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| Amazon Loses Appeal of French Order to Stop Selling Nonessential Items | Amazon Loses Appeal of French Order to Stop Selling Nonessential Items |
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| PARIS — Amazon lost an appeal on Friday of a French court decision ordering the e-commerce giant to stop delivering nonessential items in France during the coronavirus crisis to protect workers, raising questions about the immediate future of its business in the country. | PARIS — Amazon lost an appeal on Friday of a French court decision ordering the e-commerce giant to stop delivering nonessential items in France during the coronavirus crisis to protect workers, raising questions about the immediate future of its business in the country. |
| The Versailles Court of Appeals upheld a lower-court ruling from last week that prompted Amazon to shutter its six mammoth warehouses around France for a week and put its 10,000 workers on paid furlough. | The Versailles Court of Appeals upheld a lower-court ruling from last week that prompted Amazon to shutter its six mammoth warehouses around France for a week and put its 10,000 workers on paid furlough. |
| Under the ruling, Amazon can deliver only health items, food, pet food and electronics until it carries out a risk evaluation of its sites with French unions, which have clashed with Amazon for refusing to engage with them on health protocols to protect employees from the threat of the virus at Amazon’s warehouses. | Under the ruling, Amazon can deliver only health items, food, pet food and electronics until it carries out a risk evaluation of its sites with French unions, which have clashed with Amazon for refusing to engage with them on health protocols to protect employees from the threat of the virus at Amazon’s warehouses. |
| The court said Amazon would be fined 100,000 euros, or around $108,000 for every delivery not meeting the requirement. The court said it would review Amazon’s progress in a month. | The court said Amazon would be fined 100,000 euros, or around $108,000 for every delivery not meeting the requirement. The court said it would review Amazon’s progress in a month. |
| In a statement, Amazon said it had “taken note of the outcome” and remained “perplexed” by the decision. It added in a statement on Twitter that it was assessing the consequences for its business and employees in France, as well as the impact on its consumers and the numerous small and midsize French businesses that sell on its platform. | In a statement, Amazon said it had “taken note of the outcome” and remained “perplexed” by the decision. It added in a statement on Twitter that it was assessing the consequences for its business and employees in France, as well as the impact on its consumers and the numerous small and midsize French businesses that sell on its platform. |
| The decision Friday raises the stakes for Amazon in France, where unions wield outsize power and have been leveraging the coronavirus crisis to press companies on employee rights. Amazon also faces mounting scrutiny in the United States over the effectiveness of safety measures it has used to protect employees from the coronavirus while trying to meet a huge demand for orders. | The decision Friday raises the stakes for Amazon in France, where unions wield outsize power and have been leveraging the coronavirus crisis to press companies on employee rights. Amazon also faces mounting scrutiny in the United States over the effectiveness of safety measures it has used to protect employees from the coronavirus while trying to meet a huge demand for orders. |
| Amazon last week criticized French unions that brought the court case, saying it had provided “concrete evidence” that it had worked to strengthen safety measures at warehouses around France. Frederic Duval, the chief executive of Amazon France, told French television last week that the company had spent “colossal amounts” on health precautions, including sanitary gels and face masks. | Amazon last week criticized French unions that brought the court case, saying it had provided “concrete evidence” that it had worked to strengthen safety measures at warehouses around France. Frederic Duval, the chief executive of Amazon France, told French television last week that the company had spent “colossal amounts” on health precautions, including sanitary gels and face masks. |
| The lower court did not order Amazon to shut its French warehouses, but the online giant decided to do so because the court threatened it with a €1 million fine for every day that it did not comply with the ruling. | The lower court did not order Amazon to shut its French warehouses, but the online giant decided to do so because the court threatened it with a €1 million fine for every day that it did not comply with the ruling. |
| Employees were told to stay home, and Amazon informed customers in France that their orders would be fulfilled by warehouses in Germany, Belgium and other European countries. | Employees were told to stay home, and Amazon informed customers in France that their orders would be fulfilled by warehouses in Germany, Belgium and other European countries. |
| The ruling Friday still allows Amazon to deliver a restricted array of products from its French warehouses, but requires it to restart its whole risk assessment of the warehouses in consultation with the unions. | The ruling Friday still allows Amazon to deliver a restricted array of products from its French warehouses, but requires it to restart its whole risk assessment of the warehouses in consultation with the unions. |
| The Versailles court upheld the lower court’s ruling that Amazon had not provided adequate sanitary conditions in certain areas of the workplace, including locker rooms and entrances. It also upheld a union demand that Amazon take into account the mental well-being of employees working under fear of getting sick, including reorganizing work schedules and work teams to alleviate duress. | The Versailles court upheld the lower court’s ruling that Amazon had not provided adequate sanitary conditions in certain areas of the workplace, including locker rooms and entrances. It also upheld a union demand that Amazon take into account the mental well-being of employees working under fear of getting sick, including reorganizing work schedules and work teams to alleviate duress. |
| Updated June 5, 2020 | Updated June 5, 2020 |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. | Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. |
| Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. | Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| The ruling pointed to a critical dilemma facing companies during the pandemic, said Lionel Vuidard, a labor lawyer at the Paris office of Linklaters law firm. | The ruling pointed to a critical dilemma facing companies during the pandemic, said Lionel Vuidard, a labor lawyer at the Paris office of Linklaters law firm. |
| “The decision raises the question of: How do you balance two principles, which is protecting the health and safety of employees while keeping the business running and preserving jobs?” Mr. Vuidard said. | “The decision raises the question of: How do you balance two principles, which is protecting the health and safety of employees while keeping the business running and preserving jobs?” Mr. Vuidard said. |
| One way or another, the court ruling Friday was “stringent,” Mr. Vuidard said. Amazon had put in place a number of measures to preserve the health and safety of its employees, but it nonetheless failed to consult with employee representatives and labor unions — a condition of doing business in France. | One way or another, the court ruling Friday was “stringent,” Mr. Vuidard said. Amazon had put in place a number of measures to preserve the health and safety of its employees, but it nonetheless failed to consult with employee representatives and labor unions — a condition of doing business in France. |
| Not everyone is happy with the union’s lawsuit. Many Amazon workers are worried about losing their jobs in a French economy that has been hammered by a monthlong quarantine to contain the virus. This week, around 15,000 workers signed a petition urging the reopening of distribution centers. | Not everyone is happy with the union’s lawsuit. Many Amazon workers are worried about losing their jobs in a French economy that has been hammered by a monthlong quarantine to contain the virus. This week, around 15,000 workers signed a petition urging the reopening of distribution centers. |
| “The unions didn’t ask us what we thought,” said Priscilla Soares, one of two employees at an Amazon site in northern France who started the petition. | “The unions didn’t ask us what we thought,” said Priscilla Soares, one of two employees at an Amazon site in northern France who started the petition. |