Club Updates – Dec. 8
New data shows the Omicron variant, a fast-spreading strain, may worsen a winter COVID wave. The new variant has been detected in 17 U.S. states and more cases are likely (Forbes). Visit our Coronavirus Resource Center for the most up-to-date information on COVID-19.
Federal Guidance
Biden Lays out Multi-pronged Plan to Deal with Evolving Pandemic, the Hill
FDA
WHO
- Update on Omicron, WHO
OSHA
- Unions Ask 6th Circuit to Transfer COVID Rule Case to D.C. Circuit; Government Opposes En Banc Review, The National Law Review
NCA Signs Coalition Comments on OSHA ETS
This week, NCA has agreed to sign onto comments being filed by the Coalition for Workplace Safety on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) emergency temporary standard (ETS) requiring either vaccines or weekly testing for employees in workplaces with 100 or more workers. The comments have not yet been filed, but they raise concerns about the process by which OSHA promulgated the ETS, compliance burdens for employers and other issues anticipated due to implementation of the ETS. There have been more than 30 suits filed against the ETS and a federal court has issued a stay on implementation until legal issues are resolved. Among the legal issues to be determined is whether the agency has the authority to issue such an order under current law. NCA will continue to keep members updated on the matter.
CDC
Vaccine Updates
- U.S. Vaccine Distribution and Delivery, Tracked by State, The Washington Post
- CDC Says Everyone 18 and Older Should Get COVID-19 Booster Due to Omicron Variant, WSJ
- Existing Vaccines Might Not be as Effective Against Omicron Variant, Moderna CEO Says, The Washington Post
- Coronavirus Vaccine Makers Race to Address Omicron Variant, The Washington Post
- COVID-19 Vaccines or Infections: Which Carries the Stronger Immunity?, WSJ
- Omicron Variant Symptoms and COVID-19 Vaccines: What to Know, WSJ
- Pfizer Says Booster Neutralized Omicron but Variant May Elude Two Doses, WSJ
State Updates
- NYC to Impose Vaccine Mandate on Private Sector Employers, AP News
- Nebraska Governments Pay More than $10M for Help Allocating Federal COVID Relief, Omaha World-Herald
- Colorado COVID Surge—and a Staffing Crunch—Mean New Crisis Plans for Hospitals, CPR
- GOP Lawmakers Who Defy New COVID Rules for N.J. Statehouse Access Could be Shut Out, Top Cop says, NJ
- COVID Bills Sent $1.7B to Alaska Tribes, but Distribution Favored the Smallest, Alaska Public
- Texas’ Ban on Mask Mandates in Public Schools Back in Place after Federal Appeals Court Ruling, The Texas Tribune
- Missouri Republicans to Target Vaccine Requirements, Public and Private, Next Session, The Kansas City Star
- Oregonians Hunt for COVID-19 Booster Shots, but Many Come up Empty-handed, The Oregonian
- Podcast: Oregon Employment Law, Episode 3: COVID-19, School Closures, and Employee Leave Entitlements for Caregivers, The National Law Review
- Proposed San Francisco Ordinance to Require Paid Sick Leave for Domestic Workers, The National Law Review
Resources
- Most Coronavirus Vaccines Work as Boosters, with Higher Antibody Levels From Pfizer and Moderna, Study Finds, The Washington Post
- Dr. Sanjay Gupta Explains how Omicron Compares to Other Variants, CNN Health
- What to Know About the Omicron Variant of the Coronavirus, The Washington Post
- All I Want for Christmas is My Two Vaccines, AALRR
- Video: Omicron Variant is Identified in the US: What’s Next, WSJ
COVID-19 Continues to Affect Downtown Traffic: San Francisco and Washington, D.C., saw downtown traffic decrease the most from February 2020 through October 2021, whereas San Antonio (-5%), Tampa (-6%) and Phoenix (-7%) saw almost no significant change. The nationwide average is a 22% decrease compared to pre-COVID levels. See full findings here.
News Updates
- Omicron Coronavirus Variant Three Times More Likely to Cause Reinfection Than Delta, S. Africa Study Says, The Washington Post
- Merck’s COVID-19 Pill Backed by FDA Advisers, WSJ
- Post-Booster Breakthrough COVID-19 Cases Are Happening, but Rarely, WSJ
- Biden Pledges to Fight New Variant ‘With Science and Speed,’ as Omicron Cases Multiply and Winter Outlook Worsens, The Washington Post
- Glaxo Says Its COVID-19 Antibody Drug Is Likely Effective Against Omicron, WSJ
- Trump-appointed Judges Block Biden Administration Vaccine Mandate for Health-care Workers, The Washington Post
- How the Omicron Settled the World in Just One Week, The Washington Post
- COVID-19 Antibody Drugs Are Challenged by Omicron, Preliminary Testing Indicates, WSJ
- Omicron, the New COVID-19 Variant: What to Know, WSJ
- COVID-19 Pandemic Paves a Longer Road to Recovery for Lower Earners, Axios
- Tracking the Pandemic’s Unequal Impact, Axios
- Workers Quit Jobs in Droves to Become Their Own Bosses, WSJ
- Travel Doors Slam Shut as New COVID Variant Triggers Alarm, Stranding Hundreds of Passengers, CNN Travel
- Video: Why the Omicron Covid Variant Concerns Scientists, WSJ
- Biden Vaccine Rule for Health Workers Blocked in 10 States, AP News
- Most Americans Will be More Social This Winter. Here’s Why, Ipsos
- Alignable: 44% Of Small Biz Owners Are Concerned Omicron Will Hurt Their Recovery, Alignable
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Stay Up to Date
The National Club Association is continuing to closely monitor this crisis and will provide you with the best information available to help your club during this difficult time. Please visit NCA’s Coronavirus Resource Center. To submit questions or to share your club’s resources and plans, please use this link. For more information, contact Cindy Vizza at 202-822-9822 or [email protected]