US: 34.1M Cases - 611K Dead - 27.9M Recovered
Worldwide: 172.4M Cases - 3.7M Dead - 155.1M 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: 305
*Red indicates change in total deaths

94% Reduction Since January 2021
US recorded COVID-19 cases, deaths fall to lowest levels since March 2020
COVID-19 cases in the United States have fallen to around 15,000 per day, part of a sharp decline in new infections as vaccination numbers increase, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky said Thursday.

The seven-day average of about 15,600 cases per day is the lowest level of new recorded cases in the U.S. since March 2020 – though comparisons to the first month of the pandemic can be tricky given that testing still lagged at that time.

"This represents a decrease of more than 30 percent from our prior seven-day average and more importantly it is a 94 percent decrease from the peak of COVID-19 cases we reported in January of this year."

The rapidly improving situation comes as more and more people get vaccinated. Almost 63 percent of U.S. adults now have at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. thehill.com

If this isn't a Super-Spreader - Guess the Vaccine Worked!
Even locked down for a year this crowd just doesn't look tempting

Memorial Day Will Likely Mark Covid-19 Pandemic Milestone
Public-health officials, epidemiologists predict vaccinations will keep new cases at bay

Memorial Day will be the first major test of the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccinations in the U.S., according to many epidemiologists.

Last year, reopenings in parts of the U.S. ahead of the holiday weekend led to a second surge of new coronavirus cases. Hospitalizations climbed in late June, followed by a steady rise in fatalities after the first week of July.

“We have seen after holiday weekends in the past that cases have risen, but we’ve never been in a position where we’ve had almost half the adults of America vaccinated and protected from this virus,” said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky last week.

Nearly two million travelers took to the sky on Friday, the most flying Americans have done since the pandemic began.

A new phase of the U.S. pandemic is starting, as many Americans make summer travel plans and more states lift guidance for businesses and other gatherings. A total of 34 states are fully reopened, and 16 are in the process of easing restrictions, according to research from the Kaiser Family Foundation. In 32 states, there are no face-mask requirements. In 36, all nonessential businesses have reopened.

“If there is no spike, that is very good news and indicates that the national vaccination strategy is working and that we have reduced the number of susceptible people in the country to below the level where a sustained upsurge in new cases can occur.” wsj.com

Walmart's Mask Policy is Controversial for Workers
Walmart's loosened mask policy is dividing employees, with some saying they're excited & others worry about unvaccinated shoppers
A Walmart cashier of 10 years says the company's recent decision to drop mask mandates for vaccinated people came far too soon, and that she plans to continue wearing her mask at work. Other Walmart workers said they are excited to finally take off their masks at work, with one employee saying it could boost morale.

Insider spoke to seven Walmart employees in seven states on the company's decision to lift mask mandates for vaccinated employees and shoppers following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

One Walmart employee in the grocery department of a Georgia store said she planned to continue to wear her mask at work despite the new policy. She said the policy change made her question whether Walmart was taking public health seriously.

One grocery worker in Indiana said Walmart offered her a $50 bonus for getting the vaccine. But she said she's not planning to get the vaccine any time soon because she's unfamiliar with its ingredients and "it's barely been out in the world." She will continue to wear her mask in stores despite the policy, she said.

The Indiana worker said Walmart should continue to uphold a mask mandate for everyone regardless of vaccine status because employees can't ask shoppers if they've gotten shots. A Walmart spokesperson said the retailer would "request" non-vaccinated shoppers and workers wear masks, and "update the signage" in stores to reflect the new policy. businessinsider.com

'Get a Shot & Have a Beer'
America’s largest beer company will buy the country a round if it hits Biden’s July 4 vaccination goal
It’s a campaign that feels like a booze-fueled party waiting at the finish line of a marathon: If the United States reaches President Biden’s vaccination goal by the Fourth of July, Anheuser-Busch will buy adults a round of beer.

Just over a month remains until July 4, the date Biden set to meet a goal of at least 70 percent of adults receiving at least one coronavirus vaccine shot. To help reach that point, the beverage company announced what it’s calling its biggest beer giveaway ever, one that comes in a “pivotal moment where people are excited to be together again,” the company’s chief marketing officer, Marcel Marcondes, said in a statement.

