Amazon Confirms Two Cases Of Coronavirus Among Employees

Amazon.com Inc. confirmed on Sunday that two of its employees have symptoms of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

What Happened

The employees contracted the virus in Milan, Italy and have been quarantined, the e-commerce giant said, Reuters reported.

Italy has reported at least 1,694 confirmed cases of the coronavirus infection, the third-highest in the world, following China and South Korea. Thirty-four people in the country have died from the virus.

The United States Department of State updated its travel advisory to the country to level three, asking citizens to reconsider all travel to Italy.

The department further asked citizens to avoid all travel to Lombardy and Veneto regions due to community spread concerns.

Amazon said it isn't aware of any employee in the U.S. having contracted the virus. The company had earlier asked employees to avoid all unnecessary travel within and outside the U.S.

The Seattle-based company has also moved recruitment interviews from in-person to online, according to Reuters.

Why It Matters

A host of global companies are impacted by the novel coronavirus outbreak. Hyundai Motor Company (OTC: HYMTF) shut down one of its key factories in Ulsan, South Korea, last week after a worker tested positive for COVID-19.

Other companies, including Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) have downgraded their earnings guidance for the quarters impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.

Price Action

Amazon's shares traded 0.38% higher in the after-hours session on Friday after closing the regular session slightly lower at $1,883.75.