(Bloomberg) — More U.S. companies delayed plans for office openings, underscoring corporate America’s challenges in returning operations to normal as the delta variant spreads.
Three U.S. senators tested positive for Covid-19 despite being vaccinated, bringing to at least six the number of members of Congress to report recent infections.
More disruption lies ahead as U.S. schools reopen. A single Florida county has almost 12,000 students in isolation or quarantine. Oregon mandated, a day after Washington State, that all teachers and school personnel must get vaccinated. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy was expected to make a similar announcement, NJ.com reported.
President Joe Biden defended his push to give booster shots to all Americans, countering criticism that the move is unfair to other nations that are still struggling to procure a first dose of vaccine.
Key Developments:
- Global Tracker: Cases top 209.8 million; deaths pass 4.4 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 4.85 billion doses administered
- U.S. Spotlight: Covid hospital deaths hit February levels as ICUs overflow
- Nursing homes prep for staff vaccine mandate, booster shots
- Navy’s vaccine campaign has lessons for the corporate world
- SARS survivors offer clues on protecting against future pandemics
Return-to-Office Upheaval Mounts (5:48 p.m NY)
More U.S. companies announced plans to keep workers at home as the delta variant spreads across the country. Charles Schwab Corp., based in Westlake, Texas, said Thursday that it has delayed a full return to the office until January 2022, at the earliest. International Business Machines Corp. is temporarily closing its offices in New York City, saying current conditions don’t meet its health and safety protocols. PwC said it will postpone its reopening of U.S. offices until at least Nov. 1.
Humana Inc. will require workers to be vaccinated once the Food and Drug Administration fully approves a Covid-19 vaccine.
Meanwhile, Apple Inc. shut its store in Charleston, South Carolina, after more than 20 staff members were exposed to Covid-19, underscoring corporate America’s challenges in returning operations to normal.
Booster Review Pushed Back a Week (5:33 p.m. NY)
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has pushed back by one week a meeting by a group of outside advisers who were set to review Covid booster shots as debate swells about the need for a third dose.
The Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices, originally scheduled to meet and possibly make a recommendation about the need for boosters on Aug. 24, is now set to convene the following week.
Florida Governor Must Face Mask Lawsuit (5:25 p.m. NY)
A judge denied a request by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to throw out a lawsuit challenging his ban on mask mandates in schools, setting up a clash next week that could see the court block his executive order.
Judge John C. Cooper of Florida’s Second Judicial Circuit ruled Thursday that the parents, who claim the ban puts their children at risk as the delta variant of the coronavirus is ravaging the state, can sue to block the governor’s action.
Mississippi Children’s Hospital Hits Record (4:57 p.m. NY)
Children’s of Mississippi, the state’s only pediatric hospital, is reporting a record number of cases — 28 confirmed or suspected infections with eight children in intensive care. Five of those in intensive care are under 12 years old and not eligible for vaccination.
Earlier this week, state health officials said 20,000 students were in quarantine for exposure to Covid-19.
Kansas County Declares Emergency (4:40 p.m. NY)
Covid-19 stress on public services led Shawnee County, Kansas, to declare a state of emergency Thursday. Topeka is the county seat and Kansas state capital. The county is “maxed out” on resources “from hospital beds to staffing to everything else,” Dusty Nichols, Covid-19 incident commander, told local officials, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal.
Rice U. Shifts Classes Online for Two Weeks (4:35 p.m. NY)
Rice University of Texas is shifting classes online for the first two weeks of the semester as Covid-19 cases increase in the Houston area and on campus.
The school also plans to push back the start of classes by two days to Aug. 25, officials said Thursday.
“I’ll be blunt: the level of breakthrough cases (positive tests among vaccinated persons) is much higher than anticipated,” Bridget Gorman, Rice’s dean of undergraduates, said in a letter to students.
Florida County Quarantines 12,000 Students (3:58 p.m. NY)
Florida’s Hillsborough County Public Schools has 11,959 students in isolation or quarantine for Covid-19 infection or exposure, up from 10,384 on Wednesday, according to spokeswoman Tanya Arja.
The district, which includes Tampa, has about 208,000 students who started school last week. After the rocky start to classes, the school board voted Wednesday to mandate masks for everyone except those who provide a doctor’s note. Previously, parents were able to unilaterally opt out of the mask requirement.
Three Senators Have Breakthrough Cases (3:50 p.m. NY)
Three U.S. senators tested positive for Covid-19 despite being vaccinated, bringing to at least six the number of members of Congress to report recent infections.
GOP Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, independent Angus King of Maine and Democrat John Hickenlooper of Colorado revealed getting positive tests Thursday.
