Another Miami-Dade Amazon warehouse has positive workers. Five cases in Opa-locka, worker says
Five more Amazon warehouse workers in Miami-Dade County have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, workers at the Opa-locka facility told the Miami Herald. At least six of the company’s workers in the county have contracted the disease.
From April 3 to April 11, employees at the Opa-locka warehouse, 14000 NW 37th Ave., received text messages that five employees had tested positive for the virus, according to screenshots of messages given to the Herald.
The messages did not say who the workers are, when their last work days were or what positions they held.
One message read, “We have one additional confirmed case of COVID-19 at MIA1,” the Opa-locka warehouse. “Your safety and health is our top priority.”
A worker at the warehouse told the Herald that they are frustrated that the facility is still open and that workers are made to pack unessential products. A video shot by the worker at the Opa-locka warehouse shows a sex toy and mini-basketballs.
“We are very afraid to get infected. No one follows 6 feet social distancing because it is part of the job,” the worker said. “...Amazon stays open at the cost of [their] worker’s health and our families.”
Amazon wouldn’t confirm or deny the legitimacy of the text messages that said the employees tested positive, but did tell the Herald the company tells all of its employees at the site of a confirmed case.
Amazon warehouse workers near Miami International Airport also received messages earlier this week saying two workers had tested positive for coronavirus. A worker at that facility told the Herald, “The potential impact of COVID-19 in this warehouse is huge.”
The company said all workers who are diagnosed with COVID-19 receive up to two weeks of pay and unlimited unpaid time off through the end of April. Amazon has also implemented daily temperature screenings, a policy that affects more than 100,000 employees per day.
“We are supporting the individuals who are recovering,” Amazon said in a statement. “Our employees are heroes fighting for their communities and helping people get critical items they need in this crisis ...”
While the chances of contracting the virus from a delivered package are relatively low, experts say, the virus can live on some surfaces for up to three days, cardboard for about a day and plastic for up to 72 hours.
Here are tips for handling a package safely:
▪ Limit face-to-face interactions.
▪ Wipe packages down.
▪ Leave the package outside for a short time.
▪ Wash your hands, don’t touch your face.
This story was originally published April 11, 2020 at 2:46 PM.
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