Democratic lawmakers Rep. Ilhan Omar and Sen. Bernie Sanders demanded that Amazon take steps to protect its warehouse workers in a letter published Friday.

Amazon's US sales have skyrocketed amid the coronavirus outbreak. The company announced it would hire 100,000 new workers to handle the in

Some Amazon warehouse workers don't have access to hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes, according to a CNBC report Friday.

Omar said in a tweet that Amazon is "putting the lives of workers at risk by exposing them to COVID-19."

Amazon responded that it has cleaned warehouses more rigorously, enforced social distancing among employees, and moved most job interviews to video.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Democratic lawmakers are demanding answers from Amazon over how the company is providing for the safety of its workers amid the coronavirus outbreak.

In a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on Friday, Rep. Ilhan Omar and Sen. Bernie Sanders asked the company to clarify whether it's providing its workers with basic sanitation supplies like hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes while on the job. The lawmakers also pressed for information about whether Amazon's warehouses are being reconfigured to align with CDC social distancing guidelines, which recommend that people remain six feet apart at all times.

Amazon has seen a spike in sales amid the coronavirus outbreak and said earlier this month that it plans to hire an additional 100,000 workers to meet the rise in demand. But sanitation supplies like hand sanitizer and cleaning wipes have run low at some warehouses, according to a CNBC report Friday.

Amazon Vice President of Public Policy Brian Huseman responded to Omar in a letter shared with Business Insider, stating that the company has increased the regularity and intensity of cleanings at its warehouses, is enforcing social distancing, and has set hand-cleaning and desk-sanitizing standards for employees. The company has also moved to video interviews for most open positions, according to Huseman.

"The health and safety of our employees is our top priority as they work to provide an

essential service to our country," Huseman wrote.

The company has also established a $25 million relief fund to cover unexpected costs faced by its army of delivery contractors.

Earlier this week, Amazon temporarily shut down one of its warehouses in Kentucky until April 1 after 3 workers tested positive for COVID-19.

"As reliance on your business grows, so do the demands on your employees, as do the risks they face personally," Omar and Sanders wrote in their letter Bezos.

In an Instagram post on Sunday, Bezos told Amazon employees worldwide that "this isn't business as usual, and it's a time of great stress and uncertainty." Bezos added that the company had ramped up preventative health measures at its warehouses to increase the regularity of cleaning and enable social distancing.

A message to all Amazon employees. A post shared by Jeff Bezos (@jeffbezos) on Mar 21, 2020 at 4:23pm PDT Mar 21, 2020 at 4:23pm PDT