A spokesman for Wicker, 70, said the senator was tested Thursday after experiencing “mild symptoms.” The spokesman, Phillip Waller, said in a statement that Wicker in “good health,” is being treated by his family physician and is isolating.
King, 77, said he has taken “all precautions necessary” against the virus — including getting vaccinated, wearing masks and social distancing.
Georgia Bars Local Restrictions (3:43 p.m. NY)
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed an executive order Thursday prohibiting local governments from requiring masks or other Covid-19 protection measures at private businesses. He said the order was prompted by mask mandates in Atlanta and Savannah, both of which have been in place for weeks. Savannah Mayor Van Jones has also said he is considering limiting indoor crowd sizes.“Small business should not be punished by local governments just because they are trying to save their businesses and pay their workers,” Kemp said in a press briefing.
Intel Offers $250 for a Shot (3:07 p.m. NY)
Intel Corp., the world’s largest chipmaker, is offering employees $250 in cash as a thank you if they get vaccinated against Covid-19 before the end of the year. Contract workers will get $100, Chief Executive Officer Pat Gelsinger said in a letter to employees sent out Thursday and seen by Bloomberg.
While it’s not mandating vaccination, the company said business travel and attendance at external events will be approved for vaccinated employees.
NYC Mayor Faces Pressure on Schools Decision (2:50 p.m. NY)
Pressure is mounting on New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to reverse his stance on a virtual option for students.
City schools, the largest district in the country, are set to reopen Sept. 13 fully in-person, five days a week, without the remote offering provided to kids last year. De Blasio has said the city will not offer a remote option and does not have a Plan B to offer virtual schooling in case rising coronavirus cases shutter schools again.
“We are dealing with an evolving pandemic and we have younger students currently ineligible for the vaccine,” said Mark Treyger, chairman of the City Council education committee, who is is leading the effort to push the mayor’s office on a more flexible alternative.
Oregon Mandates Teacher Vaccinations (2:33 p.m. NY)
All Oregon teachers, support staff and volunteers must be vaccinated by Oct. 18, or within six weeks of full vaccine approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, whichever is later, Governor Kate Brown said Thursday.
On Wednesday, neighboring Washington State announced it was require all teachers and school employees to be vaccinated. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is expected to announce a similar requirement, NJ.com reported.
U.S. Records More Than 1 Million Daily Shots (2:15 p.m. NY)
The U.S. recorded more than 1 million Covid-19 shots on Thursday, topping that level for the first time in almost seven weeks, a White House official said. Of the 1.02 million doses, 562,000 were given to people who were getting their first shot.
Tennessee Running Out of ICU Beds (1:15 a.m. NY)
Tennessee intensive care beds are full in most metropolitan areas because of the wave of Covid-19 patients, state hospital officials said on Thursday.
“These are the hospitals that normally accept transfers of the sickest patients from other hospitals and healthcare providers, so when these facilities are full, it affects the healthcare system statewide,” the Tennessee Hospital Association said in a statement.
The association said that Covid hospitalizations rose almost eightfold between July 1 and Aug. 15, from fewer than 300 patients to more than 2,300.
Michigan, Tennessee Lead U.S. Increases (11:20 a.m. NY)
U.S. cases jumped the most in Michigan, Tennessee and Minnesota during the week that ended Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. While those states recorded the biggest percentage increases, their cases relative to population remain well below the prevalence in Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida, the top states in that category.
Missouri, an early hot spot of the delta variant, recorded an 8% decline in cases over the period, according to the CDC’s community spread report published Thursday.
Boosters Make ‘Mockery of Vaccine Equity’ (9:41 a.m. NY)
The rollout of Covid-19 booster shots by a growing number of wealthy nations makes a “mockery of vaccine equity,” WHO Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti said.
“High-income countries have already, on average, administered more than 103 Covid-19 vaccine doses per 100 people, whereas in Africa that number stands at six,” Moeti said. Nations from Israel to the U.S. have either started administering booster shots or plan to, while less than 2% of Africans are fully vaccinated against the virus.
Biden Defends Booster-Shot Push (9:19 a.m. NY)
President Joe Biden defended his push to give booster shots to all Americans, countering criticism that the move is unfair to other nations that are still struggling to procure a first dose of coronavirus vaccines.
In an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that aired Thursday, Biden said he and first lady Jill Biden would soon get their booster shots: “We got our shots all the way back in, I think, December. So it’s — it’s past time.”
Biden’s health team announced Wednesday that, beginning in September, all Americans would be eligible for a booster eight months after their second shot of either of the Pfizer Inc. or Moderna Inc. vaccines.
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