The campaign was announced the same day the White House declared June a “national month of action” to get more Americans vaccinated ahead of next month’s holiday. In a speech Wednesday, Biden pleaded with Americans to get their shots, hoping to reach “the 70 percent mark so we can declare independence from covid-19 and free ourselves from the grip it has held over our lives.” The continued efforts to get more shots in arms has taken on increased urgency as the vaccination pace wanes across the country and as state and local leaders ease pandemic-era restrictions. washingtonpost.com

An Autumn COVID Comeback?
Will COVID-19 Come Back in the Fall of 2021?
The situation today is that tremendous progress has been made in reducing the number of COVID-19 cases here in the United States. Most people attribute that to the surge in vaccinations that happened as soon as the vaccine(s) became available.

The question is, will coronavirus cases start to track upward this coming fall as people move back indoors and we have large gatherings of people for sporting events, in movie theaters, at schools, etc.?

If you think of the virus as being like the common cold and the flu in the manner in which it spreads, I think the answer has to be yes. It is an airborne disease that spreads in the air and there are other common illnesses that start to appear and spread similarly in the fall.

For me, I’ll target the end of October and beginning of November as the dates on the calendar to watch and see what happens. All the more reason to still get vaccinated if you have not already done so. govtech.com

A legal perspective:
Unmasking the Challenges: 7 Options for Managing a Partially Vaccinated Workforce
Now that most states, the CDC, and OSHA have (or may soon) lift mask mandates for vaccinated workers, what is an employer to do about revealing an employee’s vaccination status? Under any relaxed masking guidance applicable to those who are fully vaccinated, customers, visitors, and co-workers are likely to draw their own conclusions about the vaccination status of everyone else in the workplace based upon whether or not they are wearing a mask. This Insight addresses some of the legal and practical considerations for employers dealing with a partially vaccinated workforce and provides seven options for you to consider as you navigate this rapidly evolving area.

The Push to Unmask - Unmasking Employees Based On “Proof” of Vaccination - Navigating State Limitations on Requiring Proof of Vaccination Status - Additional Landmines if Fully Vaccinated Employees Unmask - What Should Employers Do? 7 Options to Address a Partially Vaccinated Workforce jdsupra.com

Two-Thirds Pick Continuing Remote Work Over $30,000 Raise - WOW
Rewarding Employees Who Leave Remote Work Behind
Since April, global real estate data company CoStar has randomly awarded $10,000 each day to a vaccinated employee who returned to a physical office. Additionally, CoStar is awarding vacations to Barbados and flights via the company's private plane to three employees, and one grand-prize winner will receive a new Tesla.

Chief Executive Officer Andrew Florance announces the daily winners each morning with an all-staff e-mail. He said the daily drawings could last into summer, and while this is a lot of money to invest in encouraging vaccinations and a return to the office, "in the context of a multibillion-dollar company with thousands of staff and hundreds of offices, it's a drop in the bucket," he said.

Welcoming employees back to a physical workplace could enable more-effective onboarding and training, facilitate valuable person-to-person and team collaboration, heighten productivity, make it easier for colleagues to build rapport, and immerse newer employees in the company's culture.

However, recent research shows that getting employees to return to the office will be an uphill battle. Nearly two-thirds of employees would choose a permanent work-from-home situation over a $30,000 raise—one that is contingent upon them returning to the office full time—according to a survey of 3,000 employees from 45 companies. Only two companies participating in the survey, which was conducted by anonymous professional network Blind, saw more employees opt for the $30,000: JPMorgan Chase (53 percent) and Qualcomm (58 percent).

Remote, but Not 'Remote-Only' shrm.org

Minneapolis & St. Paul Lift Mask Mandates

Minnesota COVID Tests Record Low Positives

West Virginia to give away guns as vaccine incentive
 

Minnesota Passes on Internet Scraping AI
Tests of Clearview AI facial recognition software raises concerns in Minnesota
At least 42 law enforcement agencies in the state reportedly trialed the software

At least 42 law enforcement agencies in Minnesota reportedly used or tested Clearview AI facial recognition software, according to a Buzzfeed investigation.

However, questions about the software's reliability and legal standing remain in limbo, according to law enforcement and artificial intelligence and privacy experts.

According to the law enforcement agencies zero percent of the searches led to an arrest.

Most of the agencies in Minnesota that Buzzfeed and West Central Tribune spoke to decided not to go forward with a subscription to the service.

Clearview did not respond to a request for comment regarding the reliability and implementation of the software, which, according to Business Insider, can cost up to $50,000 for a two-year contract. Nor the company reply to a request to verify Buzzfeed's data spanning from 2018 to February 2020, which was provided by a confidential source.

