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Highlights

1. What we are doing for employees



2. What we are doing for customers



We're providing free masks

We enhanced cleaning

All Whole Foods Market stores have dedicated shopping hours to service customers who are 60+ (70+ years old U.K.), those with disabilities and those who the CDC defines as high risk.

Customers ordering delivery from Prime Now, Amazon Fresh, and Whole Foods Market can select "unattended delivery"

Customers ordering a scheduled delivery can select front-porch delivery during checkout. The delivery team will leave the item at your front door and you will not be required to sign for it. In addition, all delivery vehicles and equipment are disinfected each day, and delivery devices and mobile phones are disinfected after each delivery appointment.

We're vigorously combating price gouging

Our Amazon and Alexa devices help keep customers stay connected and informed

3. What we are doing for communities around the globe



Updates

Continue checking here for updates about how we're supporting our employees, helping customers, aiding community relief, and furthering research during the COVID-19 pandemic.

August 30

Update on our response to COVID-19 in our fulfillment centers

From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Amazon, like many organizations, jumped into action to try to keep our associates safe by avoiding virus transmission at work. We’ve invested in new processes, personal protective equipment, technology, time off benefits, and intensified cleaning methods to keep people safe. Since the early stages of the outbreak, Amazon has been ahead of the curve in adopting new procedures based on the best available science. We’ve worked closely with world health and safety experts and scientists to understand the virus and prevent its spread. We have shared many of the ways we have changed our processes since the start of the pandemic, and today we want to share with you how we have trained and continue to train our teams around the world about how to stay safe at work and home. Learn more.

August 28

Amazon Web Services powers NIH COVID-19 data

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) announced the creation of the Coronavirus Genome Sequence Dataset to support COVID-19 research and management of the virus. The dataset is hosted by the AWS Open Data Sponsorship Program and accessible on the Registry of Open Data on AWS, providing researchers quick and easy access to coronavirus sequence data at no cost for use in their COVID-19 research.

August 27

Amazon opens the first Amazon Fresh Grocery Store in Woodland Hills, California and implements dozens of safety measures

Amazon Fresh grocery store—a new grocery store designed from the ground up to offer a seamless grocery shopping experience, whether customers are shopping in-store or online, opned today. We've applied the same safety measures in Amazon Fresh that we have in Whole Foods Market, such as requiring daily temperature checks for all employees; requiring face coverings for all employees and customers entering the store; offering free, disposable masks for any customer who wants one; operating the store at 50 percent capacity, and more. We’ve also added new features that further promote social distancing like the Amazon Dash Cart and Alexa shopping assistance. We continue to operate our Irvine, California and Northridge, California Amazon Fresh stores as temporary online-only stores, focused exclusively on fulfilling grocery delivery orders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more.

August 13

Amazon Prime Video commits over $6 million to support the recovery of the European TV, film, and theatre production community

Donations will be made to emergency COVID-19 funds set up in countries across Europe to support the production community as it restarts production. The first confirmed awards from the fund include a £1 million donation in the UK to the Film and TV Charity’s COVID-19 Response to kick-start a new grants scheme to help the industry recover; and a £500,000 donation to the Theatre Community Fund, launched by Olivia Colman, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Francesca Moody to provide hardship grants to theatre workers and freelancers across the UK. Learn more.

August 4

Fighting the pandemic with translation

How can people protect themselves from COVID-19 if they can't access important information about it in their local language? With that challenge in mind, AWS has joined the Translation Initiative for COVID-19 (TICO-19), to enable translation about the virus in 37 different languages, including languages spoken in underserved areas that lack access to real-time healthcare information. The Amazon Translate team joined experts from Appen, Carnegie Mellon University, Facebook, Johns Hopkins University, and Translators Without Borders, among others, to use machine learning technology to scale language translation. The newly open sourced language data sets will enable translators to do their work faster and more accurately and drive future machine translation research to help prepare us for the next crisis.

July 28

Amazon supports XPRIZE $5M Rapid COVID-19 Testing competition; joins XPRIZE Pandemic Alliance

To accelerate the development of high-quality COVID-19 testing, Amazon joined a coalition of partners to support XPRIZE , the world's leader in designing and operating incentive competitions to solve humanity's grand challenges, in collaboration with OpenCovidScreen, a non-profit founded by scientists and business leaders to drive needed innovation through "Open Science." Together, they launched the $5 million XPRIZE Rapid COVID Testing competition to incentivize solutions that are fast, low cost, and easy to use. In addition, Amazon Web Services (AWS) joined the XPRIZE Pandemic Alliance to support entrepreneurs in uncovering and developing solutions for COVID-19 and pandemics broadly. As part of the alliance, AWS will collaborate with alliance members on select initiatives. Since 1994, XPRIZE has developed a proven track record of creating industry-changing technologies, galvanizing a generation of entrepreneurs, and helping spur new industries. We are pleased to support XPRIZE as an alliance member in this endeavor with a mutual recognition that the challenges we face with this pandemic require radical thinking, across a diverse set of focus areas. We look forward to adding our expertise to the alliance, helping advance compelling solutions in testing, diagnostics, and population health across business, government, and academia.

Amazon to donate 150,000 face shields and makes them available online at cost

Our face shields are now available at-cost on Amazon.com at a third less than the cost of all other reusable face shields currently available. Individuals and businesses large and small can make their own National Institutes of Health approved face shield by downloading the open sourced design package, suitable for both 3D printing and injection molding. Read more about the Prime Air innovation and scale behind these face shields.

July 22

Amazon Web Services extends offers to help employees collaborate from home

As the COVID-19 crisis began, AWS helped businesses and employees collaborate and work from home through Amazon WorkSpaces and Amazon Chime. For Amazon Workspaces, new customers can use up to 50 WorkSpaces with the Windows Standard bundle, plus a collection of other WorkSpaces bundles for free. For Amazon Chime, customers have access to Amazon Chime Pro features at no cost to help employees communicate and collaborate from anywhere. These offers, originally posted in April, have been extended through September 30, 2020. Learn more here.

July 16

Amazon donates $10 million in critically-needed personal protective equipment

Amid a new shortage of supplies, Amazon donated 4.4 million masks and thousands of contactless thermometers to Direct Relief and Feeding America over the past several weeks. The masks and thermometers went to over 200 of Direct Relief's partner clinics and Feeding America member food banks and partner agencies in 47 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Amazon also donated over 273,000 gallons of hand sanitizer to the Feeding America network of food banks across the U.S. Learn more.

July 15

Amazon updates work-from-home guidance

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we are extending the time frame for those who can do their job effectively from home to January 8, 2021. Meanwhile, Amazon’s corporate buildings are open and available to all employees. We continue to do everything we can to ensure a safe office environment including temperature screenings upon entry, physical distancing guidelines, providing face coverings, and enhanced cleaning protocols.

July 13

Helping small businesses apply for loan forgiveness

Nirveda Cognition, a startup powered by Amazon Web Services, uses artificial intelligence to turn data from documents to actionable insights. The company wanted to use its technology to help other businesses respond to the impacts of COVID-19. It built ALFA, a product designed to help small businesses more easily navigate the process of applying for loan forgiveness from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program and improve their odds of converting the loan to a grant.

July 12

Amazon Web Services helps customers developing COVID-19 test result notification systems

Several AWS customers are working on ways to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by developing systems that can instantly notify patients of their test results and monitor how the virus is spreading. In New South Wales (NSW), Australia, NSW Health Pathology developed an SMS (text message) solution that reduced wait times for negative test results from 7 days to within hours of a patient taking a test. By automating this process, NSW Health Pathology has saved the equivalent of three years' worth of time—the time individually contacting tens of thousands of people with their negative test results would have taken. New Zealand’s Orion Health, which develops software to improve healthcare outcomes for more than 100 million patients, developed a pandemic monitoring platform to help providers identify and curate lists of patients—both COVID-19 negative and positive—who would benefit from active monitoring or care and tracking their ongoing progress.

Improving the COVID-19 patient experience

COVID-19 patients are often cut off from visitors, making it challenging to keep family members up-to-date on the health of their loved ones and leaving patients feeling isolated. AWS customers have stepped in to offer solutions, EASE Applications sends HIPAA-compliant text updates to families from the emergency room, operating room, intensive care unit, and medical floor. During the COVID-19 crisis, the company is using Amazon Chime SDK to incorporate two-way video communication into its mobile apps so that families of COVID-19 patients have reliable, remote communication with the patients and their doctors. CareMonitor, a provider of remote health monitoring, expanded its platform to monitor the daily health status of COVID-19 patients with low-level symptoms so they can recover from the virus in their own homes. In the CareMonitor app, patients are asked daily symptom questions and collect biometric data like temperature, heart rate and oxygen saturation to gauge their current health status. The app is integrated with Amazon Chime, a set of real-time communications components, to send messages and connect via video to health care providers. Current Health is enabling more than 40 hospitals and care facilities in the UK and U.S. to free up beds, applying its remote monitoring technology to track patients' vital signs outside of the hospital or clinic. Using a medical device that patients wear on their arms, clinicians can continuously monitor patients who are at risk of deteriorating, enabling them to perform triage and consult with patients over video. The Seoul National University Hospital in South Korea built a system on AWS to remotely monitor mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients, enabling the medical team to determine if patients under quarantine need to be transferred to other hospitals for treatment.

July 7

Amazon Web Services supports Oregon communities with energy refund donation

AWS donated its $577,000 refund from the Umatilla Electric Cooperative (UEC) to support Oregon electric utility customers, food banks, and students impacted by COVID-19. As a not-for-profit, member-owned company, UEC operates at cost, with net operating revenues returned to its customers in the form of cash refunds via the Capital Credits program. Learn more..

