US: 30.1M Cases - 548K Dead - 22.2M Recovered
Worldwide: 120.8M Cases - 2.6M Dead - 97M Recovered

Former Senior Loss Prevention Executive
Know of any fallen LP exec? Let's remember & recognize.

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 279  
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 266
*Red indicates change in total deaths

They're Coming!
After WSJ's Scathing Investigation & Biden's Executive Order
Posted Today: OSHA to Ramp Up Coronavirus-Related Inspections

OSHA launches a national emphasis program to prioritize enforcement efforts during COVID-19.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched a national emphasis program (NEP) March 12 in response to President Joe Biden’s Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and Safety during COVID-19.

The NEP means OSHA will focus enforcement efforts in the coming months on coronavirus-related inspections. In a press release announcing the NEP, the agency made clear it will prioritize companies that put the largest numbers of workers at serious risk of contracting the coronavirus and employers that retaliate against workers who exercise rights protected by federal law or make complaints about unsafe or unhealth conditions.

“This deadly pandemic has taken a staggering toll on U.S. workers and their families. We have a moral obligation to do what we can to protect workers, especially for the many who have no other protection,” said Jim Frederick, principal deputy assistant secretary of labor in a statement.

OSHA has also updated its Interim Enforcement Response Plan to prioritize and detailed the use of on-site and remote workplace inspections. This guidance goes into effect March 18, 2021, until further notice and rescinds the memorandum from May 26, 2020. ehstoday.com

62% Want Mandatory Vaccines - 61% Fear Relaxed Safety Measures
As Workplace Returns Accelerate, New Study Finds Employees Want Companies to Embrace Hybrid Work & Enforce Mandatory COVID Vaccine

Majority of employees fear workplaces will relax COVID measures too soon, risking health and safety
 
Envoy, maker of the workplace technology platform, today released results from its new Return to the Workplace Report, which examines employee attitudes on office returns a year after the pandemic caused widespread remote work. The study finds a majority of employees remain concerned about the health and safety risks posed by a return to the office, with 62% supporting a mandatory COVID vaccine requirement for a return to on-site work and 61% fearing their employers may relax COVID measures too soon. Still, nearly half say they prefer to return to a hybrid work model combining both remote and in-person work, with office workers citing an average of 3.3 days as the ideal number to work at the office. The report comes as many companies are planning how and when employees will return to a post-pandemic workplace. businesswire.com

Spring Break Surge Coming?
CDC chief warns of another Covid surge as Americans travel for spring break
The U.S. could still see another coronavirus surge — even as vaccinations against Covid-19 rapidly rise across the nation — as states relax restrictions and more Americans travel for spring break, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Monday.

“With the coming warmer weather, I know it’s tempting to want to relax and to let our guard down, particularly after a hard winter that sadly saw the highest level of cases and deaths during the pandemic so far,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at a press briefing.

The Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, screened more than 1.34 million people on Sunday, 86,000 more people than the same day a year ago just after the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic.

Even though many colleges in the U.S. scaled back their spring breaks in an effort to curb partying and infections, top Biden administration officials are still worried about travelers who are “enjoying spring break festivities, maskless,” Walensky said. cnbc.com

17.7 Million Californians Can Now Go Out to Dinner & a Movie
Welcome back: Restaurants, movie theaters, gyms reopen in L.A. County today
L.A.'s wider reopening was made possible by its advancement from the purple tier, the strictest category in the state’s four-level coronavirus roadmap, to the more lenient red tier.

A dozen other counties — Orange, San Bernardino, Contra Costa, Sonoma, Placer, Mendocino, San Benito, Tuolumne, Siskiyou, Amador, Colusa and Mono — also officially progressed over the weekend. 17.7 million residents can get out of the house. latimes.com

White House races to blunt potential Covid-19 surge


Retail Stepping Up to Administer Vaccines
Pharmacy Vaccination Program injects some hope as people line up for shots
More than 50 local pharmacies across South Dakota are administering doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Through the CDC’s retail pharmacy program, the goal is to expand vaccine accessibility to the general public.

She set up her appointment online and, just a couple days later, is getting her vaccine at the Lewis Drug Pharmacy on 41st and Marion. “Once they get here, we reconfirm who they are, we verify an ID just so we know who we have in front of us,” Heer said. After some quick screening questions, she rolled up her sleeves and got her first injection.

This accessibility is made possible for people like Harder thanks to the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program. It’s a partnership between the federal government and all pharmacies in the U.S. to get the vaccine out fast and efficiently. Kyle Heer is the store’s chief pharmacist and has been giving the shots himself for over a month.

