COVID-19 and the Workforce: December 4, 2020

COVID-19 and the Workforce: December 4, 2020

TOP HEADLINES 

When Frontline Workers Return to Work 
TLNT – November 20, 2020 
As people start, stop, and start again to return to the workplace, they are likely to see large-scale changes. Retail store associates, food services workers, and hotel employees are all likely to see massive changes.  

Jobless Claims Hit Pandemic-Era Low as Hiring Continues Even with Rising COVID Cases 
CNBC – December 3, 2020 
First-time claims for unemployment benefits totaled 712,000 last week, compared with 787,000 a week earlier and the Dow Jones estimate of 780,000, the Labor Department reported. 

What You Need to Know to Avoid COVID-Related OSHA Penalties 
TLNT – November 23, 2020 
Despite widespread commentary regarding the lack of COVID-specific regulatory rules in the workplace, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) continues to cite employers for a wide variety of health and safety violations arising from COVID-related investigations. 

What’s New from the CDC 
Keep up with all the latest information on COVID-19 directly from the resources created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  

GLOBAL NEWS 

AUSTRALIA 
COVID-Free for Days, Australian State Resumes Singing, Dancing, Religious Services 
Reuters – December 2, 2020  
Australia’s most populous state said that it would remove limits on the number of people at weddings, bars and religious services and end a ban on public venue dancing as a run of coronavirus-free days prompted a broad downgrade of social distancing rules. 

CANADA 
Canada Posts Deadliest Day of Coronavirus Pandemic Since June as Vaccine Hopes Rise 
Global News – December 2, 2020  
Newly-identified cases of the novel coronavirus surged past the 6,000 mark in Canada again on Wednesday as the country identified its highest increase in COVID-19 deaths since early June. 

INDIA 
When Will India’s Economy Show the Green Shoots of Recovery? 
Quartz India – December 1, 2020 
While containment measures had been used by many other countries, the scale of India’s restrictions were unique, bringing the country of more than 1.3 billion people to a sudden halt. 

UNITED KINGDOM 
UK Becomes First Country to Authorize Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 Vaccine, First Shots Roll Out Next Week 
CNN  December 3, 2020 
The United Kingdom has become the first Western nation to authorize a Covid-19 vaccine, a landmark moment in the coronavirus pandemic that paves the way for the first doses to be rolled out across the country next week. 

UNITED STATES 
Bouncing Back (and Forth): Statewide Reopening and Mitigation Steps 
Littler – December 3, 2020 
This chart provides links to key reopening orders and/or mitigation measures issued in recent weeks, at the statewide level. Employers should bear in mind that these materials typically offer detailed instructions, which often vary by industry. 

POLAND 
Poland Orders 45 Million COVID-19 Vaccines, to be Available in February 
The First News – December 2, 2020 
Mateusz Morawiecki, the prime minister, said that Poland had signed contracts for 45 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, which would be made available free of charge on a voluntary basis from February 2021. 

Post by Jasmine Patel

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