Google has instructed its employees in the UK, Europe, Middle East, and Africa to start working remotely. This will take effect today, 12th March 2020.
Google gave this instruction as a measure against the spread of coronavirus. Alphabet top executives sent emails to employees, urging them to stay motivated amid the global health challenge.
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“We know this is a very unsettling time for everyone, however, the company has security teams running a 24-hour centre to monitor the situation as it progresses”, said CEO Sundar Pichai.
Google had earlier advised employees in North America to work remotely because a worker in its Zurich office tested positive to the virus. There is an unconfirmed case in its US office and a Dublin worker was reported to have flu. Google also suspended in-person interviews in all offices.
Yesterday, the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a global pandemic. According to John Hopkins Covid-19, global cases live sheet, there are 126,672 confirmed cases and 4,641 deaths at the time of reporting this news. Other Silicon Valley companies like Facebook, Amazon, and Twitter employed the same measure to avoid the spread of the virus.
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