“It’s been very educating. Very gratifying, in a way, to know that we are providing this service to the public. It’s given us a chance to provide a service where we are needed most,” Heer said. keloland.com

Vaccine Efforts Hit Speed Bumps Across the Pond
Europe's faltering vaccine rollout could have global implications
So far, the vaccine efforts in Europe have been marked by political infighting, mixed messaging to the public, a shortage of supply and a lack of solidarity. And with many of the national vaccination strategies heavily reliant on the vaccine made by AstraZeneca, the decision to suspend its use while the bloc’s regulatory body looks into concerns about its safety — though that regulator has continued to describe it as safe and effective — will slow things down even more.

Spain joined France, Italy, Germany and other in halting the use of the vaccine over concerns about the possibility of rare side effects including blood clots and abnormal bleeding. The hesitancy of European governments may also undermine public confidence in the vaccine, which could have implications far beyond Europe. nytimes.com

Mississippi becomes 2nd state to open vaccine eligibility to everyone

California: 5 things to know as millions become eligible for COVID-19 vaccine

New York passes 4 hours paid leave for workers getting coronavirus vaccine

Officials say it's 'time to play catch-up' on race gap as vaccine access widens


'Hero Pay' Leads to More Closures
Kroger closes more Los Angeles grocery stores in response to “Hero Pay”
The grocery store giant Kroger is planning to close three of its stores in Los Angeles, two Ralphs and one Food 4 Less, after the passing of a local “Hero Pay” ordinance that would grant grocery and pharmacy workers a $5 raise for the duration of the pandemic.

These “Hero Pay” laws, which have been adopted by a number of cities around the country now, have met with obstinate resistance from the employers. The California Grocers Association has initiated lawsuits against several cities in the state for passing these laws.

The reaction from Kroger to this temporary raise, granted under the conditions of a pandemic in which tens of thousands have died in Los Angeles alone, has been hysterical. From the beginning, Kroger made threats to close stores if the ordinance were passed, and has already made good on them.

Kroger first announced the closure of several other underperforming locations in neighboring Long Beach in early February in response to the Hero Pay ordinance which was passed there. wsws.org

The Post-Pandemic New Normal?
Masks, remote work here to stay for many post-COVID
Take-out has replaced dining in, working from home has taken place of the brick-and-mortar office, and masking up has become as commonplace as putting on shoes before venturing out to the store.

As vaccination rates rise, the question becomes, will we stick with those practices we adopted during COVID? Or will we drift back to life as it was pre-pandemic?

When it comes to shopping trips, many people are either dialing back their daily outings or increasing online shopping, practices that are expected to outlast COVID-19. Working from home? That may become standard operating procedure for many positions going forward. Zoom meetings replaced the conference room.  poconorecord.com

Remote work listings in the U.S. doubled in a year, job site finds

How to get furloughs right—and recover fast

By the numbers: Looking at grocery sales trends, consumer behaviors during COVID
 

X5 - Facial Recognition & Pay With A Glance
Russia's Equivalent to Walmart of Kroger

Global Food Retailer All In on Facial Recognition for Its Frictionless Future
Expansion of innovative payment method could reach 3K locations

One major global retailer believes that by year end as many as 3,000 of its stores will be equipped with a new type of contactless biometric technology that allows shoppers to pay with a simple glance.

Russia’s X5, is little known in the United States, but in its home country it would be the equivalent of Walmart or Kroger when it comes to market dominance. With nearly 18,000 stores generating annual sales of roughly $30 billion, X5 is also something of an early adopter and global trendsetter when it comes to technology. That’s why it’s worth paying attention to a new friction elimination initiative that involves facial recognition, or what X5 calls contactless biometrics.

In roughly 150 locations currently, the company said the exact schedule for further scaling and implementation will depend on the results of this first stage of the project, but indicated the facial recognition payment technology could be expanded to 3,000 stores by the end of 2021.

The basic solutions uses a 3D camera with a high detection accuracy and depth capture to aid in the recognition of facial features and takes into account a person’s height and changes in appearance. High resolution cameras ensure security and prevents spoofing, according to X5. To use, shoppers using a self-checkout lane scan their purchases, select pay with a glance as the payment method, and then look briefly at a camera integrated into the checkstand. progressivegrocer.com

California Crime Bill Would Make Some Robberies A Misdemeanor
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A controversial bill in the state legislature would make some robberies a misdemeanor, not a felony.

Senate Bill 82, authored by Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), would turn robberies under $950 that don’t involve weapons or cause serious injuries into petty thefts. Robbery is currently classified as a violent offense and punishable in prison.

The penalty would be a maximum of one year in county jail, a $1,000 fine, or both, and offenders would qualify for a diversion program.