July 1

Quantifying the silent spread of COVID-19

We recently sat down for a conversation with Dr. Lucy Li, a data scientist at the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, to discuss her latest research to estimate unreported COVID-19 cases. The research is supported by the AWS Diagnostic Development Initiative, a global program to support organizations working to bring better, more accurate, diagnostics solutions to market faster.

June 30

Amazon donates more than $1.2 million in COVID-19 supplies in Ohio

Over the past few weeks, Amazon has supported donation of COVID-19 related supplies to over 20 local nonprofits across the state, benefitting more than 52,000 people. "It is wonderful to have the support of Amazon during these times, especially because our customers need our help now more than ever," said Matt Habash, President and CEO of Mid-Ohio Food Collective. "We know this is a marathon, not a sprint. These supplies allow us and our partner agencies to continue our work in stabilizing families and helping them get back on track. We are here with our neighbors and for our neighbors. Thank you Amazon!"

June 29

Thank You bonus for Amazon’s front-line employees and partners

Dave Clark, SVP Worldwide Operations, today announced a special one-time Thank You bonus totaling over $500 million. All front-line employees and partners who were with the company throughout the month of June will receive a bonus. Details here.

June 23

Distance Assistant now available via open source

We recently rolled out 'Distance Assistant' to provide employees with live feedback on social distancing via a 50 inch monitor, camera, and a local computing device. As people walk past the camera, a monitor displays live video with on-screen indicators to show if employees are within 6 feet of one another. Today, we are excited to open source the software and AI behind this innovation so that anyone can create their own Distance Assistant. Individuals and businesses large and small can download the package at no cost and get up and running with just a computer and camera.

In all, Amazon donates nearly 9,000 laptops to Seattle Public Schools

Amazon is donating an additional 750 laptops, valued at more than $200,000 to Seattle Public Schools elementary school students. This comes after Amazon’s original donation of 8,200 laptops, valued at over $2 million. These additional devices will help ensure all Seattle Public Schools students have access to a device so they can participate in online learning. Read more.

June 17

Amazon donates $90,000 of COVID-19 relief supplies to Ohio-based nonprofits

As the state of Ohio completes its reopening, demands on local social services continue to increase. Today, Amazon donated $90,000 of supplies to nine Licking County nonprofits, and partnered with the Licking County Chamber of Commerce for the distribution. The donation follows a series of announcements by Amazon that they were creating more than 6,000 permanent jobs in Ohio—many of which have been filled by those impacted by layoffs related to COVID-19.

Amazon Web services powers remote screening solutions

Several AWS customers are offering technology that can remotely screen potential COVID‑19 cases. AWS customers include: Innovaccer, a San Francisco-based health care technology company, launched a COVID-19 Management System in use by over 10,000 leading health care organizations and government agencies around the globe; Qure.ai, an Indian health care start-up built on AWS, is developing capabilities to interpret chest X-rays to remotely detect findings indicative of COVID-19; and Vital, a digital health company, created a software tool to help people assess their risk of contracting COVID-19. C19check.com is a self-diagnosis tool built entirely on AWS with guidance from Emory University.

June 16

Amazon introduces “Distance Assistant” to provide real-time social distancing feedback

As we continue to learn and innovate to support the health and safety of Amazon employees, we saw an opportunity to further promote social distancing behavior in real-time. Our new Distance Assistant provides employees with live feedback on social distancing via a 50-inch monitor, a camera, and a local computing device. As people walk past the camera, a monitor displays live video with on-screen indicators to show if associates are within 6 feet of one another. Our first installations are live in a handful of our buildings and we’ll be deploying hundreds of these units over the next few weeks. We are also beginning the process to open source the software and artificial intelligence behind this innovation so that anyone can create their own Distance Assistant. Read more.

June 15

Amazon Web Services customers use virtual assistants to screen patients and inform care

AWS customers have developed virtual assistants that give 24/7 access to resources that can provide answers, make appointments, and ensure that those in need of immediate help are routed to medical professionals. The University of Washington Medicine developed a chatbot that can assess the need for testing or a medical consult, and schedule appointments 24 hours a day. In North Carolina, to deal with increased call volumes to its COVID-19 help line, UNC Health built a chatbot that answers questions from patients seeking guidance on COVID-19 testing and what to do if they or their loved ones were exposed to the virus. In Canada, Empego developed a free online survey and triage tool on AWS to help health care professionals identify tens of thousands of high-risk cases in Quebec.

June 9

Amazon works with 3M to stop bad actors

There is no place for counterfeiting or price gouging on Amazon and we are working with 3M to hold bad actors accountable. Amazon has long-standing policies against counterfeiting and price gouging and we have processes in place to proactively block suspicious products and inflated prices. If we find an individual or company is violating our policies, we work quickly to remove the products and take action against the bad actor. Amazon supported 3M in its investigation into fraudulent N95 masks and we welcome collaboration from other brands.

Amazon Web Services helps the World Health Organization respond to COVID-19

AWS helped the WHO launch an app to support health workers around the world in caring for patients infected by COVID-19. The app enables workers to access the WHO’s rapidly expanding bank of educational material and guidance, along with offering virtual skills workshops and other live trainings. AWS helped launch the app 12 months ahead of schedule, in response to COVID-19. More details.

June 8

Whole Foods Market named top retailer for its COVID-19 response

Whole Foods Market ranked first across seven industries for its COVID-19 health and safety practices, according to a new study from Ipsos. The research firm polled 2,000 Americans to learn which practices they considered most important, then mystery-shopped stores across 45 major U.S. retailers to determine which were acting most in line with customer expectations. Whole Foods Market outperformed all other retailers for the percentage of store employees who wore face masks and adhered to social distancing guidelines. Read more.

Amazon Web Services powers COVID Atlas to deliver global data sets to the research community Scientists, researchers, and health officials now have access to COVID Atlas, an application that collects, aggregates, and processes outbreak case data from thousands of county and regional data sets across the globe. Built on AWS, COVID Atlas data is updated thousands of times per day to ensure scientists and others have access to the most recent information available.

June 5

How Amazon is helping its HQ2 community amid the COVID‑19 pandemic

Amazon is partnering with local restaurants to deliver 10,000 meals to essential care workers and vulnerable populations. "Food insecurity is the greatest initial concern our residents experience during the pandemic," said Cheryl Ramp, with the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing. APAH has seen a 40% increase in people coming to food pantry distributions at their properties, and a 450% rise in households that need to have groceries delivered to their door. Read more.

June 4

All In WA virtual concert now set for June 24

Out of respect for current events, we are postponing the All In WA: A concert for COVID-19 relief. Originally scheduled for June 10, it will be held on June 24. We stand in solidarity with our Black employees, customers, and communities, and are committed to helping build a country and a world where everyone can live with dignity and free from fear. Read about Amazon’s donation to organizations supporting justice and equity.

Amazon Web Services powers federal COVID-19 resources

A new feature of the Coronavirus.gov website aggregates information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to quickly answer the most common questions about COVID-19. The feature is built on the General Services Administration’s Cloud.gov, a federal government platform AWS powers. Read more about how AWS is supporting organizations during the pandemic.

June 3

Amazon Web Services highlights AI and machine learning customers helping to fight COVID-19

In a post for the World Economic Forum, Swami Sivasubramanian, VP of Amazon Machine Learning, highlights how AWS customers are applying artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning expertise to better understand and address the COVID-19 crisis. For example, BlueDot uses machine learning algorithms to sift through news reports in 65 languages, airline data, and animal disease networks to detect and anticipate the dispersion of disease. The Canadian start-up then provides those insights to public health officials, airlines, and hospitals.

June 2

Amazon offers backup family care to 650,000 full- and part-time employees

With the closure of schools and summer camps, and the loss of some childcare and adult care options due to COVID‑19, we know it’s challenging to balance home and work. We listened to feedback from people across the company and are now offering a new family care benefit through Care.com to full- and part-time Amazon and Whole Foods Market employees in the U.S. This benefit will provide each employee with up to 10 days of company-subsidized emergency backup child or adult care between now and October 2. Full details.

Amazon Web Services supports COVID-19 High Performance Computing Consortium projects

In late March, the White House launched the COVID-19 High Performance Computing Consortium to provide researchers with access to the most powerful computing resources, such as those running on AWS. As part of the Consortium, AWS has helped researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology design copies of protein to “absorb” the virus. AWS has also supported the work of researchers at Children's National Hospital who are combining hundreds of data sets to identify genes that could potentially be targeted to treat COVID-19. Learn more.

June 1

New Amazon UK employees come from different backgrounds and share the same mission

The employees who work in Amazon's operations network are making sure customers get the products they need. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Amazon has opened 15,000 new full and part-time positions and delivery driver opportunities across its UK fulfillment and logistics network. Meet some of the people who started new careers with Amazon in the UK during these challenging times.

Amazon Web Services customer provides free curriculum for home schooling

As parents and teachers acclimate to remote learning during the COVID‑19 pandemic, AWS customers are stepping up to help with free resources to continue the school curriculum at home. EVERFI, a leading provider of digital learning tools used in more than 55,000 K-12 schools, is giving parents and teachers direct access to its library of digital courses at no cost.

May 29

Amazon’s support for food banks across America continues with a donation in Tennessee

Amazon donated $25,000 to Mid-South Food Bank, a member of Feeding America. The food bank has seen a 300 percent increase in the need for food, as the COVID‑19 pandemic has left thousands of people without jobs or stable incomes. The organization distributed more than 1 million pounds of food in March, and that number sharply increased to 4 million pounds in April. Amazon’s donation will help meet the food needs of thousands of residents in Memphis and throughout the Mid-South region by providing 75,000 nutritious meals to the most vulnerable residents in a 31-county area.

