The advice applies to staff across its operations from offices to fulfilment centres, CNBC has reported.

An Amazon spokesman told CNBC: “We continue to work closely with public and private medical experts to ensure we are taking the right precautions as the situation continues to evolve. As a result, we are now recommending that all of our employees globally who are able to work from home do so through the end of March.”

Many Amazon workers, such as those in warehouses or delivery couriers, will not be able to work from home because of the nature of their jobs.