US: 44.1M Cases - 713.9K Dead - 33.6M Recovered
Worldwide: 234.1M Cases - 4.7M Dead - 210.9M Recovered

Former Senior Loss Prevention Executive
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Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 315  
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 441
*Red indicates change in total deaths

COVID Deaths Finally Beginning to Flatten

Is America (Finally) Turning a Corner?
Declining COVID-19 cases stir cautious optimism
Health experts say the U.S. could be turning the corner on COVID-19, while cautioning that the pandemic is far from over.

The spike in coronavirus infections from the delta variant of the virus is slowing and cases are beginning to decline. Experts think the U.S. could be on the back end of the wave, even as deaths and hospitalizations remain high.

But low vaccination rates in many areas of the country are giving them pause, with some arguing that another seasonal surge after holiday travel is likely, even if it isn’t as high as last winter. There could also be regional spikes, as some areas worsen while others rebound more quickly.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the seven-day average of U.S. cases has been declining for the past two weeks. On Sept. 14, the daily average of new cases was just under 150,000. As of Tuesday, it was down to about 95,000. thehill.com

Workplace Safety is #1 Issue Following COVID
Making workplaces safe as businesses begin reopening after COVID-19
Many priorities that must be addressed are evident, such as how to handle employees who have had COVID-19 or those who are vulnerable and how to develop policies related to vaccination. Carefully document decisions and how personnel policies are applied, then store that documentation in a secure location.

Workplace preparation is crucial. It should be informed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidance and resources. What we once called “short-term plans” are still here: cleaning and measures to provide appropriate supplies, personal protective equipment (PPE), hand sanitizer, and social distancing instructions.

Planning for the long term may mean adjusting to a hybrid workforce, permanently modifying workspaces to accommodate social distancing, and setting (and enforcing) policies for maintaining the cleanliness of shared equipment like “hotel desks,” conference rooms, and copiers or printers. Consider developing guidelines for meeting sizes, desk arrangements, navigating small spaces (like elevators and bathrooms), and mask etiquette. Some may start to consider health insurance surcharges.

For some businesses, a return to an on-site office culture may not be immediately possible. Review remote work policies and determine how to set expectations about camera presence and availability on communication tools to maintain team cohesion and accountability. Also, consider employee in-home technology service and security needs.

Each policy modification, action to make the workplace safer, and communication presents challenges and opportunities. Transparency in decision-making helps organizations sustain the change and increase the employee engagement needed for success. patriotledger.com

Security Guards Clash with Anti-Maskers
Anti-Mask Protest Turns Violent At Roscoe’s Chicken And Waffles In California
An apparent protest of Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles’ mask policy got violent in Anaheim, California.

Security guards of the famed restaurant clashed with protesters outside its Anaheim location. Video posted to social media showed at least one man being dragged out of the restaurant by several security guards, as some in the crowd yell, “Brutality!”

Officers were called to the scene after it was reported that someone was pepper sprayed. However, police say no one was arrested or hurt.

It’s not clear why protesters targeted Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles, and if they represented a particular group. The protest comes about a week after video of a woman comparing the restaurant’s policies to segregation went viral, according to reports.

Face masks for indoor operations are not required in Orange County, California, but are instead strongly recommended. But individual businesses remain free to enact their own face mask policies. miami.cbslocal.com

64% of Shoppers Say Grocery Stores Failing the COVID Test
Shoppers give thumbs-down to grocery stores’ COVID-19 efforts
As of early September, 64% of Americans polled said grocery stores weren’t doing a good job in managing COVID-19, up from 50% this past February, 53% in November 2020 and a low of 40% in April 2020, dunnhumby said in the eighth wave of its study, released Monday. The customer data science firm noted that September’s results show 83% of Americans thinking the government isn’t doing a good job managing the pandemic — the lowest point of confidence in its handling of the crisis.

Seventy-six percent of U.S. shoppers surveyed said they “feel things are not returning to normal” in grocery stores. Of those consumers, 26% are “extremely worried” about catching the virus in stores, while 34% express concern about unvaccinated shoppers in stores. Conversely, 24% of people seeing things returning to normal said they “feel safer shopping in stores now knowing that many people are vaccinated,” and 14% said they are “no longer worried about it [COVID-19] and have returned to a normal life.”