May 28

Amazon opens additional grocery store in California as online-only store to increase grocery delivery

As we continually work to increase grocery delivery to serve more people in our communities during this difficult time, Amazon has opened its grocery store in Irvine, California as a temporary online-only store, focused exclusively on fulfilling grocery delivery orders during the COVID‑19 pandemic. With the stores in Woodland Hills and Irvine now open to focus on grocery delivery, we have increased delivery capacity and are able to serve tens of thousands more customers in these communities. Learn more about how we are helping customers get groceries.

Amazon offers 125,000 full-time jobs to seasonal employees

Amazon will convert 125,000 of the 175,000 temporary jobs hired since March to permanent roles if employees would like to stay at Amazon long term. Regular, full-time roles at Amazon come with a comprehensive benefits package starting on day one, a minimum wage of at least $15 an hour, and access to training programs like Career Choice that make it easier to springboard into a different career at Amazon or other companies. We hope the option for many people to stay at Amazon will help alleviate some of the ongoing burden of unemployment in communities across the U.S. as we work together to fight through this COVID-19 crisis. Read more.

Amazon Web Services customers help fight the invisible effect of COVID‑19: mental health issues

One-third of Americans have experienced high levels of psychological distress during the COVID‑19 pandemic, according to new findings from the Pew Research Center. It’s evident the virus is taking a toll mentally as well as physically. Survey respondents cited stress from worrying about contracting the virus, to keeping up with the news, and considering the financial impacts of the pandemic. AWS is supporting companies like Talkspace, Headspace, and Ginger as they scale to address heightened levels of anxiety, depression, and sleeplessness due to the pandemic. Details here.

Amazon expands online use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits

Eleven states have been added the U.S. Department of Agriculture pilot enabling Amazon customers to use SNAP benefits to purchase groceries online (Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin). We are committed to making food accessible through online shopping and we look forward to adding more states soon. Read about the program.

May 27

Governor Jay Inslee announces “All In WA” effort to raise funds for COVID-19 relief through an Amazon-sponsored virtual concert on June 10

Amazon is proud to be the presenting sponsor of the June 10 event featuring performances by Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews, Brandi Carlile, Macklemore, Sir Mix-A-Lot, and more artists from Washington. Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos will personally match up to $25 million in donations. “I commend Governor Inslee and the First Lady for thinking big and creating All In WA to help those who so desperately need it,” said Bezos. “It’s been inspiring to watch the people of this state band together and push through this crisis, and I’m excited to see that continue as we raise money for this important cause.” More details.

Amazon Music’s Friday live stream features deadmau5 to benefit COVID‑19 relief efforts

Global electronic music producer deadmau5 will host Amazon Music’s weekly series on May 29. Amazon Music and Amazon Live are collaborating with the artist to help bring awareness to the World Health Organization’s COVID‑19 Solidarity Response Fund and the MusiCares COVID‑19 Relief Fund. Viewers can learn more about these funds while watching the stream, and fans may submit questions by commenting on deadmau5 and Amazon Music’s social posts before the show. The live stream begins Friday at 10 a.m. Pacific at Amazon.com/live.

Amazon Literary Partnership announces new grants to help writers impacted by COVID-19

Today, the Amazon Literary Partnership is awarding more than $1 million in grant funding to 66 organizations. This is in addition to a donation of emergency relief funding to Artist Relief and PEN America’s Writers’ Emergency Fund. Find the full list of grant recipients here. Since 2009, Amazon Literary Partnership has provided more than $13 million to organizations across the United States that empower writers to create, publish, learn, teach, experiment, and thrive.

Amazon recognized as the food retailer with the most favorable response to the COVID-19 pandemic

Thanks to the work of thousands of customer-obsessed Amazon employees across the United States, consumers have named Amazon the food retailer with the best response to the COVID-19 crisis. Respondents felt Amazon had adapted well to help keep people safe, according to a survey by Magid. Amazon has invested $4 billion on COVID-19 related initiatives to keep employees safe and deliver for customers. Read more.

May 26

Amazon Web Services powers new effort from Airbnb to keep people connected

With Airbnb suspending in-person Experiences in light of COVID‑19, the company looked for ways to help its hosts continue to generate income, while also allowing guests to learn a new skill, safely connect with others, or pursue interests. The company leveraged AWS to create Airbnb Online Experiences, offering an array of activities like meditation with Buddhist monks, family-oriented magic lessons, and team-bonding activities like making coffee with a professional coffee taster. Airbnb has also partnered with local organizations around the world to develop Experiences to help those in isolation, such as older adults, learn a new skill free of charge.

May 25

Amazon Web Services helps mobilize COVID‑19 volunteers

Thousands of food pantries, shelters, employment agencies, and nonprofits are currently experiencing volunteer shortages, and social impact company VOMO has made its volunteer management platform, which is powered by AWS, free to any organization mobilizing volunteers during the COVID‑19 crisis. With VOMO’s volunteer mobilization and management technology, organizations can coordinate volunteering efforts and issue calls for assistance to a national volunteer registry. To date, more than 1,000 new organizations have joined the VOMO network during the pandemic, and AWS provided increased computational capacity to help scale and manage the surge in demand. Read more here.

May 24

Amazon Web Services helps clinics store patient data and manage volunteers

The Spark Team, a nonprofit that provides software to support humanitarian events, is using AWS to help free medical clinics store patient data and manage volunteer sign-ups for COVID‑19 test sites. The Spark Team’s volunteer management software has helped Remote Area Medical (RAM), a major nonprofit provider of free pop-up clinics, staff COVID‑19 testing sites across the country where thousands of tests are being administered. RAM volunteers have logged more than 3,100 hours of service at these sites so far. To further support counties, states, hospitals, and other groups, the Spark Team is currently offering free use of their systems to help with testing sites.

May 23

Amazon Web Services helps UK charities process hundreds of donations a second

UK-based charities Comic Relief and BBC Children in Need worked with broadcaster BBC One to host “The Big Night In” to raise money for individuals affected by COVID‑19 and to highlight doctors and nurses on the front lines. With support from AWS, Comic Relief’s existing website, as well as its donation and business analytics systems, were able to quickly scale to process more than 350 donations per second. The three-hour event resulted in more than 700,000 donations that raised £27.4 million. The UK government has pledged to double that amount. AWS also provided Comic Relief with credits and remote technical support throughout the fundraising event. Find out more about how AWS is supporting governments, businesses, and nonprofits during the pandemic.

May 22

Meeting the Moment: a new series takes viewers behind the scenes to meet Amazon employees

Watch the first four episodes.

May 21

Will COVID-19 change the face of women entrepreneurship?

E-commerce could bring new opportunities for women entrepreneurs hoping to enter the economy in India, where women own just 10 percent of businesses. Read more from Shalini Puchalapalli, Amazon India’s Director of New Initiatives.

Meet an Amazon employee who inspires her peers while promoting safety

Brandy Bowers, a trainer in the learning department at Amazon’s fulfillment center in North East, Maryland, is working to inspire smiles while promoting safety among her colleagues during the stress of the pandemic. Each night, when she returns home, Brandy crochets hearts for her team and associates at the fulfillment center. Over the past few weeks, she’s crocheted more than 300 hearts in green yarn to signify the official American National Standards Institute color for safety, serving as a reminder that we’re stronger together. Meet more Amazon operations employees.

Amazon Web Services powers repository of images for COVID-19 research

AWS is powering the COVID Digital Pathology Repository (COVID-DPR), an online repository of whole slide images of COVID-19-related samples that enables international collaboration in the research community. COVID-DPR provides a centralized, cloud-based source for digital images of lung, liver, kidney, and heart tissues from patients infected with COVID19, as well as the closely related viruses SARs and MERs. The images, scientific notes, and metadata will be used as reference data for education, research, and future clinical trials. COVID-DPR is part of a joint collaboration with the National Institutes of Health, Octo Consulting Group, and others. More details.

A new shelter for homeless families opens on Amazon's campus amid the COVID‑19 crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting lives around the world, and families fighting homelessness are at particularly high risk with no safe space to call home. Mary's Place, a Seattle-based nonprofit that provides shelter and services for women, children, and families, is supporting many people during this uncertain time. Read more and see photos of the new Mary’s Place center that’s opened inside one of Amazon’s corporate offices. “While I’ve long been excited for the new Mary’s Place Family Center in The Regrade in the heart of Amazon’s Seattle campus to open, I never could have imagined the shelter would open at such a critical time,” said John Schoettler, Amazon Vice President of Global Real Estate and Facilities.

Zoom grows on Amazon Web Services to help people stay connected

Zoom, a provider of business video and audio conferencing that runs primarily on AWS, is offering universal free access to its core conferencing technology for calls of up to 40 minutes and 100 participants. Zoom helps people around the world keep up with business, education, and social meetings as they stay safe at home. Zoom also provides teachers, administrators, and students with the resources they need to quickly spin up virtual classrooms, participate in online classes, and continue their education online. Find out more about how AWS is helping their customers scale during the COVID‑19 pandemic.

May 20

How front-line organizations are using Amazon donated devices amid the pandemic

Over the past several weeks, we have provided $5 million in Amazon Devices to hospitals, schools, and community organizations around the globe to help those impacted by COVID-19. One example is Saint Barnabas Medical Center in New Jersey which provided patients with Fire 7 tablets. In their words, “Your donations will allow countless children, parents, siblings, friends, and loved ones to comfort and unfortunately in most cases say goodbye to patients who are otherwise isolated. You have indelibly affected and will continue to affect the lives of so many patients, staff, and families. I’m proud to be an Amazon customer and will forever be grateful for your contribution in helping our communities." Read more.

Amazon Music live stream with John Legend will benefit COVID‑19 relief efforts

Multi-platinum singer-songwriter and EGOT winner John Legend will take over Amazon Music's Friday live performance series, a new program featuring stripped-down sets and intimate conversations with artists. John will answer questions from fans and perform new tracks from his forthcoming album, including "Bigger Love" and "Conversations in the Dark." During the live stream viewers can learn more about the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund and the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund. The Amazon Music series begins at 10 a.m. PT Friday, May 22, on Amazon.com/live.

