AMAZON TO PROVIDE MASKS TO WORKER

Amazon is planning to provide masks and temperature checks for workers at its American and European warehouses early next week, the company announced Thursday, as it faces criticism from some employees over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

The online retail giant also confirmed in the same announcement that it has hired 80,000 of the 100,000 workers it promised in response to increased demand.

Amazon will also use machine-learning software to monitor building cameras and determine whether employees are staying at safe distances while working.

“Nothing is more important to us than making sure that we protect the health of our teams, and we’ve been working around the clock since the early days of the outbreak to make changes to our processes and procure the necessary supplies for this,” Dave Clark, senior vice president of worldwide operations at Amazon, said in a statement.

The rollout of more protective gear and coronavirus scanning comes as employees have increasingly spoken out about unsafe working conditions.