Meanwhile, U.S. consumers’ worry about COVID-19 has dropped to a new low since the crisis began, the dunnhumby Worry Index showed. Through early September, 17% of Americans said they were worried about the pandemic, down from 23% in February, a peak of 32% in November 2020 and 31% in March 2020, when the virus was declared a national emergency. The index measures “worry” as extreme concern about the virus and not feeling safe when shopping. supermarketnews.com
 
COVID Chaos Creating 'New Kind of Retail'
COVID-19 has put grocers and CPG brands through some changes
At a session during last week’s Groceryshop in Las Vegas, executives from Rite Aid and Frito-Lay stressed that a new kind of retail is being born out of this chaos, one that features digital marketing assets, differentiated assortments, operations that remove in-store friction and re-worked services.

Andre Persaud, Rite Aid EVP & chief retail officer, said the drugstore retailer is now using modern digital assets to focus on the consumer. This includes differentiated beauty merchandising that features clean products; pharmacists out on the store floor talking with shoppers and a revamped bright and airy shopping experience.

Mike Del Pozzo, SVP of sales and chief customer officer at Frito-Lay North America, said PepsiCo is also overhauling its approach to omnichannel, focusing on collaboration and innovation. Every campaign starts with a strategic deep dive with retailers that calls on digital media tactics to spur omnichannel growth. Those tactics are measured for return on investment, supported by advanced analytics, to determine campaign repeats, drops and repairs.

Both Mr. Persaud and Mr. Del Pozzo agreed that grocery companies have to up their omnichannel game or risk irrelevance in the near-term future. Focusing on what the consumer wants next, where and whenever they want it, is the only way to thrive. retailwire.com

Delta Surge Pushing Restaurants Backwards
Majority of restaurant operators say business conditions are worse now than three months ago, survey finds
The trade group surveyed 4,000 operators between Sept. 7 and Sept. 15 and is using the results to lobby against President Joe Biden’s plan to raise the corporate tax rate and proposed changes to the National Labor Relations Act that would allow fines of $50,000 to $100,000 for labor violations. The association is also asking lawmakers to replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, which was created during the coronavirus pandemic to help keep the industry afloat.

“Restaurants still need help today and overwhelming them with costly new obligations will only prevent progress in turning the tide of recovery,” NRA Vice President of Public Affairs Sean Kennedy wrote in a letter to congressional leadership.

The delta variant, understaffed restaurants and higher food costs are among the issues plaguing the industry. Just 9% of survey respondents said business conditions improved over the last three months.

More than three-quarters of operators who took part in the NRA survey said their restaurants are short on staff. Among those respondents, 83% said they are at least 10% understaffed, while 39% are missing more than a fifth of their needed workforce. In response to the issue, restaurateurs are cutting their hours, slashing menu items and reducing seating capacity, which can all impact their revenue. cnbc.com

Tyson's Vaccine Mandate Worked
After its mandate, Tyson Foods reaches a 91 percent vaccination rate
Nearly two months after it announced it would require coronavirus vaccines for all 120,000 of its U.S. employees, 91 percent of Tyson’s U.S. work force is fully vaccinated, said Dr. Claudia Coplein, Tyson’s chief medical officer, who spoke to the DealBook newsletter about the results of its policy.

The United Food and Commercial Workers union, which represents several thousand Tyson workers, endorsed the mandate in return for more benefits, like paid sick leave. Frontline workers have until Nov. 1 to get vaccinated (or request an exemption), while the company’s roughly 6,000 office workers have until Friday to do so.