Amazon Web Services supports MedStar Health’s COVID‑19 telehealth response

MedStar Health, the largest healthcare provider in the Maryland and D.C. region, quickly scaled telehealth solutions amid the pandemic with support from AWS. A month after the outbreak started, MedStar Health providers were delivering an average of 3,500+ outpatient telehealth sessions every weekday. MedStar Health also launched two call centers—one for providers and one for patients waiting on COVID‑19 lab results—in less than a week using Amazon Connect, an AWS solution that helps customers deploy cloud-based call centers. Read about other ways AWS is keeping organizations running during the pandemic.

May 19

See our latest TV commercial about keeping Amazon employees safe

Keeping Amazon employees safe

Amazon Business delivers 100 million critical supplies to healthcare and government organizations at cost

Throughout the COVID‑19 pandemic, the demand for health and safety products has outpaced supply. That’s why Amazon Business created COVID‑19 Supplies, a program offering organizations with the most urgent need—like hospitals and senior living facilities—critical products to fight the pandemic at cost. More than 13,000 healthcare providers and 7,000 government organizations have used COVID‑19 Supplies since it launched in the U.S. on March 31, and the program has expanded to Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, and India. Read more.

Amazon Web Services expands Rhode Island’s capacity to process unemployment applications

Rhode Island’s unemployment insurance applications surged 10 times the volume the state’s legacy computer system could handle. With AWS support, the Department of Labor and Training’s website has been able to efficiently process more than 132,000 claims in six weeks. AWS also collaborated with Research Improving People’s Lives, a nonprofit that uses data to inform policymaker decisions, to develop an online application portal that helps the state to verify applicants’ eligibility for benefits and expedite payments. This has enabled Rhode Island to become one of the first states to process Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims.

May 18

"Amazon Wants to Innovate Its Way Out of the Pandemic"

Bloomberg posted this technology story today about how Amazon is building its own testing lab, backing an immunology study, and considering automation to make its fulfillment centers safer.

Helping educators close the digital divide for students in Oakland, California

Amazon donated $100,000 to support the Oakland Unified School District and the City of Oakland’s mission to close the digital divide for students from underserved communities. Amazon’s donation will help 200 Oakland Public Schools students receive the tools they need (such as laptops and internet connectivity) to continue their education from home amid the COVID‑19 pandemic. Amazon is also supporting at-home learning through Amazon Future Engineer and AWS Educate.

Amazon Web Services helps Propel deliver technology for those in need

Propel, a company focused on building software to help low-income Americans improve their financial health, has developed the Fresh Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) app. Powered by AWS, Fresh EBT has helped more than 3 million individuals per month manage their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, save with coupons, and find jobs through the app. Find out how AWS is supporting other companies, governments, and nonprofits during the COVID‑19 pandemic.

May 17

Supporting communities in need throughout Massachusetts

Amazon donated $100,000 to the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund. Amazon’s donation will help support dozens of Massachusetts-based nonprofits that serve communities disproportionately impacted by COVID‑19. In addition, long-time nonprofit partner St. Mary’s Center for Women and Children, located in the Boston-area, will use part a 2018 $1 million match donation from Amazon to deliver essential services to mothers and children fighting homelessness amid the pandemic. Amazon has created more than 4,000 full-time jobs across Massachusetts.

Amazon Web Services powers COVID‑19 research with Michigan State University

AWS collaborated with Michigan State University to develop a public website that hosts, shares, and tracks the latest clinical research on convalescent plasma (blood characteristics from individuals who have recovered from COVID‑19). AWS deployed the website in one day, allowing thousands of medical professionals to connect with other clinicians to share their latest findings on the use of convalescent plasma as a treatment for COVID‑19 patients.

May 16

Military experience and Amazon skills help stand up COVID‑19 test sites in Florida

Since the beginning of the COVID‑19 pandemic, hundreds of thousands of Amazonians have been proudly serving their communities, but few are quite like Evan Cartwright. He’s an operations manager at an Amazon fulfillment center outside of Tampa, and also serves in the Florida Army National Guard. Cartwright’s unit was activated to help establish a testing center in Orlando. For three weeks Cartwright, a First Lieutenant in the 3-265th Air Defense Artillery Battalion, used the logistics skills he developed at Amazon to keep critical supplies flowing to the testing site. On this Armed Forces Day 2020, read his story .

Using the cloud to study COVID‑19 genomes

Amazon Web Services is supporting the University of California, San Francisco Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute on two genome sequencing projects. The goal of the projects is to better understand different COVID‑19 strains to diagnose and treat the virus. AWS provided technical support and donated service credits through the AWS Diagnostic Development Initiative to advance this work.

May 15

Amazon donations help families in need care for their pets

Since March 2, 2020, Amazon’s Baltimore fulfillment centers have donated more than 4,000 items, including 6,500 pounds of pet food to the Maryland Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MDSPCA), supporting 500 pets during the pandemic. "We have a program at the MDSPCA called Kibble Connection that helps families in need feed and care for their pets,” said Kelly Anderson, MDSPCA animal care manager. "Not only does this help relieve the financial burden sometimes put on people during times of hardship, but ultimately keeps pets in home with the families that love them. There is no way we would be able to accomplish our mission without you [Amazon]!"

"Alexa, remind me to cheer at 8pm"

Now, you can ask Alexa to set a reminder to cheer for frontline workers in your area at 8pm every evening. Plus, it's now easier than ever to discover free movies, TV shows, news and more with the new "free" tab at the top navigation of the Fire TV menu.

Prime Video streams a PGA charity golf event to raise money for COVID‑19 relief efforts

PGA Tour superstars Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson will tee it up against Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff this Sunday to raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts. The event, “TaylorMade Driving Relief,” will be available for free to all Amazon customers in the U.S. More details here.

Delivering meals and donations to vulnerable populations in our HQ communities

Amazon is using its delivery network to support the immediate needs of vulnerable populations in Seattle and the Washington D.C. area. In Seattle, we’re delivering more than 48,000 meals to Seattle Public Schools students and, alongside FareStart, to families residing in Seattle Housing Authority homes. The deliveries to Seattle families will support students who are medically fragile, have disabilities, or who are fighting homelessness. In Washington D.C., we’re donating thousands of needed items, including hygiene and cleaning products, shelf-stable food, and school supplies to nonprofits across the area.

May 14

Amazon Studios to provide $1 million to help Los Angeles restaurants feed those in need

Amazon Studios will be providing $1 million to the catering team at the award-winning Jon & Vinny's restaurant group to prepare meals for local charities feeding those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic, including No Kid Hungry, Off Their Plate, the Los Angeles Mission, and the Motion Picture & Television Fund. "At Amazon Studios and Prime Video, we're truly honored to be able to show our support to the community that has always supported us, and to team up with Jon and Vinny's to provide food to those who so desperately need it along with a lifeline to local businesses," said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios.

Amazon Fashion partners with Vogue to support independent American designers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic

Vogue, Amazon Fashion and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) are launching "Common Threads: Vogue x Amazon Fashion," a dedicated, digital storefront that enables small and medium-sized fashion businesses to reach Amazon’s customer base, and to access its advanced fulfillment network. To provide additional support to the American fashion community, including the pattern makers, the cutters, the tailors, the embroiderers and so many more business and creative employees, Amazon Fashion is providing immediate assistance by donating $500,000 to A Common Thread. Learn more here.

Using Prime Air’s innovation and scale to help protect medical professionals

An idea from 3D printing enthusiasts became a passion project for some Amazon employees during the COVID‑19 pandemic. To date, Amazon has donated nearly 10,000 3D-printed face shields and is on track to deliver 20,000 more in the coming weeks. See what the team is doing.

Helping students within our HQ communities learn from home

We’ve helped purchase and deliver 300 Wi-Fi devices to families with low internet connectivity within the Arlington Public School district to support students learning at home. Amazon employees are also providing technical expertise to Seattle Public Schools students and their families as they navigate remote education during the COVID‑19 pandemic. Learn more.

May 13

Extending hourly pay increases through the end of May

We’ve extended the increased hourly pay through May 30. We are also extending double overtime pay in the U.S. and Canada. In addition, we are providing flexibility with leave of absence options, including expanding the policy to cover COVID-19 circumstances, such as high-risk individuals or school closures. We continue to see heavy demand during this difficult time and the team is doing incredible work for our customers and the community. Learn more about our focus on safety, pay, benefits, and job creation.

Amazon calls on Congress to establish a federal price gouging law

As bad actors seek to profit off the COVID-19 crisis, federal legislation is needed to protect consumers. Read the full story from Brian Huseman, Amazon Vice President for Public Policy.

Amazon Music hosts a live stream with Katy Perry to raise awareness for a COVID‑19 relief fund

Amazon Music's new Friday live performance series, bringing stripped-down sets and intimate conversations with superstar artists, returns May 15th with pop icon Katy Perry. The event will raise awareness for the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund which seeks to help those in the music community affected by the pandemic. Viewers will have the option to learn more about efforts to help those in the music community, while watching the stream. Katy will perform new song, "Daisies," for the first time on its release day, as well as "Roar" and "Never Really Over." She'll also answer questions from fans. The live stream begins at 10 a.m. Pacific on Amazon.com/live.

Amazon continues expanding online use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits

Idaho, Missouri, North Carolina, Texas, and Washington D.C. are the latest to join a U.S. Department of Agriculture pilot enabling customers to use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to purchase groceries online. Ten states are already a part of the pilot, and we are committed to adding more soon as part of our effort to make food accessible through online shopping.

May 12

Thousands of UK children receive free, healthy breakfasts

Thanks to an expanded partnership between Magic Breakfast and Amazon, 375,000 packages of healthy breakfast food are set for delivery around the UK. Watch below, and read more here.

