Amazon US Allows Employees to Go Mask-Free, Calling It a "Positive Sign of Normalization"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] American e-commerce company Amazon has begun preparing for the post-COVID era by lifting the mask mandate for employees.

According to foreign media on the 10th (local time), Amazon notified employees that starting from the 11th, those who have completed their COVID-19 vaccinations can work without masks as long as local regulations permit. This comes just 50 days after the company mandated mask-wearing for all workers in the U.S. regardless of vaccination status in December last year.

Amazon's change in quarantine policy is due to the decrease in confirmed cases in the U.S., increased vaccination rates, and guidelines from medical experts and health authorities. Amazon described this as "a positive sign that we can return to normal operations."

Last August, when the Delta variant was spreading, Amazon ordered all warehouse employees to wear masks, but in early November of the same year, as the COVID-19 situation stabilized, the company relaxed its policy by allowing employees who submitted proof of vaccination to work without masks. However, due to the impact of the Omicron variant, the mask mandate was reinstated in December, just over a month later.

Along with this, Amazon also announced that logistics warehouse employees must complete their vaccinations by March 18 to be eligible for paid leave if they need to quarantine due to COVID-19 infection.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.