Amazon India on Monday announced that apart from bearing the Covid vaccination costs of its employees, it will also cover the cost of vaccination for all those in partner network ecosystem. This would include delivery service partner associates, including Amazon Flex drivers, ‘I Have Space’ store partners, trucking partners and their eligible dependents, a statement said.
The company in its release said, “As COVID-19 vaccines become available to individuals above 45 years of age in India, Amazon India is encouraging its employees, associates, sellers on Amazon.in and partners to get vaccinated at the earliest appropriate time to protect themselves, their families, and their communities.”
The company has also set up comprehensive support mechanisms for employees and associates working with Amazon and hired through staffing agencies, it added.
Amazon India supports cost coverage for COVID-19 treatment, hospital search and coverage of prescribed COVID-19 tests. Initiatives have been scaled and evolved to address the prevailing situation.
“These new benefits are on top of the USD 2.5 billion Amazon has invested in special bonuses and incentives for teams globally over the last year, and the USD 11.5 billion the company has invested in COVID-19-related measures overall,” the statement said.
This investment has enabled the company to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) and extensive safety measures for employees and partners throughout the global network along with other financial support initiatives, it said.
The Amazon Relief Fund (ARF) was launched in India in April 2020 with a USD 25 million relief fund for partners and continues to provide support to all eligible individuals. ARF can be utilised by qualifying individuals who have been quarantined or diagnosed with COVID-19.
Several companies, including Flipkart, Infosys, Cure.fit, Accenture, Capgemini, Cognizant, Mobile Premier League, Reliance Industries, TVS Motor Company, ReNew Power, Mindtree and Sify Technologies, have already announced that they would be covering the vaccination costs for its employees.
In India, people above 60 years of age and those above 45 years with co-morbidities are being immunised in the second phase of the nationwide vaccination that started on March 1. Under the third phase, which started on April 1, everyone over 45 years can get vaccinated.
Earlier this week, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called for Tika Utsav, mass vaccination festival, between April 11 and 14. In a major achievement, nearly 30 lakh vaccine doses were administered on Day 1 of ‘Tika Utsav’, pushing the cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country to cross 10.45 crore, informed Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday.
According to health ministry, on Day 1 of the countrywide Tika Utsav saw 63,800 Covid Vaccination Centres (CVCs) operational, which is a rise of an average of 18,800 operational CVCs. Cumulatively, 10,45,28,565 vaccine doses have been administered through 15,56,361 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am today.
(With inputs from agencies)