Amazon donates $50,000 to Indiana and Kentucky hunger relief non-profit

In a continuing effort to support foodbanks around the country during the COVID-19 pandemic, Amazon has donated $50,000 to the largest hunger relief organization that covers 13 counties in Indiana and Kentucky. The funds will support Dare to Care an organization that partners with 271 local agencies on hunger relief efforts. Amazon’s donation will provide more than 150,000 healthy, nutritious meals.

How Amazon Web Services supports others during the COVID‑19 crisis with its scale, reach, and reliability

Many AWS customers have not only set up the tools and services to keep their own workforces productive, but are also creating ways to help others. They are standing up innovative new services and making their core services available to organizations at discounted rates or no cost at all. Read more than a dozen examples that show how quickly customers and partners have been able to leverage the cloud to adapt to this new environment.

May 11

Making it easier to support small businesses selling handcrafted goods

Amazon Handmade, our store for artisans selling handcrafted products, has launched a new shop to help connect customers with local small businesses facing disruption amid the COVID‑19 pandemic. The new shop features artisans from across six regions of the U.S. Read more about the new storefront and artisans from across the country.

Amazon donates more devices to hospitals around the world



Kyoto University Hospital in Japan received Fire 7 tablets.

National Cancer Center Hospital East in Japan received Fire 7 tablets.

An Amazon Gift Card donation helped Tallaght University Hospital in Dublin, Ireland, enhance the technology in patient rooms, ICU and nurses’ stations.

Central and North West London NHS Trust received Fire HB 8 tablets.

Read more about Amazon’s $5 million donation of devices globally to help healthcare workers, patients, students, and communities impacted by COVID‑19.

Amazon Future Engineer provides weekly coding contests for students

Our program to offer childhood to career computer science opportunities, Amazon Future Engineer, is hosting coding competitions for students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students in grades 6-12 can use code to remix songs provided by Grammy Award winning artists Ciara and Common through Georgia Tech's EarSketch program. Each week, the winning student who produces the winning remix will win an Amazon gift card. To participate, click here.

May 10

Meet Amazon moms (Happy Mother’s Day!) and other employees who are helping fulfill customer orders

Being a working mom is hard. Being a working mom with six children is harder. Dallas Austin somehow brings unwavering positivity to the challenge of being a working mom during a global pandemic. “I’m proud to be working right now,” she said. “I know others, especially high-risk individuals, are counting on us to deliver items they need so they don’t have to leave their homes.”

May 9

What has changed inside Amazon fulfillment centers due to the COVID‑19 pandemic?

Find out from Maria Lopez, an Amazon employee (and mother of five).

Amazon Web Services helps Kentucky scale its unemployment call centers

Prior to COVID‑19, a handful of agents staffed the State of Kentucky’s unemployment call center using technology that required them to work from state offices. Using Amazon Connect, the Kentucky Office of Unemployment Insurance set-up a cloud based call center in one afternoon and trained its agents in just 30 minutes, so they could work from home. The state then used Amazon Connect to build a statewide call center to manage about 200,000 daily calls fielded by more than 1,000 call center agents.

May 8

New Alexa features to stay connected and focused

Use group Drop In to instantly connect all of your Echo devices into a group conversation, simply say "Alexa, drop in on all devices." Plus, you can now react to photos shared with you by your Alexa contacts with animated emojis, and a new "Focus Time" routine helps you keep your work or study session on track. Read more about how Alexa and Amazon devices can keep you connected and focused.

Amazon Web Services helps expedite funding for COVID‑19 research

AWS is powering Fast Grants, a research funding mechanism to rapidly deploy grants to expedite COVID‑19 research. Fast Grants was designed to make funding decisions in under 48 hours. The global program focuses on supporting researchers who are working on projects that could help with the pandemic within the next six months. Read about other ways AWS is seeking solutions during the COVID‑19 crisis.

May 7

Amazon Original Series Regular Heroes shows courage amid COVID-19 from across the U.S.

A hospital worker. A grocery store owner. A woman fighting homelessness in her community. These are a few of the stories featured in a new Amazon Original docuseries called Regular Heroes. The eight-episode docuseries shines the spotlight on those helping to support their community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Regular Heroes will premiere on Amazon Prime Video in the U.S., UK, Canada, and Australia on Friday, May 8, and in other territories on May 12. Learn more about the series and the heroes it features.

Amazon donates 1,550 tablets and laptops to the American Indian College Fund

The American Indian College Fund is a nonprofit committed to supporting thousands of Native American students and nearly 40 tribal colleges across the U.S. Amazon is donating 1,000 Fire HD 8 tablets and 550 laptops to the nonprofit, which will distribute the devices to students and faculty who otherwise would not have access to technology while schools are closed during the COVID‑19 pandemic.

May 6

Amazon Music hosting live stream with Tim McGraw to benefit COVID-19 relief funds

Amazon Music and Amazon Live have partnered with multi-GRAMMY award-winning country music icon Tim McGraw on a live stream to bring awareness to the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund and the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund. During the stream, which will take place Friday, May 8, McGraw will perform and answer questions for fans, who have the option to learn more about relief efforts while watching. This is the first stream in a new series from Amazon Music that will feature different artists and benefit various charities. This Friday’s live stream, and future episodes, will be available to stream in the U.S. at 10 a.m. PT on Fridays by visiting Amazon.com/live.

Amazon is helping the nation’s second largest school district with online learning

We’re helping Los Angeles Unified, home to more than 700,000 students, with remote learning amid COVID-19. Amazon, Amazon Business, and Amazon Web Services are supporting parents, students, and faculty by standing up contact centers and delivering school-issued devices to tens of thousands of students so they can learn at home. Here’s how.

Amazon donations continue with $100,000 to support Ohio foodbanks

We are donating $100,000 to organizations working to relieve hunger across Ohio amid COVID‑19. This donation includes $50,000 to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank to support its COVID‑19 Emergency Response Fund and $50,000 to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. This follows an announcement that Amazon is creating more than 11,000 jobs in Ohio to support those impacted by layoffs related to the pandemic.

May 5

Amazon partners with Homeland Security Investigations to protect consumers from fraud

"Since the beginning of the COVID‑19 crisis, Amazon has proactively stopped more than 6.5 million products with inaccurate claims, removed over 1 million offers for suspected price gouging, suspended more than 10,000 selling accounts for suspected price gouging and referred the most egregious offenders to federal and state law enforcement across the country. Amazon welcomes HSI’s partnership in holding counterfeiters and bad actors accountable, and we look forward to building on our long-standing relationship to protect customers and ensure a trusted shopping experience," said Dharmesh Mehta, Amazon vice president, customer trust and partner support. More details.

Small businesses step up to help customers and communities during the COVID‑19 pandemic

Third-party sellers, small- and medium-sized businesses that sell products through Amazon, have remained committed to supporting customers and communities throughout the pandemic. From donating essential supplies to producing much-needed items like hand sanitizer, businesses selling through Amazon are supporting communities around the globe. Read more about their efforts.

Amazon funds 1.2 million meals in Florida and Chicago-area

We’ve made donations to many organizations to support food assistance programs during the COVID‑19 pandemic. The latest donations include $100,000 to Feeding Florida, a state-wide foodbank network, and $200,000 to the Greater Chicago Food Depositary, a foodbank for in the Chicago area. Amazon’s support will provide 600,000 meals in Florida and 600,000 meals in the Chicago area for those in need.

Amazon donates to COVID‑19 charity efforts when customers shop on AmazonSmile

AmazonSmile is a way to support important causes this Giving Tuesday, and every day throughout the year. Through the AmazonSmile program, Amazon has donated more than $180 million to hundreds of thousands of charities worldwide so they can expand their meaningful work. When you start your shopping at smile.amazon.com, Amazon will donate a percentage of the purchase price of eligible products to a charity of your choice. You can also visit AmazonSmile Charity Lists to donate needed items directly to charitable organizations of your choice. AmazonSmile has more than one million charities to choose from including Feeding America, Save the Children and Meals on Wheels America, and more, that are helping with COVID‑19 response.

May 4

Meet an Amazon driver lending a hand to the Houston community

"I think in these difficult moments, we need to support each other.” Amazon driver and our everyday hero. Thank you, Mariela! pic.twitter.com/khOkCj8cWV — Amazon News (@amazonnews) May 4, 2020

Amazon fulfillment centers in the Northeast U.S. support local communities

An Amazon fulfillment center in Northern Pennsylvania donated $100,000 to the Commission on Economic Opportunity to support local food banks during the COVID‑19 crisis. The funds will provide an estimated 286,000 pounds of food, including fresh produce and wholesale non-perishable food items, and provide assistance to an estimated 20,000 individuals. In addition, a Massachusetts fulfillment center has donated 15,000 boxes to help the Greater Boston food bank deliver meals to those in need.

Words of gratitude amid the COVID‑19 pandemic

People around the world send messages of thanks to Amazon employees who are shipping and delivering much-needed items during this crisis. “I am high risk and have been very anxious whenever my husband has to go out for weekly shopping. A big thank you to all the people at Amazon helping us through this,” a UK customer wrote. Read more here.

May 3

Amazon Web Services helps Chan Zuckerberg Biohub estimate unreported COVID‑19 infections

AWS is supporting an effort from Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, a non-profit furthering research to manage diseases, to estimate unreported COVID‑19 cases. This collaboration is a part of the AWS Diagnostic Development Initiative, a global program to support organizations working to bring better, more accurate, diagnostics solutions to market faster. Read more about the AWS initiative, and how AWS is seeking solutions during the pandemic.

