US: Over 25.8M Cases - 431K Dead - 15.6M Recovered
Worldwide: Over 100M Cases - 2.1M Dead - 72M Recovered

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 267   Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 216
*Red indicates change in total deaths

Coronavirus Cases & Hospitalizations Continue Downward Trend - For Now

For the first time since November 3rd, no state has over 600 people per million hospitalized with COVID-19.

New Covid Variants Could Quickly Erase Progress
Everyday activities like shopping are more dangerous now that new Covid-19 variants are circulating, expert says
Health officials are "extremely" worried about the new Covid-19 variants that have been detected in the US and what they could mean over the coming months, one expert said Monday night.

"We've seen what happens in other countries that have actually had coronavirus under relatively good control, then these variants took over and they had explosive spread of the virus, and then overwhelmed hospitals," emergency physician Dr. Leana Wen told CNN's Anderson Cooper.

Officials in Minnesota announced Monday they detected the P.1 variant of the virus in a traveler from Brazil. The variant is one of four being closely watched by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and appears to be more easily transmissible. CDC officials have also said another variant -- called B.1.1.7 and first spotted in the UK -- has been detected in more than 20 states.

While the US seems to be heading in the right direction on infection rates -- with 42 states reporting downward trends -- that progress could be erased if variants take hold, Wen said. Preventing that will mean extra vigilance.

"If there is something more contagious among us, if we thought that going to the grocery store before was relatively safe, there's actually a higher likelihood of contracting coronavirus through those every day activities," she said. "Wearing an even better mask, reducing the number of times that we have to go out shopping, or in indoor crowded settings, all of that will be helpful." cnn.com

How Covid Has Changed The Retail Workforce
Few sectors of the economy have been as affected by Covid-19 as the retail sector, with most non-food stores forced to close for extended periods, shifting demand online, while food-based retailers enjoyed booming sales as people attempted to stock up (while obviously not eating out quite so much either).

New research from UC Santa Cruz explores how the pandemic has changed the very nature of the retail workforce, with a particular focus on the food retail sector. As with so much, the authors argue that the pandemic has accelerated many of the labor market trends that had been emerging in recent years. For instance, e-commerce had been a growing presence in the grocery sector, which created a number of implications for workers.

"The growth of e-commerce sales for food has increased the number of jobs available at a time when unemployment across the U.S. economy has skyrocketed. Grocery workers now are seen as essential workers, even heroes," the researchers say. "At times they even have received extra hazard pay. And yet media reports also are full of stories of ongoing low wages and poor working conditions, severe health risks, and employer retaliation against workers who speak out."

  Making the transition | A changing landscape | New labor models | Read more here: forbes.com

Incentives for Shots
Amazon, Aldi, Walmart, Trader Joe's and other retailers
begin to encourage workers to get the vaccine

Some stores say they will give employees paid time off and bonuses when COVID-19 vaccines are more broadly available.

Retailers are still trying to get priority status for their employees in the COVID-19 vaccine pipeline while they promote the shots to their workers with incentive offers to get vaccinated.

Amazon, which has 800,000 employees in the U.S., said Wednesday that it had an agreement with a health care provider to vaccinate workers at its Amazon fulfillment centers, AWS data centers and Whole Foods Market stores who can't work from home. Amazon's front-line employees haven't been given a time frame because Amazon doesn't yet have access to the vaccines, but in messaging to employees the retailer has referenced the shots' effectiveness.

Walmart, the largest U.S. employer, with 1.5 million employees, has also been talking up the vaccine. "We're educating essential workers and all associates on getting the vaccine as soon as they are eligible," Dr. Cheryl Pegus, the chain's executive vice president for health and wellness, said in a blog post Friday. "We are strongly encouraging all associates to get vaccinated but are not mandating anyone receive the vaccine nor are we providing incentives at this time."

Dollar General is offering its 157,000 employees four hours of pay to get the vaccine.

Aldi said last week that it would give two hours of pay for each dose employees receive. The discount grocer also said it planned to set up vaccination clinics at its warehouses and offices to provide easier access.

Trader Joe's is encouraging employees to get vaccinated and will make sure schedules are adjusted around vaccine appointments. dallasnews.com

Walmart positions itself as key COVID-19 vaccine provider for rural America
Walmart expects to be able to administer between 10 million and 13 million COVID-19 shots per month at its more than 5,000 in-store pharmacies in the United States and Puerto Rico once it has sufficient access to vaccine supplies, the company said Friday in a blog post. The retailer said it is especially focused on providing vaccinations in regions where people have limited access to healthcare services and is prepared to work with community organizations to run vaccine clinics outside its stores. retaildive.com

3M Vaccines & Counting
CVS, Walgreens finish first round of vaccines
CVS Health has administered 2 million COVID-19 vaccines at nearly 8,000 long-term care facilities, completing the first round of vaccines under a federal program with plans to finish the second round in four weeks. Walgreens, which has also partnered with the federal government to vaccinate residents of these facilities, said it expected to finish the first round Monday after giving more than 1 million shots. dallasnews.com

The Complexities of Securing COVID-19 Vaccines in Hospitals

Collaboration, video surveillance and access control have proved essential for healthcare facilities to be able to safely store and administer the coronavirus vaccine.

While the monstrous and ever-evolving task of executing a vaccine rollout has required cooperation and dedication from nearly all hospital employees, security departments have played an integral role in ensuring it runs as smoothly as possible with minimal threats.

As with any public health crisis, natural disaster or other emergency, it is essential that hospitals constantly review security plans already in place to ensure the continued safety of patients, employees and assets. ASIS, a professional organization for security professionals, recommends facilities review their processes for coordinating with local law enforcement partners and other healthcare facilities to "stay abreast of any potential risks, such as civil disturbances, protests or other security issues" that may arise during the rollout.

Civil disturbances were of significant concern before vaccine distribution began due to many reports of conspiracy theorists looking to disprove the existence of or steal or sabotage the vaccine in order to halt its distribution for a multitude of reasons. campussafetymagazine.com

New York's vaccine rollout has left out a high-risk group: inmates
When New York announced new vaccine eligibility guidelines two weeks ago covering millions of additional state residents, one particularly hard-hit group remained unmentioned: the nearly 50,000 people incarcerated in the state's prisons and jails. Now, with state supplies dwindling and no clear plan for vaccinating incarcerated people, the virus is roaring back behind bars. At least 5,100 people living and working in New York's prisons have tested positive and 12 have died in recent weeks, outpacing even the early days of the pandemic. But how and when to vaccinate incarcerated people as millions around the state wait has raised legal, logistical and ethical questions. nytimes.com

New COVID-19 test requirement for international flights to the US begins
Travelers boarding international flights to the United States have a big hurdle to clear beginning Tuesday. For the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began, all passengers ages 2 and older must present a negative coronavirus test taken no more than three days before their flight or proof they recovered from the virus within the past three months. Those who don't will be denied boarding. Canada, the United Kingdom and many other countries already have this entry requirement. usatoday.com

More vaccines will go to states next week, showing companies are on track to deliver their pledged doses

U.K. reports over 100K deaths, as the country prepares to tighten travel restrictions

Experts weigh economic impact as world reaches 100 million COVID-19 cases

Budweiser will sit out Super Bowl, shifting marketing dollars to boost vaccine awareness