Daily Briefing – 303
FDA Permits Use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid Vaccine in Kids Ages 12 to 15
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved Pfizer and BioNTech’s request to allow their Covid-19 vaccine to be given to kids ages 12 to 15 on an emergency use basis, allowing states to get middle school students vaccinated before the fall.
Vaccinating children is seen as crucial to ending the pandemic. The nation is unlikely to achieve herd immunity — when enough people in a given community have antibodies against a specific disease — until children can get vaccinated, health officials and experts say.
JOLTS: Job Openings Rose to 8.1 Million
The data shows businesses reopening along with the country, yet last Friday’s jobs report for April indicated employers have since had trouble filling those jobs. Job postings rose in most industries, including restaurants, bars and hotels; manufacturing; construction; and retail. They fell in health care and transportation and warehousing.
Openings rose to 8.1 million from 7.5 million, according to Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, data published Tuesday morning. The median estimate from economists surveyed by Bloomberg was for 7.5 million openings. The reading marks a third straight increase and places job openings at their highest level ever.
Cuomo Announces Round XI of the Regional Economic Development Council Initiative
Governor Cuomo today launched Round XI of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative, officially kicking off a new decade of economic development in a post-pandemic recovery. The 2021 funding round includes more than $750 million in state economic development resources.
The Consolidated Funding Application opened May 10, enabling businesses, municipalities, not-for-profits and the public to begin applying for assistance from dozens of state programs for job-creation and community development projects. Manufacturing remains a priority for the Hudson valley region.
Your Tax Dollars at Work: New “Reimagine, Rebuild, Renew” Campaign to Support State’s Economic Recovery
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the launch of the new “Reimagine, Rebuild, Renew” multimedia campaign designed to support the state’s reopening and economic recovery by showing that New York is back better than before. The new campaign utilizes TV ads and billboards to coincide with the reopening of industries across the state. The goal of this collaborative effort-created and supported by and for New Yorkers-is to spur new investments while re-energizing residents, businesses and communities in the wake of COVID-19.
US Vaccine Rollout – Vaccination Rate/Cases Continue to Decline
U.S. COVID-19 cases fell 30% over the past two weeks as the U.S. vaccination campaign continued to take effect, albeit at a slowing pace, according to CNBC. About 46% of Americans have gotten at least their first shot, and about 34% are fully vaccinated.
“Following 2.3 million vaccinations reported administered Sunday, the nationwide average over the past week is 2 million shots per day, according to the CDC. Though the daily rate has shown some signs of steadying in recent days, it is down significantly from the peak level of 3.4 million shots per day on April 13.”
NYS Vaccine Update
As of Tuesday morning 9,698,337 (plus 36,393 from a day earlier) New Yorkers have received at least one vaccine dose and 7,885,856 are fully vaccinated (Plus 81,348). In the Hudson Valley 1,027,918 (plus 3,834) have at least one dose and 816,657 (plus 10,643) are fully vaccinated.
NYS COVID Update – Downward Trends Continue
The Governor updated COVID data through Wednesday May 5th. There were 32 COVID related deaths for a total of 42,341. Hospitalization tracking data for the Mid-Hudson region and the rest of the State are below.
Hospitalizations
- Patients Currently in Hospital statewide: 2,026
- Hospitalizations Mid-Hudson Region: 171
ICU Beds In Use (All Uses)
- Occupied ICU Beds Statewide: 3,820
- Occupied ICU Beds Mid-Hudson Region: 396
Seven Day Average Positivity Rate:
- Statewide 1.34%
- Mid-Hudson: 1.34%
Useful Websites:
- Read the press release
- See the School Districts Dashboard
- See the SUNY Dashboard
- State Vaccine Information Site
Can You Require Your Employees to Get the COVID Vaccine?
The short answer is yes, you can: If that’s what you deem to be the best route for your organization. For example, if you manufacture medical supplies or you’re in industrial food prep, you may feel it’s necessary to ensure the safety of your employees and the end user of your product. From a legal standpoint, you can require the vaccine as a condition of employment based on previous regulations established by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Whether you choose to mandate or strongly encourage the vaccine, open communication with your employees is critical.
WHO Classifies India Variant as Being of Global Concern
The World Health Organization said on Monday that the coronavirus variant first identified in India last year was being classified as a variant of global concern, with some preliminary studies showing that it spreads more easily. The B.1.617 variant is the fourth variant to be designated as being of global concern and requiring heightened tracking and analysis. The others are those first detected in Britain, South Africa and Brazil.
Indian coronavirus infections and deaths held close to record daily highs on Monday, increasing calls for the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lock down the world’s second-most populous country.
U.S. Auto Part Makers Brace for a Bumpy Ride as Chip Shortage to Intensify
Auto parts suppliers including Lear, BorgWarner and Magna International warn that the semiconductor chip shortage and high material costs could affect vehicle production for many automakers, possibly until next year. “We don’t expect the supply/demand imbalance to fully recover to normalized levels until 2022,” said Joseph Massaro, chief financial officer of Aptiv, another auto supplier.
Apple Invests Another $45 Million in Gorilla Glass Maker Corning
Apple is awarding Corning another $45 million investment from its Advanced Manufacturing Fund, in addition to the $450 million it’s already given to the US-based company over the past four years. According to Apple’s announcement, the investment will “expand Corning’s manufacturing capacity in the US and drive research and development into innovative new technologies that support durability and long-lasting product life.”
Corning provides glass for a variety of Apple products, including the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. The two companies have a history dating back to the original iPhone. Last year, they collaborated on the iPhone 12 lineup’s Ceramic Shield technology, which Apple claims is “tougher than any smartphone glass” and makes its latest flagships four times more resistant to damage from drops.
Americans Up and Moved During the Pandemic. Here’s Where They Went
In a very cool infographic the Wall Street Journal shows the migration patterns of American since 2018 based on household change of address forms.
Suburban areas such as Suffolk County, N.Y., on Long Island, saw an inflow of big-city dwellers last year. Households arriving there from large metropolitan areas increased by 70%. Of all the change-of-address forms, 46% indicated they were coming from four New York City counties—those covering Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx. The previous year, a third of all newcomers came from those counties.
View the infographic at the WSJ