May 2

Meet an employee responsible for training others in an Amazon fulfillment center

With 175,000 new people hired at Amazon since the start of the pandemic, Jerome Lewis is finding even deeper meaning in his work. "Teaching new hires is always rewarding, no matter the circumstance. However, it's incomparable to now," said Lewis, a learning manager at Amazon’s fulfillment center in Tracy, California. "A lot of the current new hires had jobs and careers two months ago and now have to make ends meet. My job is to ensure that they can be successful here. I take pride in that." Read more.

Watch 5-year old Jameson deliver smiles in his very own Prime truck

"Alexa, play Some Good News"

Need some positive energy? You can now watch new episodes of Some Good News with John Krasinski, a video series focused on positive stories from around the world, directly from your Echo device. Just say, "Alexa, play Some Good News." Read more about how Alexa and Amazon Devices can keep you informed and entertained.

Amazon Web Services supports COVID‑19 data resource to accelerate research

AWS has teamed up with C3.ai, a leading artificial intelligence software provider, to accelerate research efforts to fight the spread of COVID‑19. C3.ai has built a data lake, which compiles datasets about the disease from multiple sources, so researchers don’t have to spend time wrangling data and can focus on generating insights. AWS provided cloud infrastructure to support. Learn more here.

May 1

Amazon donates CAD$3 million to relief organizations in Canada

We are donating CAD$3 million ($2.1 million USD) to organizations supporting those most affected by the COVID-19 crisis in Canada. This includes CAD$1.5 million for the Canadian Red Cross, United Way Centraide Canada, and Food Banks Canada to support their critical pandemic relief efforts. We’re also creating a CAD$1.5 million fund to help local organizations in the communities where our employees live and work. These funds will help support food banks and procure protective equipment for local hospitals, among other efforts. Read more.

Letters from our frontline employees in India

When our customers write to us, we listen. Customers have been sending letters of thanks to our people who work across the Amazon fulfillment network in India. In turn, our employees responded by expressing their heart-felt thoughts. “Dear Customer, I request you from the bottom of my heart not to leave your homes, but to stay safe during this lockdown period. It is really a dangerous situation out there these days. We are continuously trying to fight back the coronavirus and we need your help to win this fight.” See dozens of letters here.

Amazon Brazil donates to organizations fighting COVID‑19

We have donated R$5 million ($1 million USD) to two Brazilian nonprofits supporting communities during the pandemic: Comunitas and the Alice Figueira Foundation. The organizations will use the funds to purchase personal protective equipment like masks, medical equipment like ventilators, and food.

Amazon Web Services powers robotic startup’s effort to keep essential businesses clean

Brain Corp, a robotics startup, has deployed autonomous floor scrubbers across retail businesses, airports, hospitals, and other spaces requiring frequent cleanings. The fleet of robots perform more than 8,000 hours of cleaning each day. Brain Corp recently announced it is donating $1.6 million worth of autonomous floor-cleaning robots and services, powered in part by AWS, so essential businesses can use a cleaning robot free of charge during the crisis.

April 30

Updated work-from-home guidance

We continue to prioritize the health of our employees and follow local government guidance. Amazon employees who work in a role that can be done effectively from home are welcome to do so until at least October 2. We are working hard and investing significant funds to keep those who choose to come to the office safe through physical distancing, deep cleaning, temperature checks, and the availability of face coverings and hand sanitizer.

Making masks available to Whole Foods Market customers nationwide

To help protect the safety and health of Whole Foods Market Team Members and communities, we will be requesting customers wear masks in Whole Foods Market stores. Within the next week, we will be offering free, disposable masks to all Whole Foods Market customers nationwide when they arrive at the store to shop. If customers don't already have their own face covering, they will be able to pick up a mask at the entrance of the Whole Foods Market store. Details here.

Providing for customers and protecting employees

In the second quarter of 2020, Amazon expects to invest approximately $4 billion on COVID-related expenses to get products to customers and keeping employees safe. This includes investments in personal protective equipment, enhanced cleaning of our facilities, less efficient process paths that better allow for effective social distancing, higher wages for hourly teams, and developing our own COVID-19 testing capabilities. In March and April, we announced hiring plans, and have since hired 175,000 people in our fulfillment and delivery network in response to increased customer demand and to assist existing employees. Read more about our work to keep employees safe.

Delivering to first responders in California

Being able to support the communities where we live and work adds meaning and purpose to our jobs, according to Kevin Murray a site manager at an AMZL Delivery Station in the Bay Area. Recently, his team in San Francisco took time to assemble and deliver 200 care packages to emergency service workers and first responders. "Doing our jobs well isn't just about data and bottom lines," Murray said, "Ultimately, it's about people and where we choose to spend our time and energy."

Whole Foods Market expands reserved grocery pickup to at-risk shoppers nationwide

To support the most vulnerable communities during this pandemic, we are reserving the first hour of grocery pickup at Whole Foods Market stores nationwide for customers 60 years and older, those with disabilities, and those whom the CDC defines as high risk. Read details here and learn about other ways we are helping grocery customers.

Amazon expands online use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits

Arizona, California, and Kentucky become the latest states to participate in the U.S. Department of Agriculture pilot enabling Amazon customers to use SNAP benefits to purchase groceries online. The pilot is already live in Alabama, Florida, Iowa, Nebraska, New York, Oregon, and Washington. We are committed to making food accessible through online shopping and we look forward to adding more states soon. Read about the program.

How Amazon’s logistics network is helping the UK Government during the pandemic

Amazon is collaborating with the UK Government to deliver COVID‑19 test kits to the homes of essential workers. We are waiving fees and providing this service free of charge. “We believe our role serving customers and the community during this time is a critical one, and we are committed to working closely with the Government to identify ways in which we can support efforts to respond to the crisis,” said Doug Gurr, UK Country Manager at Amazon. Learn more and watch a video here.

April 29

Amazon supports a nonprofit's initiative to fund artisans making masks for frontline workers

As part of a new initiative called "give a mask, employ an artisan," the nonprofit Nest will buy masks from its small business partners and donate them to healthcare professionals and others doing critical work. Amazon's support through this program will help artisans experiencing economic distress amid the pandemic and ensure frontline workers have access to protective equipment.

Amazon Web Services powers a free database for COVID‑19 research and vaccine development

Cerner, a global healthcare technology company, has compiled de-identified patient data to help COVID‑19 researchers and has leveraged AWS to secure and store the critical information. The data will support research, vaccine development, and new treatment options—and it’s available for free, creating an opportunity for organizations to share information and accelerate our understanding of the disease. Get more details.

April 28

Amazon to invest more than $800 million on COVID-19 safety measures

Through the measures we worked rapidly to implement, we expect to spend more than $800 million on COVID‑19 safety measures. This includes purchasing items like masks, hand sanitizer, thermal cameras, thermometers, sanitizing wipes, gloves, and additional handwashing stations, as well as using disinfectant spraying in buildings, procuring COVID‑19 testing supplies, and hiring more janitorial staff. Some specific numbers include:

Deploying 100 million+ masks

Adding 2,298 handwashing stations

Adding 5,765+ janitorial staffers to our typical teams

Deploying an additional 34 million gloves

Adding 48 million ounces of hand sanitizer

Adding 93 million sanitizing spray bottles and wipes

Deploying more than 31,000 thermometers and 1,115+ thermal cameras

We’re also spending over $85 million redeploying team members from their typical roles to perform safety related tasks and audits at sites around the world. This includes team members who are “social distancing ambassadors” helping with temperature checks. Read more about how we’re taking care of employees.

Meet an employee at the forefront of health and safety in an Amazon fulfillment center

As a child, Heather Mayberry was wowed by paramedics and the work they do to help people in their most difficult moments. It's what inspired her to ultimately chose a career focused on keeping people safe and healthy. Today, as an Amazon workplace health and safety manager in Phoenix (PHX6), she’s a part of the team that’s implemented 150 process improvements since the start of the pandemic. "My focus is doing everything I can to protect those who work at Amazon, so we can all go home safely to our families each day," she said. Read more.

Amazon donates $3.9 million to expand computer science education in Virginia

The Amazon Future Engineer donation includes virtual resources, training for over 12,000 teachers and curriculum to students whose schools closed due to COVID‑19. Amazon Future Engineer is a comprehensive childhood-to-career program aimed at increasing access to computer science education for children and young adults from underserved and underrepresented communities. More than 700 Virginia schools that may otherwise lack access, training, or funding, will benefit from the donation. Learn more.

A message for World Day for Safety and Health at Work from Heather MacDougall, Amazon vice president of workplace health and safety

Throughout the COVID‑19 pandemic, our first question every day has been, "What else can we do to protect employees, while keeping our operations running smoothly for communities of customers and people in need?" Over 60 days, we’ve made more than 150 major process changes and invested deeply to help ensure our teams are safe and remain healthy at work. Read her full post on LinkedIn.

Amazon Web Services delivers remote learning for more than one million students in Israel

Working with AWS, the Israel Ministry of Education collaborated with education technology companies to provide learning services in Hebrew and Arabic for 1.8 million students. Find details here.

New features through Alexa and Amazon devices

We’ve added more experiences to make it easy to stay informed and entertained amid COVID‑19.

Ask Alexa to open the Mayo Clinic Answers on COVID‑19 skill for guidance on symptoms, prevention, coping, treatment, and more.

New and existing Fire TV and Fire tablet owners in the U.S. will receive a complimentary one-year subscription to the Food Network Kitchen app. A special “We Cook Together Weekend” on Food Network Kitchen this weekend (May 2, 3) will let you cook along with your favorite chefs from home.

April 27

Amazon Air made its first-ever stop in Shanghai to bring personal protective equipment to U.S.

The aircraft picked up and transported personal protective equipment back to the U.S. last week for health care organizations and others in need. Watch now.

