Amazon Provides Free Covid Test Kits for Employees in California

Last month, when Amazon announced it would scrap an ambitious on-site Covid-19 testing program for its warehouse workers, the decision raised eyebrows, given the surge in cases across the U.S.

But now, Amazon has begun notifying its workers in California—where it employs more people in than in any other state—that it will offer free at-home test kits for its workforce there, according to an internal employee notice seen by The Information. The move is in line with new health regulations in the state, where Amazon had over 150,000 full- and part-time employees at the end of last year, more than the 80,000 it had at that point in its home state of Washington. Using the home test kits is voluntary for Amazon’s California employees, most of whom work in its warehouse facilities.