Safety measure
Fedex is offering free COVID-19 testing for its employees and onsite vendors in the Memphis area.
Fedex is offering free COVID-19 testing for its employees and onsite vendors in the Memphis area.
“The testing is voluntary and is in addition to many other preventative measures we are taking including: supplying personal protective gear such as masks and hand sanitizer; promoting social distancing and sanitizing of equipment, including shuttle buses; and promoting proper hygiene,” Fedex said in a statement Thursday.
The company-backed COVID-19 testing began Monday, according to Fedex. Fedex has set up testing locations at the Fedex Safety Center across from its Memphis hub and its World Headquarters on Hacks Cross Road, according to a notice the company provided to employees.
Employees and vendors can be tested up to twice a month, the notice said. Some 11,000 employees work at the Fedex Express World Hub at the Memphis International Airport alone, with many more spread throughout corporate offices and facilities in the area.
The free testing is the latest coronavirus-related measure instituted by Fedex in Memphis. Fedex said in March that World Hub employees will be required to undergo a temperature check before starting their shifts, among other safety measures. Multiple Memphis hub workers have tested positive for COVID-19.
At Fedex Express’ Newark, New Jersey, hub, five employees have died of the disease.
Max Garland covers Fedex, logistics and health care for The Commercial Appeal. Reach him at max.garland@commercialappeal.com or 901529-2651 and on Twitter @Maxgarlandtypes.