Surprise gifts for a special class of 2020 from Amazon

What an amazing virtual prom! Thanks @AlRoker for throwing this event and inviting us to surprise the class with graduation gifts 🎓 https://t.co/a6jYId6bfH — Amazon (@amazon) April 27, 2020

Prime Video presents the SXSW 2020 Film Festival Collection

Following the cancellation of the SXSW Conference and Festivals due to COVID‑19, Amazon Prime Video and SXSW joined forces to launch a 10-day online film festival that starts today (April 27) and runs through May 6 on Prime Video. A collection of documentary and narrative features, short films, and episodic titles from the 2020 SXSW Film Festival lineup will be available to stream here with or without an Amazon Prime membership. All that is needed is a free Amazon account. Find the full lineup here.

April 26

Discover how customers are using Alexa during the COVID‑19 pandemic

Brighten someone’s day by sending your Alexa contacts a hug. To learn more, just ask, “Alexa, how do I send a hug?" From Drop-In calls to dance tutorials, and setting up a traffic light, see some of the ways customers are using Alexa in their homes.

April 25

Whole Foods Market adds a grocery pickup option for customers age 60 and older

To support one of the most vulnerable communities during this pandemic, Whole Foods Market is reserving the first hour of grocery pickup for shoppers 60 years and older at stores in Indianapolis, Las Vegas, and Richmond, and we’ll expand to all Whole Foods Market pickup locations nationwide in the coming weeks. Read more about these updates and other ways we are helping grocery customers.

Amazon Web Services helps speed up the review of medical images

With support from AWS, Feedback Medical is scaling its software platform for reviewing radiology images to address increased demand during the COVID‑19 pandemic. Feedback Medical, a Cambridge-based company focused on medical imaging technology, is supplying its platform to all National Health Service providers in the UK at no cost. Read more about how AWS customers and partners are seeking solutions during the crisis.

April 24

Amazon transportation teams deliver personal protective equipment to hospitals and clinics

Amazon continues to support local communities during the COVID-19 crisis. This week, Amazon delivered personal protective equipment and supplies in support of Get Us PPE in Chicago. We are using our Amazon trailers to pick up supplies at Boston Scientific, transport them to delivery stations, and coordinate final deliveries to hospitals and clinics.

Extending the hourly pay increase through mid-May

We’ve extended the increased pay ($2 per hour in the U.S., C$2 per hour in Canada, and €2 per hour in many EU countries) for hourly employees through May 16. We are also extending double overtime pay in the U.S. and Canada. These extensions increase our total investment in pay during COVID-19 to nearly $700 million for our hourly employees and partners. In addition, we are providing flexibility with leave of absence options, including expanding the policy to cover COVID-19 circumstances, such as high-risk individuals or school closures.

A show of support with rainbows on Amazon buildings

Giant #rainbowsofhope are lighting up Amazon buildings across the country - check out our fulfilment centre in Doncaster last night. Thank you to all of our nation’s key workers. Find out more about what we’re doing to keep our employees safe here:https://t.co/7TswRKp2ae pic.twitter.com/xhCNakevME — AmazonNewsUK (@AmazonNewsUK) April 24, 2020

Discover why rainbows are showing up on windows, buildings, and sidewalks around the world in this story.

Meet some of the Amazon employees who are supporting customers around the world

Bri Tye was looking for a temporary job when she joined Amazon. Today, she’s risen through the ranks to become a general manager in Texas. Read more here about the people behind the scenes who are helping customers get the products they need.

Amazon donates devices around the world

Donations to Weill Cornell Medical Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Rhode Island Medical Society, Caritas, Arbeiterwohlfahrt, and Hephata Diakonie are the latest in our $5 million commitment to team up with hospitals, schools, and community organizations. We’re supplying Amazon Devices (Kindle, Fire tablets, Echo, Fire TV, and more) to those in need amid COVID‑19. These devices help connect elderly residents in care homes, hospital patients, and their families. More details here.

Support in Amazon’s HQ cities

The ongoing COVID‑19 crisis has impacted communities across the U.S., including the cities home to our two corporate headquarters: the Seattle region and Arlington, Virginia. Learn about ways Amazon is supporting local businesses, schools, and organizations during the pandemic here.

April 23

Amazon grants $2.5 million to Columbia University for COVID-19 study

Amazon has made a $2.5 million grant to fund research at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health into whether blood plasma from COVID‑19 survivors can prevent and treat COVID‑19 infections. The study is a critical first step in understanding if plasma donated from COVID‑19 survivors can provide effective preventative care for frontline healthcare workers and those at high-risk of poor outcomes from the disease. Dr. W. Ian Lipkin, director of Columbia’s Center for Infection and Immunity, is leading the study in collaboration with colleagues. Read more here.

AWS powers new platform to assess social distancing trends

Built on Amazon Web Services, the Maryland Transportation Institute at the University of Maryland has built an interactive analytics platform to help public officials understand how social distancing behavior affects the spread of COVID‑19, mobility, and local economies. The platform is run entirely on AWS, and we donated AWS service credits and technical support to the project. Learn more.

Amazon Live event to benefit Feeding America

Kellogg’s and Amazon Live will host “At Home Cooking,” a livestreamed cook-a-thon to support Feeding America, today (Thursday) from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. Fourteen chefs—including Padma Lakshmi, Emeril Lagasse, and Rocco DiSpirito—will stream live from their kitchens, cooking meals with ingredients commonly found in the pantry and answering viewers’ questions. Amazon Live and Kellogg's are donating directly to Feeding America in conjunction with the event. The stream is available to anyone in the U.S. via the Amazon Shopping App on compatible Fire TV devices, and by visiting amazon.com/live.

April 22

Amazon Web Services powers the 2020 NFL Draft

The 2020 NFL Draft has gone completely remote amid COVID-19, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) is one of the tech partners helping with the success of the event. With AWS's networking, scalability, security, and compute capabilities, we're ensuring that everyone watching—from a prospective player to a fan at home—has a seamless experience throughout the three-day draft. Read more about how AWS is collaborating with the NFL.

Amazon to deliver 6 million meals to underserved and vulnerable populations

Amazon is supporting food banks across the U.S. to donate delivery services of shelf-stable groceries and pre-packaged foods to serve 6 million meals through the end of June. Using our network of Amazon Flex drivers, Amazon has already delivered 427,000 pounds of groceries, representing 336,000 meals, in Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, Orlando, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. We’re committed to expanding to 25 U.S. cities and international locations to help those disproportionately impacted by COVID‑19. Read the full story here and USA Today article here.

Amazon Music and Jack Johnson support COVID‑19 relief efforts in Hawaii

To mark the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, and in support of COVID‑19 relief efforts, Amazon Music is teaming up with multi-platinum artist and environmentalist Jack Johnson to present Kokua Festival 2020 – Live from Home. Streaming Saturday, April 25th, the Kokua Festival will feature musical performances as well as cooking lessons from some of state’s top chefs. Donations from the festival will support environmental education in schools and programs that promote food security and sustainable local food systems in Hawaii. Fans can get ready for the festival with the Kokua 2020 Playlist, and watch the show on Saturday via Amazon Music’s Twitch channel.

April 21

New entertainment choices with Amazon Devices

In addition to resources from Amazon Devices to keep you connected and informed, here are three new entertainment options.

Stream "Mondays with Michelle Obama" from the YouTube app on your Fire TV every Monday through May 11.

Sesame Street and Headspace launched a new meditation series for children. Families with kids can watch Cookie Monster and Elmo on the YouTube app on Fire TV.

Amazon Live is also partnering with Kellogg's to host At Home Cooking, a livestreamed cook-a-thon to support Feeding America, on Thursday, April 23 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. The stream is available to anyone in the U.S. via the Amazon Shopping App on compatible Fire TV devices, and by visiting amazon.com/live on Fire tablet, desktop, and mobile.

Amazon joins a coalition to support small businesses with educational content and resources

As part of the new Stand for Small coalition, Amazon is providing resources to small businesses navigating the impacts of COVID-19. This includes free use of business applications such as Amazon Chime, Amazon WorkDocs, and Amazon WorkSpaces, as well as free use of Amazon Web Services for 12 months using AWS Free Tier. These tools will help small businesses use the cloud, communicate, and collaborate. Amazon is also providing complimentary access to training and educational tools from its Amazon Small Business Academy to help entrepreneurs learn how to build their business online. Learn more about Amazon's small business resources here.

How we’re protecting customers from price gouging

We’re working around the clock to provide the products and services people need. This includes taking a number of important steps to keep prices fair and protect our customers from the unethical—and, in some cases, illegal—practice of price gouging. Read Vice President of Public Policy Brian Huseman’s op-ed in The Tennessean.

Florida SNAP beneficiaries can now use benefits for Amazon grocery orders

In collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture, Amazon has expanded its participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Online Purchasing Pilot to Florida. The pilot enables customers to use SNAP benefits for online grocery purchases and is already live in Alabama, Iowa, Nebraska, New York, Oregon, and Washington. We are committed to making food accessible through online shopping and we look forward to adding more states soon. Read about the program.

April 20

Amazon donates 10,000 Fire 7 tablets to California students

Amazon joined a coalition of companies answering a call from California Governor Gavin Newsom to help the state’s most vulnerable youth. Amazon is donating 10,000 Fire 7 tablets to the Californians Dedicated to Education Foundation, a non-profit supporting the state’s public education system, to help middle and high school students with distance learning.

The story behind rainbows in windows around the world

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, children are displaying rainbows in their windows and thanking essential workers who continue to do their jobs enabling many people to stay home. See images and Amazon videos supporting the rainbow movement here.

How one teacher is using free robotics coursework from Amazon Future Engineer

With schools closed, kitchens and living rooms are now classrooms in homes across the country. Wyman Khuu is one of thousands of teachers determined to make it work for his students. "I don't want the coronavirus gap to exist," said Khuu. "My priority is to make remote learning feel like school so they can learn the things they need to learn and continue getting the education they deserve." Read the full story.

