Bezos Says Amazon Is Focused On Helping The Fight Against Coronavirus

"This isn’t business as usual," Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN CEO Jeff Bezos wrote in a letter, "and it’s a time of great stress and uncertainty. It’s also a moment in time when the work we’re doing is its most critical."

Bezos said Amazon has changed its logistics, transportation, supply chain, purchasing and third-party seller processes "to prioritize stocking and delivering essential items like household staples, sanitizers, baby formula, and medical supplies."

At time of publication Sunday, the U.S. has a total of 26,747 confirmed COVID-19 cases, according Johns Hopkins University. The pandemic has caused many around the world to rely on e-commerce for their essential shopping needs.

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The $919-billion company also said hourly workers at U.S. warehouses will receive double pay after 40 hours for overtime, from March 15 through May 9. Early last week, Amazon raised the minimum hourly rate for associates to $17 from $15 and announced plans to hire 100,000 warehouse and delivery workers in the U.S.

"My own time and thinking is now wholly focused on COVID-19 and on how Amazon can best play its role," Bezos said. "I want you to know Amazon will continue to do its part, and we won’t stop looking for new opportunities to help."

Read the full letter here.

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Photo credit: Álvaro Ibáñez, via Wikimedia Commons