US: Over 14.3M Cases - 280K Dead - 8.4M Recovered
Worldwide: Over 65.2M Cases - 1.5M Dead - 45.1M Recovered

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 225   Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 155
*Red indicates change in total deaths

U.S. reports more than 200,000 new cases
and 100,000 hospitalizations for first time
The United States set two disturbing records Wednesday: More than 200,000 new coronavirus infections were reported nationwide, and 100,000 patients were hospitalized with covid-19.

The situation is likely to get worse, with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield warning that the next three months are "going to be the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation." Redfield said the U.S. death toll - currently at 272,000 - could reach 450,00 by February. washingtonpost.com

The US has reported its highest one-day Covid-19 death tally: Over 2,800
More than 2,800 Covid-19 deaths were reported Wednesday in the United States -- the most the country has ever reported in a single day -- as health care officials say their staff and facilities are struggling to support burgeoning numbers of patients.

One-day death totals can draw from delayed reports across several days. Still, recently soaring daily rates of infections and hospitalizations has various experts predicting the daily death count could regularly surpass 2,000 or 3,000, and perhaps approach 4,000.

The country's daily average of Covid-19 deaths across a week is 1,654 -- above its summer high of around 1,130 but lower than the pandemic peak above 2,240 in late April.

"By this time next week, we are going to be talking about 3,000 deaths a day -- that's 9/11 every single day," Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at George Washington University, told CNN on Wednesday. cnn.com

CDC says Americans should avoid travel during winter holiday season,
get COVID-19 tests if they do
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging travelers not to travel for the upcoming winter holidays, a repeat of its guidance for Thanksgiving travel. For those who decide to travel, the CDC is now recommending travelers get tested for COVID-19 before and after their trips.

The CDC recommends a test one to three days before travel and another three to five days after travel, plus reducing nonessential activities for seven days after travel, Walke said. Those who do not get tested should reduce nonessential activities for 10 days after travel, the agency said.

Testing does not eliminate travel risk, Walke said, but when combined with reducing nonessential activities and other precautions, it can make "travel safer,'' he said. usatoday.com

"Hunker Down & Cancel Everything"
City of L.A. issues stay-at-home rules that mirror L.A. County order
The city of Los Angeles issued a modified stay-at-home order Wednesday night that mirrors L.A. County rules that went into effect Monday. The city order prohibits gatherings of people outside immediate households, with some exceptions such as religious services and protests. The rules, though less severe than the stay-at-home order initiated in the spring, are still the strongest restrictions in months.

While the order tells people to stay home, it also allows retail businesses to remain open "after implementing the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health Protocols for Retail Establishments Opening for In-person Shopping."

"My message couldn't be simpler: It's time to hunker down," Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday. "It's time to cancel everything. And if it isn't essential, don't do it." latimes.com

Offices and Malls Will Look Different After Covid-19

Commercial properties will be helped by a coronavirus vaccine,
but long-term pressures may accelerate postpandemic

The office and the shopping mall are two of the things most visibly changed by Covid-19. They also have the most potential to bounce back once a vaccine is distributed, but they could look quite different.

Early indicators suggest that many people want to continue going about their lives more remotely. About a quarter of office workers in a recent survey by Jones Lang LaSalle said they would like to work outside the office full-time post-pandemic. Meanwhile, Walmart Chief Executive Doug McMillon said this month the retailer was convinced that most of the behavioral shift to online shopping "will persist beyond the pandemic."

Still, it would be overly simplistic to assume landlords are necessarily imperiled. Even for free-standing retail - think big-box stores - rent collection was about 95% in September. The outlier is shopping centers, where rent collection has rebounded since the 49% nadir in May but was still only at about 82% in September. The closure of more than 11,100 retail stores has been announced in the U.S. this year through November, according to CoStar. Some empty department stores could have second lives as e-commerce distribution centers, though that may be an option for only the very worst-off malls since it can affect the tax treatment of a property.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, many centers were trying to reorient around so-called "experiential" retail such as gyms and restaurants. Those businesses were hit hardest by the pandemic, so the focus might shift to grocery, where foot traffic has held up much better. Even if consumers are shopping and paying online, they may want to physically retrieve their purchases, so outdoor centers based around the traffic generated by grocery is in demand. wsj.com

A New Setback for Big Cities as Return to the Office Fades
The recent surge in Covid-19 cases across the country has led to an uptick in Americans resuming work at home after some momentum had been building for returning to the workplace, property analysts said. Floor after floor of empty office space is a source of great frustration for landlords and companies, which have invested millions of dollars in adapting building plans and developing new health protocols to make employees comfortable with a shared location.

About a quarter of employees had returned to work as of Nov. 18, according to Kastle Systems, a security firm that monitors access-card swipes in more than 2,500 office buildings in 10 of the largest U.S. cities.

Despite the success of work from home at a number of companies, many employers would like to see more workers back in the office where they can collaborate more easily. Instead, companies are extending their work-from-home policies well into next year as infection rates reach new highs.

The low level of employees at their desks is intensifying the pain for cities geared toward office life. Cities' populations are falling as people working from home move to the suburbs or other less dense locations where they can find more living space for less money. wsj.com

Former Presidents Obama, Bush and Clinton volunteer to get coronavirus vaccine publicly to prove it's safe

Cuomo: 170,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine expected in NY by Dec. 15

Global phishing campaign targeting the COVID-19 vaccine cold chain

San Bernardino County stops sending ambulances to all 911 calls as coronavirus surges
 

Del Taco to pay $1.25 million to settle sexual harassment lawsuit
Lake Forest-based Del Taco will pay $1,250,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment against female employees at the company's Rancho Cucamonga-area locations, federal regulators said.