The Yuba County District Attorney’s Office slammed the proposal, calling it “insanely irresponsible” and saying it would “wreak havoc in our communities by allowing this violence to occur with barely a slap on the wrist.”

A committee hearing on the bill is set for Tuesday. sacramento.cbslocal.com

Lawmakers Introduce National ‘Ban-the-Box’ Bill
New legislation would encourage states to implement "ban-the-box" policies that prohibit employers from asking job applicants about their criminal history before an offer of employment is made.

Reps. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., and David Trone, D-Md., introduced the Workforce Justice Act on March 3. It would give states three years to remove from private-sector employment applications the question that asks job seekers to disclose criminal history; noncompliant states would stand to lose criminal justice funding. shrm.org

How AI can help prevent active shooters and save lives
Newly introduced AI-powered visual gun detection solutions use existing video surveillance systems to reliably and rapidly recognize firearms and immediately trigger multi-channel alerts and automated pre-defined safety protocols. They enable always-on monitoring and can work both inside or outside a building and with large groups of people, such as what we saw when the rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol.

The technology’s ability to pair with more traditional forms of surveillance and security management systems, while also augmenting security procedures for human operators, is what makes it such a significant development. Taking it one step further, this solution ties gun detection technology to building lockdown technology.

Existing gunshot detection technologies only work after incidents have escalated and provide vague details on the approximate location of the sound. In comparison, visual gun detection gives emergency response teams advance warning before shots are fired, and delivers precise information on the location and visuals of the potential shooter. securitymagazine.com

C-Store Shrink Tips
Why Can’t You Leave Shrink Prevention to Terrific Tech?
In today’s convenience store environment, efforts at preventing theft have become tech intensive. More and better cameras are merely the start. POS systems now provide exacting time stamps of transactions, fine-tooth inventory tracking, employee shift in and out and break times, pre-programmed and instantaneously flexible price books, etc. cstoredecisions.com

"Broader Economic Rebound Poised to Accelerate This Spring"
U.S. Retail Sales Fell 3% in February

Economists expect increase in coming months as businesses more fully open

U.S. shoppers pulled back sharply on retail spending during February, but a broader economic rebound appears poised to accelerate this spring because of the easing pandemic and another round of government stimulus.

Retail sales—a measure of purchases at stores, at restaurants and online—fell by 3% in February compared with the prior month, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. The decline followed robust January sales that were propelled by stimulus payments to households and other impact from the December pandemic-relief package. January sales advanced a revised 7.6%, up from the earlier estimate of a 5.3% increase.

Retail sales were up 6% over the last three months compared with the same period a year ago, according to the Commerce Department.

Sales in February fell broadly as consumers spent less on autos, furniture, electronics, home improvement, healthcare and clothing. Sales at food and beverage stores were unchanged, while sales at gas stations were up strongly, by 3.6%, as gas prices have accelerated this year.

February is typically a quiet month for retail sales, as stores gear up for the spring selling season, including Easter. Severe winter weather in February also wreaked havoc across a swath of the U.S. wsj.com

NRF Says February Retail Sales Fell 3.4%
February retail sales fell in every category except groceries. With another round of stimulus checks being mailed right now, we expect another large boost in consumer spending over the next few months.” chainstoreage.com

25% of Malls Will Close Within 5 Years
Many American malls are not making it
Coresight Research is forecasting that about one out of every four shopping malls in the U.S. will close within the next five years as consumers increasingly go online or to non-mall locations to do their shopping. A-list malls, however, should continue to outperform the market and attract consumers through retail stores, restaurants and other types of attractions.

Simon Property Group — the nation’s biggest mall owner — said in February that its fourth-quarter revenue dropped by 24% on a year-over-year basis to $1.1 billion.

However, some analysts think Simon — with its portfolio of A-rated malls and a healthy balance sheet — will benefit as distressed malls operated by its rivals close their doors. The company is also expected to see gains from new additions like hotels and luxury residences.

“Unfortunately there are a lot of centers that don’t fit that high profile and that have lost their competitive edge,” said Piper Sandler analyst Alexander Goldfarb. cnbc.com

Zoom Rooms Accommodating Return to Work With Conference Room Product

Citi Trends Plans to Open 100+ Stores in 2021

Office Depot-owner ODP turns down latest offer from Staples for some assets

Companies are scaling back layoffs because of Biden’s stimulus package

Lands’ End Announces Organizational Changes to Advance Growth Strategies


Quarterly Results
Citi Trends Q4 comp's up 16.7%, sales up 19.4%, FY 2020 comp's sales up 0.2% (with stores closed 16% of store days)