Amazon is looking to hire 100,000 new warehouse and delivery workers to "support people relying on Amazon’s service in this stressful time", the company announced on Monday, thereby confirming that, as the COVID-19 pandemic spreads, it will continue delivering critical supplies.

To compensate its workers who are willing to work outside the home - especially at a time when the CDC, WHO, and Trump administration are all advising people to stay inside, separate, and avoid gatherings of 10 or more people - Amazon promised to increase the hourly pay of workers employed in these positions by an additional $2 per hour in the US (€2 in many EU countries) through April.

The Seattle-based company has been frequently criticised in the past for not paying its warehouse workers - from contractors to full-time hourly employees - a liveable wage. However, more than a year ago, Amazon said it would raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour in the US. At the time, Amazon said that wage increase would benefit 250,000 full-time and 100,000 seasonal workers.

If you find yourself laid off during the coronavirus outbreak, check out the new Amazon positions at www.amazon.com/jobsnow. You can also go here to read more about all the ways Amazon said it is supporting employees with paid and unpaid time off options should they need it.

Keep in mind that, with so many countries and states entering different forms of lockdowns, whether it's mandated by the government or just a recommendation, many consumers are finding themselves working from home or spending more time at home in general. We suspect more people are ordering online during these times, too, rather than venturing out to get their goods.

Amazon has even told customers they might experience delays in shipments.

The coronavirus is considered a "very high" global risk by the World Health Organization, as there are more than 167,000 cases across 100+ countries. It has taken the lives of roughly 6,500 people at this time of writing.