Tyson said that about 91 percent of its 31,000 unionized employees are now vaccinated, matching the company’s overall rate. Unlike some other big companies, Tyson has not faced any lawsuits over its mandate, but it has lost a handful of employees over its mandate, a number that may increase as the deadline nears. nytimes.com

COVID-19 booster shots available at 6,000 CVS stores for eligible Americans

NYC Workers Battling ‘Long COVID’ Find Chances for Accommodations Remote

Epidemiologist predicts likely decline in U.S. COVID cases, deaths

Global COVID-19 patterns show more signs of decline

Retail's 'Nightmare Before Christmas' Will Only Get Worse
Retailers’ Latest Headache: Shutdowns at Their Vietnamese Suppliers

Factories in the country, a major apparel and footwear supplier to the U.S., have been forced by the pandemic to close or operate at reduced capacity, complicating the all-important holiday season.

Vietnam has grown in recent years to become the second-biggest supplier of apparel and footwear to the United States after China. Vietnam made it through the first part of the pandemic relatively unscathed, but now the Delta variant of the coronavirus is on a rampage, highlighting the uneven distribution of vaccines globally and the perils that new outbreaks pose to the world’s economy.

With the holiday season fast approaching, many American retailers are anticipating delays and shortages of goods, along with higher prices tied to labor and already skyrocketing shipping costs. Everlane said it was facing delays of four to eight weeks, depending on when factories it worked with in Vietnam had closed. Nike cut its sales forecast last week, citing the loss of 10 weeks of production in Vietnam since mid-July and reopenings set to start in phases in October.

The logjam has put a spotlight on Vietnam’s key role in outfitting American consumers. Many retailers moved their manufacturing to the country from China over the past decade because of rising costs. New tariffs on China instituted under former President Donald J. Trump accelerated the shift.

Contract factories in Vietnam manufactured 51 percent of total Nike brand footwear last year. Lululemon and Gap, which also owns Old Navy, have said a third of their merchandise comes from factories in Vietnam. Everlane said the country supplies 40 percent of its wares. nytimes.com

Worker Shortage + Holiday Season = Disaster?
From retail to airports to hospitality, jobs need filling

Customer demand is expected to surge as holiday travel and shopping season begins

As travel rebounds from the slow early days of the COVID-19 outbreak, airports continue to grapple with staffing shortages.

“The holiday season is just around the corner and we know that the airport is going to remain very, very busy as we get into Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now is the time they need to get people in, get them trained, get them ready for the holiday season.”

It’s not just airports. The hospitality industry is also short-staffed, said Peter Ricci, head of Florida Atlantic University’s hospitality and tourism management program.

“A lot of companies have already rushed to raise entry-level wages to be competitive and try to get some people back to the workforce but that’s not the answer,” he said. “The answer is maybe a more flexible schedule situation, better benefits, better career pathing.”

“And that took a large chunk of people out of the workplace,” he said. “So you figure the early retirements, the people who unfortunately died from COVID, the people who decided not to come back to the industry and found something, the elder care the child care. You add all this together and there is a huge swath of the workforce that is not available right now.” local10.com

New Protections for Garment Workers in California
Gov. Newsom signs bill expanding protections for garment workers
Garment workers in California will be paid an hourly rate and receive other new protections under a law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Monday afternoon.

SB 62, which faced heavy opposition from fashion brands and trade groups, aims to overhaul a pay model for garment workers that has led to subminimum wages in the industry. The law will expand liability for fashion brands that have largely been able to avoid responsibility for rampant wage theft by their suppliers.

“California is holding corporations accountable and recognizing the dignity and humanity of our workers, who have helped build the fifth-largest economy in the world,” Newsom said in a statement. “These measures protect marginalized low-wage workers, many of whom are women of color and immigrants, ensuring they are paid what they are due and improving workplace conditions.”

The California Chamber of Commerce put the bill on its “job killer” list. Since taking office, Newsom has signed only one so-called “job killer” bill per year.

Fashion brands and trade groups said the law would make retailers unfairly liable for unpaid wages of third-party contractors over whom they have no control and would devastate the garment manufacturing industry in Los Angeles because fashion labels will increasingly seek to contract with manufacturers outside California. latimes.com

Claire's files for IPO 3 years after bankruptcy

Bed Bath & Beyond lowers guidance amid slowing traffic and supply chain challenges
 
Dollar Tree raising prices above $1 at some original stores