US: Over 30M Cases - 547K Dead - 22.1M Recovered
Worldwide: 120.5M Cases - 2.6M Dead - 97M Recovered

Former Senior Loss Prevention Executive
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Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 279  
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 267
*Red indicates change in total deaths

5,500+ Unreported COVID Deaths Discovered
States Are Finding More Unreported Covid-19 Deaths
While Covid-19 deaths head lower, raising hopes that the U.S. is turning a corner as vaccinations continue, states around the country are steadily finding previously unreported deaths that are causing data confusion.

The issues largely involve systems that states are using to try to report Covid-19 data in near real time, and not deaths reported more slowly through death certificates. These front-line numbers are the ones that fuel state dashboards and data trackers, like the closely watched one created by Johns Hopkins University, which help policy makers and the public closely monitor pandemic trends.

Ohio in February announced more than 4,000 additional deaths while reconciling its data, and Indiana added about 1,500. Smaller revisions have also recently come from Virginia, Minnesota and Rhode Island. On Thursday, authorities in West Virginia said medical providers hadn’t properly reported 168 deaths to the state’s public-health department.

These issues underscore ways in which Covid-19 can still challenge data-reporting systems in the U.S. Like many countries, the U.S. is trying to track pandemic events nearly as they happen, and a big part of this effort has required speeding up how deaths are reported. wsj.com

U.S. on the Verge of Europe-Style Surge?
Fauci Warns Against Easing Covid-19 Restrictions
Anthony Fauci on Sunday warned that the U.S. could experience another Covid-19 surge like Europe if it lifts restrictions too soon and called on Donald Trump to urge his supporters to get vaccinated.

Referring to Europe, Dr. Fauci said, “They always seem to be a few weeks ahead of us in the dynamics of the outbreak. Then they plateaued because they pulled back a bit. They thought that they were home-free and they weren’t. And now they’re seeing an increase.”

His warnings came as some states, such as Texas, have begun allowing businesses to reopen at full capacity and dropping mask mandates against the advice of public-health officials. Mr. Fauci called the decision in Texas “risky and potentially dangerous.” wsj.com

Covid-19 cases have flattened. Here's why that may predict another surge


'Alarming' Number of Prison Guards Won't Get Vaccinated
US prison guards refusing vaccine despite COVID-19 outbreaks
A Florida correctional officer polled his colleagues earlier this year in a private Facebook group: “Will you take the COVID-19 vaccine if offered?”

The answer from more than half: “Hell no.” Only 40 of the 475 respondents said yes.

In Massachusetts, more than half the people employed by the Department of Correction declined to be immunized. A statewide survey in California showed that half of all correction employees will wait to be vaccinated. In Rhode Island, prison staff have refused the vaccine at higher rates than the incarcerated, according to medical director Dr. Justin Berk. And in Iowa, early polling among employees showed a little more than half the staff said they’d get vaccinated.

As states have begun COVID-19 inoculations at prisons across the country, corrections employees are refusing vaccines at alarming rates, causing some public health experts to worry about the prospect of controlling the pandemic both inside and outside. Infection rates in prisons are more than three times as high as in the general public. Prison staff helped accelerate outbreaks by refusing to wear masks, downplaying people’s symptoms, and haphazardly enforcing social distancing and hygiene protocols in confined, poorly ventilated spaces ripe for viral spread. apnews.com

New CDC-Retail Partnership in the Works
CDC in Talks With Dollar General to Expand Vaccinations
The CDC is exploring a partnership with the retail chain Dollar General to deliver the coronavirus vaccine to rural sections of the nation.

"In rural areas, residents often don't have access to big-box stores," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, said this week at the Health Action Alliance's virtual National Business Summit, according to USA Today. "We're exploring a promising collaboration with Dollar General stores, which have locations that include refrigeration capacity within 10 or 15 miles of our rural communities in all but four states."

Dollar General confirmed the discussions in a statement on its website, but it was unclear if vaccinations would be given at Dollar General stores. USA Today noted that Dollar General stores do not have pharmacies, which is where vaccinations are given at chains such as Kroger or Publix.

“Dollar General continues to have constructive conversations with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on ways the company can support the nation’s COVID-19 testing and vaccine efforts, particularly in the communities we serve,” a statement on the company website said.

