Facebook and Google have reportedly followed the path of social media platform Twitter in ordering their workforce in the San Francisco Bay Area to stay home due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus.

Reuters reports that Facebook and Google have recommended that their San Francisco Bay Area employees work from home in order to minimize the risk of spreading the coronavirus that has infected people across the globe.

Breitbart News reported earlier this month that Twitter instructed its employees in San Francisco to work from home if possible due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus. The company wrote in a blog post: “Beginning today, we are strongly encouraging all employees globally to work from home if they’re able. Our goal is to lower the probability of the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus for us — and the world around us.”

The Silicon Valley firms’ decision to instruct employees to work from home comes following the news that cases of coronavirus had been identified in San Matero, Santa Clara, Sonoma, and Placer counties, and that four people had died from the virus in Washington state bringing the total U.S. death toll of COVID-19 to six.

Facebook stated that its “strongly recommending that all Bay area employees and contingent staff work from home starting Friday.” A Facebook spokesperson stated that the decision is “based on the guidance from Santa Clara County on Thursday.”

Microsoft confirmed early on Friday that two of its employees have been diagnosed with COVID-19, saying in a statement: “A Microsoft employee and a LinkedIn employee, both in Puget Sound, are among those diagnosed with COVID-19.”

Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan or email him at lnolan@breitbart.com