Whole Foods employees across the US plan on calling in sick on Tuesday to demand paid leave for workers as the coronavirus spreads, and they're joining the ranks of 'essential' workers going on strike

As states order many Americans to stay home to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, low-wage grocery store clerks and delivery drivers deemed "essential to infrastructure" must still go into work.
As a result, workers from Instacart, Amazon, and Whole Foods announced strikes to demand higher pay and more safety equipment to protect themselves from the virus.
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Delivery workers and grocery store clerks who have been deemed essential workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus outbreak will strike for better working conditions during the pandemic.

Whole Foods employees across the US will call in sick on March 31 to demand paid leave for workers who stay home during the crisis, as well as free coronavirus testing for all employees, according to Vice News reporter Lauren Kaori Gurley .

Whole Foods workers join other "essential" low-wage workers at Instacart and Amazon to strike for better protections against the coronavirus. Instacart delivery contractors went on strike Monday to demand higher hazard pay for working during the pandemic, as well as safety equipment like hand sanitizer . Amazon warehouse workers in New York City went on strike the same day after an employee tested positive for COVID-19 and the company refused to close the building.

Nearly 160,000 Americans have tested positive with the COVID-19 coronavirus so far, more than any other country's population . In an attempt to slow the spread of the virus, 30 states have issued stay-at-home orders asking people to keep from going to work and from congregating in large groups.

The US deemed all grocery clerks " essential to infrastructure ," meaning they must go to work while the rest of the country works remotely to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.

By continuing to go to work, essential workers like grocery store clerks and delivery workers risk catching the potentially deadly virus . A Whole Foods employee in New York City contracted the virus earlier this month, Reuters reported .

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