An Amazon warehouse in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, that was set to reopen Wednesday evening after a 48-hour shutdown caused by several workers testing positive for the novel coronavirus will remain closed until April 1 at the request of Gov. Andy Beshear.

A spokesperson for Amazon said Tuesday that one of the e-commerce giant's fulfillment centers in Bullitt County had been shut down "for additional sanitization" after an unspecified number of workers tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

The spokesperson did not specify which warehouse closed nor share the number of employees who have been infected with the virus and when the employees received their positive test results.

On Friday, following repeated requests for comment earlier in the week from The Courier Journal, an Amazon spokesperson said that at "the order of the Governor the site is closed until April 1. We will continue to work closely with health department and the Governor to reopen the site."

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Several employees told The Courier Journal that three COVID-19 cases were confirmed at Amazon's SDF-9 warehouse on Thomas P. Echols Lane in Shepherdsville.

Kentucky coronavirus live updates:Get the latest information here

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The employees said the SDF-9 building, which handles returned apparel items, was initially closed for 48 hours beginning Monday night, while the nearby SDF-4 building, which ships out shoes, has not closed.

"We are supporting the individuals who are now in quarantine and recovering," the Amazon spokesperson said. "We are following all guidelines from local officials and are taking extreme measures to ensure the safety of employees at our site."

But a few hours before the warehouse was set to reopen Wednesday evening, several employees said they learned from an automated call that the facility would remain closed for additional cleaning.

And on Thursday, employees say they received another recorded message stating that the Shepherdsville warehouse will reopen April 1 after Beshear "requested" that Amazon keep the facility shut until that date.

Employees will receive pay during the ongoing warehouse closure.

Beshear said during his Friday evening COVID-19 briefing that he "definitely got involved" with the Amazon warehouse situation because "it's my job to protect folks."

"I wanted to make sure that we were doing the right thing," Beshear told reporters. "And I appreciate, ultimately, that that company is giving the time to make sure that we can trace through folks who may have been exposed and ultimately find those people that may need help."

The shutdown of the Shepherdsville warehouse is the first known instance of Amazon indefinitely closing a U.S. facility in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bloomberg reported.

While Amazon has temporarily closed some sites with reported coronavirus cases, such as a facility in Queens, New York, the company has held off on mass closures.

The Bullitt County Health Department said in a statement that the employees are residents of other counties. It did not name the counties.

The coronavirus is spread most often by respiratory droplets and does not survive long on objects, such as letters or packages, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Therefore, there is "likely very low risk of spread" from packages that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures, according to the CDC.

More:How long can the coronavirus live on a surface? Are packages safe?

However, on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, the CDC said it found traces of COVID-19 on surfaces in the cabins of infected passengers who were both symptomatic and asymptomatic 17 days after passengers had left the cabins. Of note, the cabins had yet to be disinfected.

While the data doesn't show if transmission occurred from surfaces, a CDC report recommends exploring that further.

Bullitt County had one confirmed COVID-19 case as of Wednesday, according to the county health department.

“This is a good opportunity to encourage residents of Bullitt County not to become complacent simply because we’ve not received report of a confirmed case," the Bullitt County Health Department said in its statement. "We expect cases. Continue to practice social distancing measures of staying 6 feet apart, washing your hands with soap and water often, disinfecting frequently used surfaces, and staying home when you are sick."

Earlier this week, Amazon said it is conducting "contact tracing" and will alert any associate who had "close contact" with the infected employees to self-quarantine for 14 days.

All Amazon employees diagnosed with COVID-19 or placed into quarantine will receive up to two weeks of pay, according to the Seattle-based firm, which is also offering unlimited unpaid time off to all hourly employees through April.

Amazon also said it is "closely following guidance" from the Bullitt County Health Department.

More:Louisville-area workers say employers aren't protecting them from COVID-19

The company said it has implemented a series of preventative health measures — including "social distancing" practices — for employees, delivery and transportation partners at its site.

Last week, Amazon announced plans to hire more than 4,500 people in Kentucky and Indiana at fulfillment centers to meet the surge in product demand amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The announcement was part of Amazon's push to fill 100,000 part- and full-time roles across the United States, and the online firm also said it is giving a $2 per hour pay raise for U.S. fulfillment center employees, who make $15 or more depending on the region.

In a March 21 message to employees, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos described "a moment in time when the work we’re doing is its most critical."

"People are depending on us. ... Much of the essential work we do cannot be done from home," Bezos said. "... We’ve placed purchase orders for millions of face masks we want to give to our employees and contractors who cannot work from home, but very few of those orders have been filled. Masks remain in short supply globally and are at this point being directed by governments to the highest-need facilities like hospitals and clinics."

"It’s easy to understand why the incredible medical providers serving our communities need to be first in line," Bezos added. "When our turn for masks comes, our first priority will be getting them in the hands of our employees and partners working to get essential products to people."

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