April 19

Alexa answers your questions about COVID-19

Alexa can now answer tens of thousands of questions related to COVID-19 in countries around the world, and we are working to provide accurate and timely information from official government and news sources globally. Read more here about how to use Alexa and Amazon Devices to stay informed, connected, and entertained.

April 18

AWS accelerates COVID-19 research for Jameel Institute at Imperial College London

Experts at the Imperial College London and its Abdul Latif Jameel Institute for Disease and Emergency Analytics are leveraging Amazon Web Services (AWS) to provide public health agencies and governments with real-time data and models to inform COVID-19 responses. With the help of AWS, researchers can quickly review data from around the world to understand transmission and outbreak severity, as well as the impact of different intervention methods. Read more about efforts from AWS customers and partners.

Work-from-home tips from a manager with Amazon’s virtual customer service program

Michelle Overturf is a military spouse with a home-based career. "Your job and your home life all start to blend together,” she said. “So you need to find ways to keep them separate.” Overturf shares advice here for maintaining work-life harmony during the COVID-19 pandemic.

April 17

Amazon and Fred Hutchinson launch Covidwatch volunteer study

Amazon is collaborating with Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center on a new volunteer study announced today called Covidwatch. The study will investigate infection rates, transmission times, and potential re-infections, while providing data analysis to the broader scientific community. Amazon is providing funding as well as technical expertise web hosting from AWS, and is working closely with Fred Hutch’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease research team, who are managing the study. Read more here.

Amazon donates masks to public health services in Europe

Over the past week, we have distributed millions of masks to all Amazon associates, delivery service partners, Amazon Flex participants, and seasonal employees, and we are encouraging everyone to use them. As a result, we’re now deploying our logistics teams to deliver 700,000 masks to public health services and other essential workers in eight countries around Europe. We’ll distribute 100,000 masks in the U.K., Germany, Italy, Spain, France, and Poland as well as 50,000 masks in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Any N-95 masks we receive continue to be donated to healthcare workers on the front lines or made available through Amazon Business to healthcare and government organizations at cost. Read more here.

Stream songs from the “Singing Surgeon” on Amazon Music

Orthopedic surgery resident Dr. Elvis Francois has always loved music and connects with patients through songs. Now, he’s released “Music Is Medicine”, recorded with pianist and fellow resident Dr. William Robinson to benefit The Center of Disaster Philanthropy COVID-19 Response Fund. The songs are available on streaming services, including on Amazon Music. Listeners can say, "Alexa, play the Singing Surgeon" in the Amazon Music app and on Alexa-enabled devices to hear him sing. Dr. Francois is releasing this music to offer comfort to those looking for solace in these difficult times, and is raising money to help his colleagues in the field.

April 16

Their work helps millions stay home

The people who work in Amazon's operations network are making sure customers can get what they need while the pandemic makes sheltering in place a matter of both personal and public health. Meet some of the Amazonians who are stepping up during these unprecedented times.

Katie Smith joined Amazon in March after being laid off from her job in the food industry. Now she helps manage inventory as it comes into the fulfillment center in Robbinsville, New Jersey. She said she's reassured by the safety procedures at Amazon. "When you walk in, they take your temperature. And they're passing out masks for us at the front door."

AWS helps educational institutions quickly transition to remote learning

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and members of its Partner Network are supporting schools across the world transition to online learning amid COVID-19. AWS partners like Blackboard, Canvas by Instructure, and others, provide a variety of education technology (EdTech) resources, and AWS solutions architects and experts are available virtually to help establish remote learning environments, consult on the best virtual resources for each school’s unique needs, and provide technical guidance. AWS is also working with EdTech companies to provide infrastructure for education ministries, colleges, and schools in Italy, India, Egypt, Brazil, and elsewhere, to quickly deploy remote-learning platforms. Read more about efforts from AWS customers and partners.

An Amazon general manager shares his thoughts on “doing something so much greater than oneself”

"It’s this feeling of doing something so much greater than oneself." A GM in one of our fulfillment centers talks about what it’s like being a veteran and serving his community during COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/SUyTo2cnCy — Amazon News (@amazonnews) April 16, 2020

Amazon publishes annual letter to shareholders from Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO

Read the letter here.

April 15

Amazon encourages U.S. residents to participate in short study to help public health organizations

The Delphi Research Group at Carnegie Mellon University is running a short survey to gather data about U.S. residents who are experiencing symptoms consistent with COVID-19. This data will help the Delphi Group forecast COVID-19 hospitalizations to come, and will help guide the response of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local public health organizations. Amazon is encouraging Americans interested in participating to complete a brief, two-minute survey about their symptoms. Participation is entirely voluntary and no personal information will be collected by or shared with Amazon. Take the survey.

Amazon continues to support communities around the world through device donations

Amazon is donating $5 million in devices to support communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. New efforts include:

The Seattle Children's Hospital received Kindle Kids Edition devices and Fire HD 8 tablets to help isolated patients and their families stay connected and entertained while in treatment.

Albero Della Vita—a non-profit organization based in Italy that fosters the development of children, their families, and communities—received Fire HD 8 tablets so families in need can stay entertained and communicate with loved ones while in isolation.

The Seattle Storm, a professional basketball team based in Seattle, received Echo Dot devices to give away to fans participating in the Seattle Storm daily workout series

AWS helps streamline volunteer and community relief responses

Amazon Web Services helped Crisis Cleanup, a software platform, launch new websites to streamline volunteer and community relief responses to COVID-19. The websites enable relief groups to conduct wellness checks of elderly individuals or those with a compromised immune system, and coordinate deliveries of food, medicine, and pet supplies to those in need. Learn more.

April 14

Sarah Rhoads, VP, Amazon Global Air: We'll continue rising to the challenge of COVID-19

COVID-19 is our biggest challenge yet. From flying masks around the world to rolling out daily temp checks, we’ll continue rising to the challenge of keeping our team safe. https://t.co/NINuhSHF7D pic.twitter.com/OvLBWw3bGc — Amazon News (@amazonnews) April 14, 2020

Amazon supports Seattle-area rental assistance program

Amazon has provided $50,000 to support the expansion of the Home Base program, which was originally designed to fight homelessness by preventing evictions and will now provide rental assistance to King County households whose income has been impacted by COVID-19. United Way of King County, City of Seattle, the Seattle Foundation, and others have raised $5 million for the fund to help an estimated 2,000 families. The Amazon donation helped meet this goal. Read more about the Home Base program.

AWS customers and partners seek solutions during the COVID-19 crisis

Amazon Web Services (AWS) customers and partners around the world are helping in the fight against COVID-19. Their efforts include accelerating research, compiling COVID-19 data, scaling telehealth solutions, supporting the rapid expansion of online learning to keep students engaged in their studies, and more. Read the full story.

When scaling your workload is a matter of saving lives

In March, a group of volunteer professionals reached out to Werner Vogels, Amazon CTO, about supporting a scenario planning tool that modeled the potential impact of COVID-19. The group, led by former White House Chief Data Scientist DJ Patil, needed to scale their model so governors across the US could understand the volume of exposure, infection, and hospitalization to inform response plans. In close partnership with AWS and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the group moved the model to the cloud, allowing them to run multiple scenarios simultaneously and generate a full report in hours rather than a week. Read the full story.

Prime Video adds selection of free content from HBO, CBSN, MLB, and the NBA

Prime Video is helping customers stay entertained while at home with a number of new free content offerings available this week, including:



More than 30 TV shows and movies from HBO including Big Little Lies, McMillion$, Ballers, Silicon Valley, Succession, and more. These shows are available now, for free, to Amazon customers in the US. To access this free content from HBO, customers just need to sign into their Amazon Account—no Prime membership required.

CBSN, a 24-hour news channel from CBS News, is available for free on Prime Video in the U.S. Anyone with an Amazon account can now access 24/7 news coverage from CBS News through Prime Video. Like HBO, to access CBSN on Prime Video, customers just need to sign into their Amazon Account—no Prime membership required.

The top 30 MLB games from 2019, as well as nearly 80 NBA Hardwood Classics, are now available for Prime members in the U.S. looking to get their sports fix while play is suspended.

An Amazon IT support technician for Amazon Air Cargo shares his experience in an op-ed

As an Amazon employee for the past four years, Jeff Quinton writes, "I firmly believe Amazon is working to provide safe job opportunities and plays a leading role in helping communities across the country during this challenging time. The team I work with is like a family to me and when things happen inside and outside the workplace, management lets us know that we matter and they care about us." Read his full story here.

Amazon helps Seattle students obtain resources and essential items

Amazon has given a $150,000 grant to the Alliance for Education's Right Now Needs Fund to support Seattle Public Schools students and families experiencing hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic. The donation includes flexible funding and credits to shop online for eligible groceries, health products, and personal care items sold on Amazon, which will be delivered directly to doorsteps. Amazon created the Right Now Needs Fund in October 2018, with an initial $2 million grant, to support all 104 public schools in Seattle. The fund provides staff and community members with resources to address the urgent and basic needs of their students. Learn more about the Right Now Needs Fund here.

April 13

Vice President Mike Pence acknowledges Amazon's hiring as "we face this pandemic together."

In addition to the 100,000 workers already hired, @Amazon is adding another 75,000 & increasing hourly pay. Thank you, @Amazon for working every day to meet the needs of the American people as we face this pandemic together.https://t.co/nDmoy02E6u — Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) April 13, 2020

Amazon hiring for additional 75,000 jobs; has brought on 100,000+ new associates in the last four weeks

On March 16, we announced Amazon would invest over $350 million globally to increase pay for our teams during the coronavirus pandemic and would hire an additional 100,000 people in full and part-time jobs across our operations network to keep as many people as possible working during this crisis. Today, we are proud to announce that our original 100,000 jobs pledge is filled and those new employees are working at sites across the U.S. helping to serve customers. We continue to see increased demand as our teams support their communities, and are going to 