Worker At Amazon Waukegan Warehouse Dies Of Coronavirus

WAUKEGAN, IL — A worker at the Amazon warehouse in Waukegan died from COVID-19 last month, becoming the first company employee outside of New York or California to die after contracting the new coronavirus.

According to the company, the employee was last at the facility at 1750 Bridge Drive on March 19, and he was not showing any symptoms of the virus at the time. On March 24, Amazon officials learned he had tested COVID-positive, and he died April 18.

"We are saddened by the loss of an associate at our site in Waukegan, Illinois," Amazon spokesperson Lisa Levandowski said in a statement. "His family and loved ones are in our thoughts, and we are supporting his fellow colleagues."

The 50-year-old left behind a wife, five children and two stepchildren, according to CNBC, which first reported the death Wednesday. He worked as a picker on the night shift, preparing items to be shipped out of the facility, also known as MDW8.

Amazon has not publicly released information on the total number of its workers who have tested positive or died from the coronavirus, either in Illinois or nationwide. But workers are keeping an unofficial tally, sometimes posting screenshots of the text messages management sends to notify workers of a new case. When employees die, co-workers are notified in person, according to the company.

Three other Amazon warehouse workers have died of COVID-19 complications, including employees in Hawthorne, California, Tracy, California, and Staten Island, New York, according to past reports.

Workers in the company's warehouses during the coronavirus pandemic are receiving an extra $2 an hour and double overtime, bonuses currently scheduled to expire May 16.

Last week, Amazon announced plans to invest its $4 billion in quarterly profits in coronavirus-related initiatives like ramping up testing and supplying employees with protective gear. Company officials expect to spend more than $800 million of that on safety measures by the end of June.

"There is a lot of uncertainty in the world right now, and the best investment we can make is in the safety and well-being of our hundreds of thousands of employees," CEO Jeff Bezos said in a statement accompanying the earnings report.

According to the company, masks and social distancing measures are mandatory in its facilities. In a new policy, anyone who intentionally violates its social distancing guidance will receive two warnings and face termination on the second documented offense.

Amazon announced last month it was working to scale up a comprehensive testing initiative that could include regular testing for all employees — whether they show symptoms or not. The company has begun pilot programs at a handful of sites, according to its spokesperson.