Microsoft, Facebook and Amazon told employees in Seattle to stay home yesterday as novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread throughout the Emerald City.
- Are over 60
- Have an underlying health condition (heart disease, diabetes, etc.)
- Are immune system compromised
- Are pregnant
The company advised people who do come into the office to take certain precautions, such as staying at least 6 feet away from other people, keeping in-person meetings as short as possible and not going to work if they feel sick.
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Microsoft's decision arrived shortly after King County officials released new recommendations for handling COVID-19 after 10 more people were diagnosed with it. More information about the recommendations are available here.
Facebook closed its Seattle office entirely after a contractor was diagnosed with COVID-19. It currently plans to re-open the office on March 9; presumably it will use the intervening days to make a sanitation sweep of the entire work floor.
Amazon followed Microsoft in advising employees who can work from home to do so. It's being a bit more cautious, however, in extending the work-from-home period until March 31 (likely because one Amazon employee already contracted COVID-19).
