
Amazon to Roll Out COVID-19 Testing Capacity for its Front-Line Workers
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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Andrew Peterson
<p>Andrew Peterson is the co-founder and former chief executive of Signal Sciences, a web application security platform that he founded in 2014 and <a href="https://dot.la/signal-science-snapped-up-for-775m-in-big-l-a-saas-exit-2647256430.html" target="_self">was acquired in 2020 by Fastly in a $775 million deal</a>. Signal Sciences protects web applications from attacks and data breaches for clients like Duo Security, Under Armor and DoorDash.</p><p>Prior to starting Signal Sciences, Peterson worked at Etsy, helping the online marketplace with international growth as a group project manager. Etsy <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/3056900/how-three-ex-etsy-employees-turned-their-old-employer-into-a-consumer" target="_blank">reportedly became </a>one of Signal Sciences's first customers. Peterson has also served stints as health information management officer at the Clinton Foundation and as a senior product specialist at Google.</p>Ara Mahdessian
<p>Ara Mahdessian is the co-founder of ServiceTitan, a SaaS product for managing a home services business.</p><p>The inspiration for ServiceTitan, Mahdessian's first company, came from watching his parents start their own businesses in building and plumbing, only to struggle with the logistics behind keeping them running, he <a href="https://www.inc.com/magazine/201906/emily-canal/servicetitan-immigrant-inclusion-diversity-best-workplaces-2019.html" target="_blank">told Inc in 2019</a>. Mahdessian and his co-founder Vahe Kuzoyan met while in college, and worked on several consulting projects before starting ServiceTitan, in hopes of aiding small business owners like their parents.</p>Evan Spiegel
<p>Evan Spiegel is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Snap Inc., the Venice-based company known for its app Snapchat. He's also one of the youngest billionaires in the world, launching Snapchat while still an undergraduate at Stanford. </p><p>SnapChat, the company's app, has recently been taking on rival TikTok <a href="https://dot.la/snap-spotlight-2649022645.html" data-linked-post="2649022645" target="_blank">with a new feature</a> and a program meant to attract creators to its platform. And it is been at the center of a larger national debate on the power of big tech. </p>Spencer Rascoff
<p>Spencer Rascoff is the founder of several companies, including dot.LA. He started his career as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs, later leaving to co-found travel website Hotwire. After serving as vice president of lodging at Expedia, he went on to found Zillow, an online real estate marketplace that went public in 2011.</p><p>Rascoff's most recent project is Pacaso, a marketplace for buying, selling and co-owning a second home.</p>Tim Ellis
<p>Tim Ellis is the co-founder and chief executive of Relativity Space, an autonomous rocket factory and launch services leader for satellite constellations. He is the youngest member on the National Space Council Users Advisory Group and serves on the World Economic Forum as a "technology pioneer."</p><p>Before founding Relativity Space, Ellis studied aerospace engineering at the University of Southern California and interned at Masten Space Systems and Blue Origin, where he worked after graduation. He was a propulsion engineer and brought metal 3D printing in-house to the company.</p>Travis Schneider
<p>Travis Schneider is the co-founder and co-chief executive of PatientPop, a practice growth platform for healthcare providers. He founded the company with Luke Kervin in 2014. <br><br>The two have founded three companies together, including ShopNation, a fashion shopping engine that was later acquired by the Meredith Commerce Network.</p>Luke Kervin
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