Brendan McDermid/Reuters
- Amazon reinstated its mask mandate for US warehouse workers on Wednesday, CNBC reported.
- The decision comes amid a surge in COVID-19 cases from the Omicron coronavirus variant.
- The company has enforced and pulled its mask mandate several times throughout the pandemic.
Amazon is reportedly bringing back its mask mandate as the Omicron coronavirus variant drives a surge in COVID-19 cases.
The company started requiring warehouse workers in the US to wear masks again starting Wednesday, as CNBC first reported.
“Your health and safety are of the utmost importance to us,” Amazon wrote in a letter to employees on Tuesday, according to CNBC. “In response to the rapid spread of the Covid-19 omicron variant in the U.S. and guidance from public health authorities and our own medical experts, face coverings are again required for everyone.”
The mandate applies to all workers in Amazon warehouses, even if they’re fully vaccinated or if they don’t have local mask mandates, CNBC reports.
Amazon did not respond to Insider’s request for comment.
The reinstatement comes during peak season, when all hands are on deck to fulfill and ship holiday-shopping orders. It also comes amid a surge in COVID-19 cases fueled by Omicron, which is responsible for 73% of recent confirmed COVID-19 cases in the US, overtaking Delta as the dominant coronavirus variant in the US, according to new CDC data.
The decision is the latest in Amazon’s on-again, off-again approach to mask mandates throughout the pandemic. Last month, the company told US warehouse staff they no longer had to wear masks if they were fully vaccinated. The move was a reversal of Amazon’s policy in August, which required all frontline warehouse and logistics workers to mask up, regardless of their vaccination status.
The company does not have a vaccine mandate for workers but announced a lottery in August offering incentives like cash prizes, cars, and vacation packages for a few lucky vaccinated staff.
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