Mayor Calls for Temporary Closure of Warehouse Due to Virus

A New Jersey mayor is calling for the temporary closure of an Amazon warehouse following a report of a number of employees infected with the coronavirus.

NJ.com reports that after Business Insider quoted an employee as saying there were more than 30 cases of COVID19 at the Carteret Amazon fulfillment center, Mayor David Reimen called on Middlesex County and state health officials to shutter the facility until all workers can be tested and the facility can be sanitized.

An Amazon representative confirmed that there were cases, but declined to tell NJ Advance Media how many employees at the Carteret facility tested positive for the virus. Spokeswoman Rachael Lighty said the company is “supporting the individuals who are recovering” and taking “extreme measures” to ensure the safety of workers.

Reiman also called on the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration to make sure there were proper protective supplies at the million-square-foot facility that employs 1,600 people.

An advocacy group, Make The Road New Jersey, called on the governor to use his executive authority to shut down the warehouse, alleging that “it’s clear this outbreak is beyond Amazon’s control.”