Amazon said Friday that its call for a nationwide mask mandate for its warehouse workers was in response to the spread of COVID-19 variants in the US, and guidance from public health authorities and its own medical experts.
Amazon has been requiring only warehouse workers not vaccinated against COVID-19 wear masks. Amazon's Chief Financial Officer Brian Olsavsky said last week that rising coronavirus infections linked to the delta variant are pushing the company to get more workers vaccinated.
It’s also working with local authorities on safety measures. So far, Seattle-based Amazon has not required its employees to be vaccinated.