Dollar General has about 16,000 locations -- three times the number of Walmart stores and more stores than either CVS or Walgreens. Those three chains are administering the vaccine at their pharmacies. webmd.com

Vaccine Shopping?
Some Minnesotans are shopping for the COVID-19 vaccine they want

Despite public health advice, not all shot-seekers choose the first available.

Minnesotans are starting to shop more selectively, as President Joe Biden recently pledged to make all U.S. adults eligible for a vaccine by May 1.

Despite the oft-repeated public health advice that people should get whatever vaccine is first available to them, some vaccine-seekers are using online tools like vaccinespotter.org to locate a specific brand at a retail site. Some public sites, like the Dakota County vaccine page, also list vaccine availability by brand.

Minnesota infectious disease director Kris Ehresmann acknowledged that there's value in someone obtaining the specific vaccine they want, even if it takes a few extra days to get it. startribune.com

Cuomo Signs Legislation Granting Employees Time off to Receive Vaccination


Hybrid Work Model to Become New Normal?
How much HQ space will disappear as hybrid work becomes a retailing thing?
Target last week announced plans to significantly downsize its corporate offices, joining a number of other retailers embracing a flexible, hybrid work model that enables some employees to continue working from home. Target recently disclosed employees won’t be expected to return to downtown Minneapolis until the fall.

The hybrid model promises the flexibility, office space savings and increased employee satisfaction that comes from remote working while maintaining the benefits of collaboration, networking and culture that comes from regular face-to-face interactions.

In February, Nordstrom, Old Navy and Ralph Lauren all announced plans for reducing office space to adapt to changing work styles. CVS Health said the company would reduce 30 percent of its corporate office space in a cost-savings initiative.

REI last year sold its new headquarters in Bellevue, WA, and in late February opened the first of several planned satellite offices around the Puget Sound area to support mobile work practices.

Many offices are being reimagined to reduce individual work spaces and support more collaboration. A recent article in the Harvard Business Review warned that under a hybrid model, some employees with better access to resources and higher levels of visibility may be able to wield more power. The article also states that some individuals won’t be as skilled at navigating within a hybrid environment. retailwire.com

Voluntary Turnover is Surging
Turnover ‘Tsunami’ Expected Once Pandemic Ends

Studies show as many as half of workers intend to look for a new job this year

More than half of employees surveyed in North America plan to look for a new job in 2021, according to a new report, while separate research shows that a quarter of workers plan to quit their jobs outright once the COVID-19 pandemic subsides and recruiting efforts ramp up.

Employers were experiencing high rates of turnover prior to the economic shutdown triggered by the pandemic last spring, but since then, quit rates reached their lowest level in nine years. Retention and turnover experts now predict voluntary job-leaving will increase significantly in 2021 as employees resume job searches they put off for the past year.

"There is absolutely pent-up turnover demand in the U.S. workforce," said Danny Nelms, president of The Work Institute, a research and consulting firm in Franklin, Tenn., focused on employee engagement and retention. "Just prior to the pandemic, you had about 3.5 million people leaving their jobs monthly, then that dropped to 1.9 million in April 2020. The projected number for December is 3.3 million, so we're already seeing a substantial return of voluntary turnover. It's only going to increase."

Nelms said that 2021 will see less labor force participation and unemployment and more job openings, which "will lead to the same supply and demand issues we had before the pandemic, putting an emphasis on recruiting and fueling voluntary turnover." shrm.org

Large Retailers Required to Pay Workers $4.00 More Per Hour
Pomona, Calif. Enacts COVID ‘Hero Pay' Ordinance For Retail Employees
On March 1, 2021, the City Council of Pomona, California, passed an ordinance that establishes premium pay for retail food workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pomona is an incorporated city located in Los Angeles County and is not subject to the county's hero pay ordinance. The new Pomona ordinance requires large retail establishments to provide their workers with premium pay of $4.00 for each hour worked. The city also published a "Hero Pay" Ordinance Fact Sheet. The ordinance took effect immediately and will remain in effect at least until June 29, 2021. mondaq.com

New database shows where you still need to wear a mask in Dallas

Despite differing COVID policies, CA & FL have experienced near-identical outcomes

The 'Big Business' of iTunes Gift Card Scams
Apple not responsible for gift card scams, judge says

Apple was sued last year for refusing to help iTunes gift card scam victims

A federal judge in early March tossed out a lawsuit alleging that Apple had held some responsibility for certain gift card scams. Courthouse News reports U.S. District Judge Ed Davila found that Apple was not responsible for the scams that had victimized the seven plaintiffs.

