Amazon to Roll Out COVID-19 Testing Capacity for its Front-Line Workers

Kurt Schlosser, GeekWire
Kurt Schlosser covers the Geek Life beat for GeekWire. A longtime journalist, photographer and designer, he has worked previously for NBC News, msnbc.com and the Seattle P-I.
Amazon to Roll Out COVID-19 Testing Capacity for its Front-Line Workers
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With thousands of its own workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic as warehouse workers, delivery personnel, grocery workers and more, Amazon isn't waiting around for testing to reach its necessary capacity.

The tech giant said this week it is launching its own lab and getting to work. In a post on the company's Day One blog, Amazon said that short of a vaccine right now, regular testing would make a huge difference in fighting the virus. "Those who test positive could be quarantined and cared for, and everyone who tests negative could re-enter the economy with confidence," the post read.


Workers at Amazon's Eastvale fulfillment center in Riverside County filed complaints with state and county regulators on Wednesday complaining about what they say are dangerous working conditions at the facility that could expose them to the novel coronavirus. Three workers at the facility tested positive for COVID-19, according to The Los Angeles Times. And cases had also occurred at five other Amazon facilities in the region.

Amazon is assembling a team of its own workers with a variety of skills, including research scientists, program managers, software engineers and procurement specialists, to start building out incremental testing capacity.

Those workers have moved from their regular jobs and are gathering equipment to build out a lab in preparation of testing front-line employees. Amazon is unsure how far it will get "in the relevant timeframe," but said it's worth trying.

The move comes as Amazon has had to deal with COVID-19 outbreaks at dozens of fulfillment centers that power its delivery infrastructure. The company has faced criticism for its handling of some aspects of the crisis, while maintaining that it is taking "extreme measures" to protect and compensate employees whom it calls "heroes fighting for their communities and helping people get critical items they need."

This story first appeared on GeekWire.

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Gitai Raises $30 Million to Expand Manufacturing Footprint in Los Angeles

Samson Amore

Samson Amore is a reporter for dot.LA. He holds a degree in journalism from Emerson College. Send tips or pitches to samsonamore@dot.la and find him on Twitter @Samsonamore.

Gitai Raises $30 Million to Expand Manufacturing Footprint in Los Angeles
\u200bPhoto: Gitai

Space robotics company Gitai raised a $30 million Series B extension this week, bringing the total value of the round to roughly $47 million.

The funding will be used to further develop Gitai’s suite of space robots as well as build out its manufacturing footprint in Torrance. Previously Gitai announced it raised a $17.1 million Series B in March 2021; this additional raise is still part of that round.

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How SVT Solutions Is Creating Cleaner, More Sustainable Fleet Management

David Shultz

David Shultz reports on clean technology and electric vehicles, among other industries, for dot.LA. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Outside, Nautilus and many other publications.

How SVT Solutions Is Creating Cleaner, More Sustainable Fleet Management
Evan Xie

Less than a month ago, the California Air Resources Board announced new regulations that aim to phase out fossil fuels in medium and heavy duty trucks by 2045. Known as Advanced Clean Fleets, the rule caused major concerns across the transportation industry and has sent many fleet owners and operators scrambling for solutions that will help their business comply with the ambitious timelines.

A new Los Angeles-based company, SVT Fleet Solutions, is hoping to capitalize on the coming wave of change by providing a one-stop-shop for fleet management that will enable owners to build and execute a plan to transition off of diesel and into zero emission technologies like batteries and hydrogen. “There really has not been any new fleet management companies in this space in over 10 years,” says Don Kelley, president of SVT. “I'm just thrilled that somehow– in some form or fashion–transportation is sexy again.”

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Why Cirque du Soleil Tapped LA Game Maker Gamefam for its First Virtual World

Samson Amore

Samson Amore is a reporter for dot.LA. He holds a degree in journalism from Emerson College. Send tips or pitches to samsonamore@dot.la and find him on Twitter @Samsonamore.

Why Cirque du Soleil Tapped LA Game Maker Gamefam for its First Virtual World
Photo: Gamefam/Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group

After almost 40 years since its founding, Canadian entertainment powerhouse Cirque du Soleil is embracing the metaverse.

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