Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Predicts ‘Things Are Going to Get Worse’

In a Letter to Employees, He Thanked Them but Issued a Warning

Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon.com, speaks in the State Dining Room of the White House on May 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos wrote to the company’s employees over the weekend, thanking them for their work amid the pandemic but noted that “things are going to get worse.”

“I’m not alone in being grateful for the work you are doing,” Bezos wrote in a letter on Amazon’s website. “I’ve received hundreds of emails from customers and seen posts on social media thanking you all. Your efforts are being noticed at the highest levels of government, and President Trump earlier this week thanked this team profusely.”

Bezos warned that due to the economic impact caused by the CCP virus, the situation is likely to get worse before it improves.

The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Party’s coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic.

“We’re hiring for 100,000 new roles and raising wages for our hourly workers who are fulfilling orders and delivering to customers during this period of stress and turmoil. At the same time, other businesses like restaurants and bars are being forced to shut their doors. We hope people who’ve been laid off will come work with us until they’re able to go back to the jobs they had,” Bezos wrote.

He added that his firm has purchased millions of protective masks for employees who are not working at home, but he noted that there are significant constraints around the world in actually obtaining the masks.

People walk past part of the new Amazon headquarter complex under construction in downtown Seattle, Washington, on Sept. 4, 2015. (Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images)

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

Amid the CCP virus crisis, shoppers have flocked to Amazon to purchase items such as hand sanitizer, wipes, and toilet paper, putting a strain on the company’s supply chain.

Amazon has said its Fulfillment by Amazon program would partially suspend shipments through April 5 to allow the firm to prioritize products that are needed amid the pandemic.

Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) pressed Amazon in a letter about whether workers might be impacted by the pandemic.

“Any failure of Amazon to keep its workers safe does not just put their employees at risk, it puts the entire country at risk,” the lawmakers said in a letter. “Americans who are taking every precaution…might risk getting infected with COVID-19 because of Amazon’s decision to prioritize efficiency and profits over the safety and well-being of its workforce.”