Amazon revives masks mandate for warehouse employees amid omicron menace

All of Amazon’s U.S. warehouse staff will as soon as once more be required to put on face masks at work amid a surge in Covid-19 circumstances because of the extremely transmissible omicron variant.

Beginning immediately, employees will likely be required to put on face coverings inside Amazon operations amenities — even when they’re absolutely vaccinated or dwell in an space the place masks aren’t mandated — based on a discover despatched Tuesday to staff, which was seen by CNBC.

“Your well being and security are of the utmost significance to us,” the discover states. “In response to the speedy unfold of the Covid-19 omicron variant within the U.S. and steerage from public well being authorities and our personal medical specialists, face coverings are once more required for everybody.”

An Amazon spokesperson confirmed the discover to staff mandating masks at warehouses.

Amazon is reinstating the masks mandate as employees are in the course of “peak season,” when warehouses are absolutely staffed and staff work extra time to choose, pack and ship vacation orders.

Main companies together with Amazon have needed to frequently readjust their Covid security protocols because the pandemic has stretched on. Amazon in November lifted its masks mandate for absolutely vaccinated warehouse employees, after eradicating and reinstating the masks requirement in warehouses a number of instances previously 12 months.

Corporations’ strategy to the virus have shifted but once more because the extremely contagious omicron variant spreads, inflicting coronavirus circumstances to rise. Omicron is now thought of the dominant Covid pressure within the nation, accounting for 73% of sequenced circumstances.

Amazon, the second-largest employer within the U.S. behind Walmart, hasn’t mandated vaccines for its employees. As an alternative, it has nudged staff to get the shot by providing bonuses and operating a “Max Your Vax” sweepstakes, which handed out automobiles, money awards and trip packages to a handful of staff.

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