Coronavirus: Amazon to require warehouse employees to wear masks

Amazon has joined other major retailers in requiring employees to wear masks.

Amazon announced that beginning Monday, all of its 900,000 U.S. warehouse workers must wear masks indoors, regardless of their vaccination status, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The move by Amazon follows those of several retailers and restaurant chains, including Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Starbucks and McDonald’s. Grocery store giant Publix has also instituted a mask mandate.

Amazon will require all employees at its warehouses and delivery hubs to begin wearing masks Monday regardless of vaccination status, the company announces. https://t.co/GVy1NkKrng
— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 6, 2021

McDonald’s -- along with Target - will only enforce the measure in counties deemed at high risk for COVID-19 transmission by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Previously, Amazon employees had the option not to wear masks if they had proof of vaccination, according to NBC News.

In an announcement to employees on Friday, Amazon officials said the precautions were taken “in response to the rapid spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant in the U.S. and guidance from public health authorities and our own medical experts.”

>> Coronavirus: Starbucks, McDonald’s, Home Depot to require workers wear masks inside all locations

Amazon officials added that it hopes the new mandate will only last “a few weeks,” NBC News reported.

“We are monitoring the situation closely and will continue to follow local government guidance and work closely with leading medical healthcare professionals, gathering their advice and recommendations as we go forward to ensure our buildings are optimized for the safety of our teams,” an Amazon spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal.

Amazon has not taken the step of requiring all employees to get a COVID-19 vaccine before returning to company facilities. Other companies, including Microsoft, Google and Facebook, have required vaccines for their employees, The Wall Street Journal reported.

>> Coronavirus: Target employees will be required to wear masks in high-risk areas

Amazon said it would continue to encourage all of its employees to get vaccinated, NBC News reported.

“We believe getting vaccinated is the single most important thing you can do to protect yourself,” the employee announcement read.

More coronavirus pandemic coverage:

>> Coronavirus: How long between exposure to the virus and the start of symptoms?

>> What are your chances of coming into contact with someone who has COVID-19? This tool will tell you

>> How to not let coronavirus pandemic fatigue set in, battle back if it does