US: Microsoft employees asked to work from home as coronavirus fear looms large

On Mach 4, Microsoft Corporation asked its employees to work in order to limit exposure to the rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak. According to reports, Microsoft's announcement is a response to positive cases near its Seattle headquarters and in California. As per reports, the order extends till March 25.

According to sources, in a blog post, Executive Vice President Kurt DelBene told employees that they have been asked to work from home so as to ensure their safety and also provide a safer work environment for those employees that would have to be on site. DelBene added that there are employees such as those working in data centres and those in retail that will have to be onsite and that they should continue their work at their normal work locations. In regards to ensuring the safety of the employees that would continue to work onsite, he claimed that Microsoft would follow government guidelines for disinfecting sites.

As per reports, the blog post also claimed that employees should refrain from travelling to any countries with active coronavirus cases, this would include most of Europe, Asia and the Americas. It also added that employees were not required to travel if they did not feel comfortable doing so.

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The greater Seattle area has reported 39 positive cases as of March 4 and has the largest concentration of coronavirus infected in the United States. According to reports, Microsoft also released guidelines for the employees that continue to come to its offices. They have been recommended to limit prolonged close interaction people, keep personal meetings as short as possible and stay at least 6-feet away from others.

Over 95,000 cases worldwide

The deadly new coronavirus that first started in Hubei Province in China last year, has now spread to multiple countries across the world. Officially named COVID-19, the number of infected cases has exceeded 95,000 worldwide and the virus has claimed the lives of more than 3,000 people.

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