Amazon has been accused of failing to cooperate with an investigation into coronavirus cases and health and safety measures across its California facilities.

This week California attorney general Xavier Becerra filed a petition which said the retail giant has failed to provide information and has missed a number of opportunities to comply with the information request.

California’s attorney general said that it was critical to establish whether Amazon workers are receiving protections that they are legally entitled to.

After months of informal communication with the retail giant about workplace health and safety measures, the California Department of Justice issued investigative subpoenas in August.

The subpoenas seek to determine the nature and extent of Amazon’s coronavirus prevention efforts, including sick leave policies, cleaning procedures and raw data on the number of infections and deaths at their facilities in the state.

“Amazon has made billions during this pandemic relying on the labour of essential workers,” said Xavier Becerra, attorney general. “Their workers get the job done while putting themselves at risk.”

He said that Amazon has delayed responding adequately to the department’s investigative requests “long enough.”

“We’re seeking a court order to compel Amazon to comply fully with our investigative subpoenas,” he added.

The investigation is ongoing, but so far no conclusions have been reached about the company’s coronavirus protocols, largely due to its “limited responsiveness.”

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