SPOKANE, Wash. — The Amazon fulfillment center in Spokane is reporting positive cases of the 2019 novel coronavirus among its employees.
KREM reached out to the company after a screenshot shared on Spokane Reddit said employees at the center received a COVID-19 diagnosis. Those employees were last on-site on Saturday, July 11, the message posted to Reddit reads.
The company is "supporting the individuals who are recovering," Amazon spokesperson Anne Laughlin Carpita said on Tuesday. She did not clarify how many employees of the Spokane fulfillment center have contracted COVID-19.
KREM has reached out to the Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD) for additional information on the positive cases.
"We are following guidelines from health officials and medical experts, and are taking extreme measures to ensure the safety of employees at our site," Laughlin Carpita added.
Amazon has implemented COVID-19 safety measures such as the purchasing of masks, hand sanitizer, thermal cameras, thermometers, sanitizing wipes and gloves; adding handwashing stations and disinfectant sprays in buildings; procuring COVID-19 testing supplies' and employing additional janitorial teams.
The fulfillment center in Spokane, which launched in June, employs more than 1,500 people, according to Amazon representatives.
SRHD is not requiring businesses to close for cleaning if an employee or customer tests positive, spokesperson Kelli Hawkins recently said. She added that the district does have the power to close them, but would only do so if it was "really necessary."
Coronavirus outbreaks have been reported at a handful of other businesses in the Spokane area.
Forty-six coronavirus cases have been linked to an outbreak at Borracho Tacos & Tequileria in downtown Spokane.
Another outbreak at the Philadelphia Macaroni Company, a pasta plant in Spokane, left dozens of workers infected with coronavirus.
Last week, Morning Star Boys' Ranch in Spokane also announced five of its staff members and eight clients have tested positive for COVID-19.