Walmart Inc. has set up an emergency operations task force to address the needs and concerns of its store employees regarding the coronavirus, the company said in a memo Friday.
Part of Walmart's Emergency Operations Center inside its Bentonville headquarters, the task force is "in close communication with [the U.S.] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as other health organizations to help us respond properly," the memo said. "We'll address the needs of each store, club and support center in each of our markets, and adjust business operations and travel as needed."
"Your safety is our priority," Walmart Chief People Officer Donna Morris and Chief Medical Officer Tom Van Gilder said in the memo. The retailer employs about 2 million people worldwide, including about 1.5 million in the U.S.
Morris and Van Gilder said employees in China, where the outbreak began, "have done exceptional work serving our customers during a challenging time."
The memo describes the symptoms of the virus. It also lists the CDC's preventive guidelines, including its position that face masks are not recommended for general use.