A filing from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleges Del Taco's general manager and shift leader at stores in Rancho Cucamonga, Pomona, Ontario and Upland sexually harassed young female workers almost daily by subjecting them to unwelcome physical contact, propositions for sex and vulgar comments.

The behavior was so prevalent, the agency said, that other male employees felt free to engage in sexual harassment as well. dailybulletin.com

Security Company Paid Female Employees Lower Wages Than Male Employees For Equal Work, Federal Agency Charged
Maryland-based Davis & Davis Enterprise, Inc., an employer of security guards that also operates under the name All Secure Security Company, has agreed to resolve a federal sex discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today. According to the suit, Davis & Davis employs armed security guards at detention centers in Baltimore but also offers its employees occasional opportunities to work as security personnel at events in the Baltimore area. The EEOC charged that Davis & Davis paid a small group of female employees a lower wage for such events from October 2016 to March 2018 than male employees performing the same work. eeoc.gov

Health & Safety Top CPG Industry Predictions for 2021
Experts from Acosta - a leading full-service sales and marketing agency in the consumer packaged goods industry - compiled their top CPG predictions for 2021, which include an unceasing emphasis on health and safety, accelerated advances in e-commerce, inspirational in-store shopping experiences, efficiencies with fulfillment, and consolidation and partnerships with retailers and manufacturers.

Acosta's top CPG predictions for 2021, grouped into five categories, are:

Health, Well-Being & Safety Are #1
Store employee and shopper safety come first. Increased focus on personal health and self-care. Shoppers demand full transparency. Increase in plant-based alternatives.

Technology Activation Accelerated
Increased role of e-commerce with seamless integration of store and online. Mobile-driven store designs and real-time, personalized shopper solutions. Auto-replenishment via online subscriptions. Smart home integration with shopping.

Inspirational Shopping Experience
Focus on in-store shopper services and meal solutions. Blurring of food at-home and away-from-home channels. Self-serve food options in store are reinvented. Personalized offerings become the norm.

Fulfillment Efficiencies
Supply chain is revitalized. Backroom, dark store fulfillment rise to meet demand. Autonomous delivery forges ahead. Post-COVID focus on the 4 Ps - product, price, promotion and place.

Consolidation & Partnerships
Last mile delivery options expand. Unique offerings for in-store services. Retailer and manufacturer mergers and acquisitions. prnewswire.com

How Disneyland's new merchandise mobile checkout works
Disneyland's new merchandise mobile checkout system expands on the mobile ordering system that has quickly become the preferred option for making purchases at restaurants and food stands in Disney theme parks. The pilot program is being tested through the holidays at the World of Disney store in Downtown Disney. The new mobile checkout system lets shoppers scan an item using the Disneyland app and walk out of the store with their purchase - bypassing the line for the checkout counter completely. ocregister.com

UK: Preventing crime against retail workers
The tech behind the tactics for crime prevention
There have been 50,338 incidents of violent crime against convenience shop workers in the UK in the past year, 25% of which resulted in injury. In recent government consultation, shop workers reported incidents of spitting, biting, armed robberies, and racial abuse among the criminal behavior that they faced. It affects all retailers, simply looking at Co-Op's #ItsNotPartOfTheJob hashtag on Twitter reveals hundreds of cases from shop workers who have been subject to abuse whilst carrying out their work.

Retailers have seen these problems which have only been exacerbated by the pandemic, as issues such as panic buying, and controversy around face mask enforcement create tension between shop workers and some members of the public. As they continue working hard to provide for the community, taking greater action to protect employees is of paramount importance - and fortunately, technology that is easy-to-use can play a role in combating retail crime and violence.

The case for body-worn cameras | Investment in crime prevention | techradar.com

UK high streets in crisis as 200,000 jobs disappear in 12 months
The high street has been engulfed in crisis after the collapse of three major employers in a week. The demise of Arcadia, Debenhams and Bon Marche is likely to wipe out 26,500 retail jobs and puts the sector on track to lose 200,000 jobs this year. Experts expect the final figure to be even higher.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer on Wednesday urged the government to draw up a "comprehensive plan to save retail jobs and to provide the sector with the much greater support it needs through this crisis." yahoo.com

Walmart gives bonuses to employees, extends emergency leave
as pandemic worsens
Walmart said Thursday it will pay another pandemic-related bonus to hourly employees and extend its Covid-19 emergency leave policy to July as the U.S. hits records for coronavirus deaths and hospitalizations. It marks the fourth time since the spring that the discounter has paid special bonuses to workers who have helped stock shelves, ship online orders, transport goods and serve customers during the pandemic. Full-time hourly employees will receive $300 and part-time and temporary employees will get $150 on Dec. 24. cnbc.com

More Companies Offer Bonuses as a Challenging Year Ends
To reward employees who have dealt with a year of severe business and personal challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more companies are rewarding their employees with bonuses this year, new survey data shows. Last year, just under 35 percent of companies reported they would not offer a year-end bonus, gift or special perk to employees. This year, that number dropped to 19 percent, according to an October survey of 189 U.S. companies.

"The employers who were able to retain their workforces and are, so far, weathering the pandemic recognize the importance of rewarding their teams, despite not being able to predict exactly what will happen next year," said Andrew Challenger, SVP of survey sponsor Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a global outplacement and executive coaching firm. shrm.org

Express Lays Off 10% of Workforce at Corporate Headquarters in Columbus, OH

L Brands on track to separate Bath & Body Works, Victoria's Secret in 2021

Barneys New York to Return in 2021 After Pandemic Delays Revival

Dollar stores thrive in pandemic, but hold back forecasts

Here's who's hiring right now