has been diagnosed or becomes ill,” the company said in a statement. “Like most global companies, we’ve had employees affected by this, and we’re doing all that we can to protect our employees and take the proper precautions as stated in WHO guidelines. You can read more about all we’re doing to protect employees and partners here.”
The Palmer facility in the Chrin Commerce Center off of Route 33 largely fulfills big box orders and does not employ as many people as its fulfillment centers in the Breinigsville section of Upper Macungie Township. Amazon employs about 3,400 people across its Lehigh Valley properties, according to the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp.
The Van Buren Road facility remains open and Amazon did not directly address questions related to what sort of cleaning it underwent after the employees tested positive. Instead the company shared its general policies for COVID-19 cases.
Amazon is consulting with health authorities and medical experts on whether a building should close for deep cleaning, the company said. The process takes into account: where the employee was in the building, for how long, how much time has passed since they were on site and who they interacted with, among other considerations, according to Amazon.
Last week, Amazon indefinitely shut down a Kentucky warehouse after three employees tested positive and other workers balked at returning to work because the facility largely processes returns. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said on Monday the Amazon facility has his blessing to reopen after an eight-day closure, which gave officials time to trace the infected employee’s contacts, WDRB.com reports.
All Amazon employees diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel virus, or anyone placed into quarantine will receive up to two weeks pay. The company says the additional pay is to ensure employees can get healthy without worrying about a missed paycheck.
This is in addition to the unlimited paid time off Amazon is offering all hourly employees through the end of April, Amazon said.
Amazon says it has implemented preventative health measures for employees, delivery and transportation partners at properties worldwide. Those steps include increased frequency and more intense cleaning on all sites, including high-touch areas like door handles and touch screens, and took steps to ensure social distancing in facilities.
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