North Las Vegas Amazon worker tests positive for coronavirus

An Amazon employee at the company’s North Las Vegas warehouse has tested positive for the coronavirus.

It’s unclear when the worker was diagnosed, but it appears to be the first case for the company’s Las Vegas Valley operations.

The e-commerce giant has seen workers in at least 19 of its warehouses throughout the country test positive for the coronavirus in states such as New York, Florida, Kentucky, Texas and California.

“We are supporting the individual who is recovering,” said company spokesman Timothy Carter in a statement. “We are following guidelines from health officials and medical experts, and are taking extreme measures to ensure the safety of employees at our site.”

Employees that have been diagnosed are placed into quarantine and receive up to two weeks of pay, according to the company.

Amazon said it has been implementing preventative measures such as distributing masks and increased cleaning at its warehouses and following guidance from local health officials, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.

The company has been ramping up its hiring efforts in over the past month to meet a surge of online orders. Last week, it announced plans to hire at least another 800 workers in the state.

Meanwhile, the online retailer announced Friday it would, again, increase hourly pay and extend double overtime pay for employees in the U.S. and Canada through May 16. The company previously announced in March that it would raise hourly wages and offer double overtime for its warehouse and delivery workers.

Contact Subrina Hudson at shudson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0340. Follow @SubrinaH on Twitter.