Published 12:01 IST, March 4th 2020
Amazon employee in US tests positive for coronavirus
E-commerce giant Amazon.com Inc has reportedly said on March 3 that one of its employee in the United States tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
E-commerce giant Amazon.com Inc has reportedly said on March 3 that one of its employee in the United States tested positive for the novel coronavirus. As per the reports, a company spokeswoman told the media they are fully supporting the affected employee who has been quarantined. The spokeswoman confirmed that all the co-workers in contact with the affected employee, who worked at Amazon's South Lake Union office complex in Seattle, had been informed. The company reportedly said on Sunday that two employees in Milan had been infected with COVID-19 and were under quarantine.
Task force to combat virus
In the wake of coronavirus epidemic, US President Donald Trump created a task force on January 30 to combat the virus which has claimed more than 3,000 lives across the world and at least six lives in the United States. The task force is led by Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar. US President Donald Trump on Sunday also announced new coronavirus screening procedures for passengers travelling to the country. Trump said that the passengers travelling to the US from certain designated high-risk countries will be screened twice, once before the departure and once after arriving in America. The US has further restricted travel on its southern border with Mexico and it has also put an entry ban on travellers from Iran and foreign nationals who have visited Iran in the last 14 days are also banned to enter the country.
Americans face low risk: Pence
Vice President Mike Pence said that more US deaths could be imminent, however, he further added that Americans face a low risk from coronavirus. The director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr Anthony Fauci reportedly said that the fatality rate in the US could reach the same level as in China because there is no vaccine or cure available as of yet. Furthermore, Dr Nancy Messonnier of the United States CDC said in a call with reporters on February 25 that a wider spread of coronavirus in the country is certain.
Updated 12:01 IST, March 4th 2020