COVID-19 and the Workforce: August 5, 2021

TOP HEADLINES 

Federal Government, Larger Companies Roll Out Stricter Vaccination Policies 
SHRM – July 29, 2021 
Some large employers—such as Facebook and Google—will require workers to get vaccinated before returning to the office due to the surge in coronavirus cases. 

Continuing Jobless Claims Hit New Pandemic-Era Low, Falling Below 3 Million 
CNBC – August 5, 2021 
Initial claims for unemployment insurance edged lower last week, meeting Wall Street expectations, while longer-term unemployment signs showed improvement, the Labor Department reported Thursday. 

After Months of Avoiding the Vaccine Issue, Companies Begin to Mandate  
The New York Times – August 03, 2021 
Some of the nation’s largest employers, for months reluctant to wade into the fraught issue of whether COVID-19 vaccinations should be mandatory for workers, have in recent days been compelled to act as infections have surged again. 

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 Updates: PM Says Timeline for Reaching Vaccination Goal is ‘Up to Us as Australians’ — as it Happened 
ABC – June 28, 2021  
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says state and territory governments have agreed “in principle” to a vaccination target plan at the June 28 National Cabinet meeting. 

CANADA 
Canada says Delta Variant “Formidable Foe” at Start of Fourth Wave  
Reuters – July 30, 2021  
Canada must vaccinate as many people as possible and cautiously relax public health measures as COVID-19 case numbers creep higher at the start of what could be a fourth wave, the country’s top health official said on July 30. 

INDIA 
India Says it Will Meet End-July Domestic Vaccine Supply Target  
Reuters – July 27, 2021 
The Indian government expects to have around 150 million COVID-19 vaccine doses in August, Vinod Kumar Paul, who heads a federal government panel on vaccines, told a news conference on July 27.  

UNITED KINGDOM 
Pressure Grows on UK Ministers to Outlaw “No Jab, No Job” Policies  
The Guardian – July 30, 2021 
Pressure is mounting on ministers to outlaw “no jab, no job” policies being implemented by companies, amid warnings firms could be hit by a wave of legal action due to claims of discrimination. 

UNITED STATES 
Workplace Vaccine Mandates Reveal a Divide Among Workers  
The New York Times – August 2, 2021 
The tide has begun to turn on corporate vaccine mandates, with large employers including the Walt Disney Company, Facebook, Google and Walmart introducing stricter requirements for employees returning to the workplace. 

POLAND 
Delta Variant Accounts for Over 80% of COVID Cases – Health Minister  
The First News – August 04, 2021 
Poland has breached the 80% barrier for the share of Delta variant coronavirus in new COVID-19 infections, while the Alfa variant, formerly known as the British strain, accounts for a little over 10%, the health minister has announced.