"Plaintiffs failed to establish that Apple gave 'substantial assistance or encouragement' to the alleged perpetrators of the gift card scam," the judge wrote.

As the D&D Daily reported in July 2020, iTunes gift card scams are big business. Apple was sued last year for allegedly refusing to help those who have fallen victim to a iTunes gift card scam. An 11-count class action lawsuit has been filed against the company. Apple was accused of lying when it says that there is no way to trace or refund the value of the cards.

There are a large number of scams which involve pre-paid gift cards like store cards and iTunes gift cards. (Here's how the FTC describes them.)

With store cards, the scammers usually buy high-value products like laptops and smartphones, which are then sold. iTunes gift card scams usually work in a slightly different way, typically being used to buy paid apps owned by the scammers, so they receive 70% of the money when paid by Apple. Additionally, Apple takes a 30% commission, so would always be in a position to refund this much, even after the scammer has been paid.

As Patently Apple reports, "Even if only 10% of scam victims report to the FTC (versus local police, attorney general offices, Apple, or nobody at all), the iTunes gift card scam would approach $1 billion, with Apple retaining $300 million in commissions." appleinsider.com

Retailers to Benefit from Stimulus Checks
Americans are expected to spend their third stimulus checks on clothes, home improvement, and dining out — and it could boost stores like Kohl's and Home Depot
Apparel, home improvement, outdoor dining, and travel companies are set to benefit from Americans who receive the extra $1,400 in their bank accounts, analysts at Jefferies said in a Monday note.

After the last stimulus checks in January, retail sales that month saw an 8.9% bump, indicating consumers want to spend the extra dollars, Jefferies said. This time around, the checks, which in most cases are more than twice the amount of January's, could boost sales once again.

Some retailers who didn't see much of a lift in the last stimulus round because of the "dead of winter" will likely benefit this time because of the spring season. With the nice weather, home-improvement projects and outdoor dining will be on the rise, so Home Depot, Lowe's, Olive Garden-owner Darden Restaurants, and Outback Steakhouse-owner Bloomin' Brands are poised to benefit. Apparel stores such as Ross and Burlington Coat Factory also will see a bump, per the report. businessinsider.com

   Why GameStop & AMC Could Benefit From the $1.9T Stimulus Package

Rapid Slowdown in Retail Bankruptcies
Retail Bankruptcy Filings Have Seen Marked Slowdown Since Fall

Only two major retailers have filed for bankruptcy this year, according to a BDO report

The pace of bankruptcy filings by major retailers has slowed markedly since the fall, according to a report by professional services firm BDO USA LLP.

Last year was the biggest for retail bankruptcies since the aftermath of the financial crisis in 2010, as 2020 generated 35 large chapter 11 filings compared with the previous peak of 48 a decade earlier, according to the BDO report released Monday. wsj.com

McKinsey & Company Study
Leaders Need to Provide Psychological Safety for Employees
As the pandemic has demonstrated, business runs better when employees feel a high level of trust in their company. They need to feel comfortable to ask for help or offer new ways of thinking to adjust to a new normal. However, not many leaders are able to demonstrate the positive behaviors that can provide psychological safety for workers, according to a recent McKinsey Global Survey.

Their research has shown that a “positive team climate—in which team members value one another’s contributions, care about one another’s well-being and have input into how the team carries out its work—is the most important driver of a team’s psychological safety.” ehstoday.com

More than 400 stores are closing in 2021 - here's the full list

Last week's #1 article --

The Fire May be Gone
Just my opinion

Ahead of Derek Chauvin trial, 150 protesters rally Saturday in St. Paul
 - No Shows in Minneapolis
Protesters said they want the cases of people who died in encounters with police reexamined. About 150 people attended the rally and the short march on Saturday.

Saturday's protest kick-started what will likely be weeks of demonstrations around the Chauvin trial.
Garraway and her coalition, Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence, are pushing for other cases to be reopened and reevaluated, as well as for legislation aimed at addressing racial injustice and police reform. startribune.com