The biggest impact of facial recognition software being used by law enforcement is a false arrest, but also the threat to people's civil liberties and expected anonymity in public are worrisome, according to Munira Mohamed, a policy associate with the ACLU of Minnesota.

"But what we've seen with Clearview AI is that they seem to have really no ethical practices," she said, highlighting that the company falsely claimed the ACLU did an independent review of the software.

"They essentially just scrape billions of photos from social media websites and then shop them around to law enforcement," Mohamed said.

The company has also received cease and desist letters from YouTube, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Twitter, according to Mohamed. securityinfowatch.com

Baltimore Says No to Any Form of Facial Recognition
Baltimore could enact nation's strictest facial recognition ban
Proposed ordinance would prohibit private citizens from using the technology in the city

The Baltimore City Council Public Safety and Government Operations Committee on Wednesday passed an ordinance that would not only ban law enforcement and other agencies from purchasing and using facial recognition systems but would even bar the use of such technology by private citizens in the city.

Under Council Bill 21-0001, residents would be prohibited from “obtaining, retaining, accessing, or using certain face surveillance technology or any information obtained from certain face surveillance technology.”

The ordinance does provide an exemption for biometric access control systems.

While various cities across the nation have passed laws prohibiting police and other government agencies from procuring or using facial recognition systems in recent years, only Portland, Ore., has sought to ban private use of the technology by businesses. However, Baltimore’s ordinance would be the first to criminalize consumer use of such systems.

In a joint letter, the Security Industry Association (SIA), the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) and XR Association, urged the committee not to pass the measure and also noted a number of different commercial and consumer applications that would be impacted by its passage, including:

Only one reason listed for retailers - Retailers to speed checkout lines with contactless payment

The joint letter also follows a request to President Biden earlier this week from the airline, travel, security and biometrics sectors, as well as the U.S. business community, urging rejection of a ban approach and adoption of policy recommendations for additional research, development, testing and government accountability measures. securityinfowatch.com

The NCCoE Releases Draft Report on Authenticating First Responders
The National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) has released a new draft report, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Interagency or Internal Report (NISTIR) 8334, Using Mobile Device Biometrics for Authenticating First Responders.

Many public safety organizations (PSOs) are adopting mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, to provide first responders with immediate access to the sensitive information they need from any location. However, authentication requirements meant to safeguard that information, like entering a complex password, can hinder access. Many PSOs are looking toward mobile biometric solutions to authenticate their users efficiently. Before adopting these solutions, PSOs must make informed risk decisions on their use and deployment.

This report examines how first responders could use mobile device biometrics in an authentication system and what challenges they may face in deploying these systems.

Review the draft report and submit comments on or before July 19, 2021. You can also contact us at psfr-nccoe@nist.gov. We value and welcome your input and look forward to your comments.

Read More

It's a Buyers Market Now
Best Buy CEO: These 4 challenges are why it's hard to hire workers right now
Working parents are struggling to find adequate child care, and people in jobs that require face-to-face interactions must weigh the health risks of returning to work.

Best Buy is seeing a dip in job applications - although it does still receive more applications than it has open positions, Corey Barry CEO said. There are four major reasons for this, she added.

The first is the ongoing struggle of parents dealing with children at home. "There is a real lack of childcare that still exists," Barry said.

Secondly, "there are still health concerns," Barry said. "And people who maybe don't want a career in retail due to health concerns."

Third, retail is among the jobs that have changed most heavily over the last year. At many companies staff members were turned into essential front-line workers overnight, as unlike those in other industries they couldn't work from home. Not every retail worker may want to continue to sign up for that as the pandemic continues.

Finally, companies like Best Buy are facing more competition for staff. Lots of big retailers have raised their minimum wage to attract workers.

And picking a job during these times is no longer just about the money.

Now, said Barry, "it's about a wholesome set of benefits that we can put in place, and flexibility that we can put in place, so that we're able to retain a diverse workforce." cnn.com

Why the PRO Act is devastating to retail and the American economy
The PRO Act's extreme organizing provisions could strip workers of their rights and wreak havoc on workplaces nationwide, according to NRF. The bill allows "secondary boycotts" on not only retail facilities, but customers, suppliers and vendors. It also gives union organizers access to employees' personal information, which organizers can use to broadcast unsolicited, pro-union messages. See how some of the legislation's provisions could manifest in a community near you. nrf.com


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