Jeff Bezos, founder and chief executive officer of Amazon.com Inc., speaks at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos made a surprise visit to an Amazon fulfillment center and a Whole Foods store as workers have called on the company to better protect them against the coronavirus.

The visit on Wednesday comes as Bezos and Amazon have faced criticism from warehouse workers, Whole Foods employees, union officials and legislators about a lack of protective measures for employees who continue to work during the coronavirus outbreak.

The company tweeted a video of Bezos visiting the facilities, donning a face mask. Bezos is shown getting his temperature checked as he enters the fulfillment center, then chatting with warehouse workers as he walks through the facility. He also tours a Whole Foods location where he thanked employees throughout the store, joking that he couldn't shake their hand.

Bezos tweet

It's unclear where the Amazon warehouse and Whole Foods store are located. Representatives from Amazon weren't immediately available for comment.

Bezos has maintained a relatively low profile amid the heightened criticism. Last month, he sent a memo to employees in which he praised them for continuing to work amid the outbreak and said he was working to obtain additional face masks for workers.

Whole Foods workers staged a nationwide "sick out" last week to call for paid leave for workers in quarantine and health-care coverage for part-time and seasonal workers, among other demands.