Daily Briefing – 427
Biden Will Address the Nation Today Expected to Focus on Unvaccinated
President Biden will address the nation today to outline extra steps he will take to deal with the Omicron coronavirus variant. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on tweeted the president “will announce new steps the Administration is taking to help communities in need of assistance, while also issuing a stark warning of what the winter will look like for Americans that choose to remain unvaccinated.”
She added: “We are prepared for the rising case levels, and [the president] will detail how we will respond to this challenge. “He will remind Americans that they can protect themselves from severe illness from COVID-19 by getting vaccinated and getting their booster shot when they are eligible.”
Despite Manchin Being a “No” Schumer Plans Build Back Better Vote Next Year
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) said Democrats would plow forward early next year with a vote on the party’s roughly $2 trillion education, healthcare and climate package as Sen. Joe Manchin again said he wouldn’t be pressured into supporting the bill. In a morning letter to Senate Democrats, Mr. Schumer said Democrats would still take up the legislation, dubbed the Build Back Better Act, early next year after weeks of “deep discontent and frustration.” “The Senate will, in fact, consider the Build Back Better Act, very early in the new year so that every Member of this body has the opportunity to make their position known on the Senate floor, not just on television,” Mr. Schumer wrote.
Mr. Manchin said on Sunday that he was opposed to the bill, effectively killing it in its current form. The West Virginia Democrat said Monday that lawmakers should start from square one to rebuild a potential package and criticized the White House for its handling of talks.
Conference Board: Leading Economic Indicators Post Strong Gain in November
The organization’s Leading Economic Index increased 1.1%, following a 0.9% rise in October and above estimates. The coincident index rose 0.3%, while the lagging index decreased 0.1%. The economy is currently showing strong consumer demand and steady improvement in the labor market. But companies are also facing continued disruptions in their supply chains and difficulty hiring workers.
The report, however, does not reflect the effects of the omicron variant of the coronavirus, which is rapidly spreading across the country. Indeed, Goldman Sachs on Monday lowered its forecast of growth to 2% in the first quarter, down from 3% previously, and 3% and 2.75% in the following two quarters, a cut from 3.5% and 3% in its prior estimates.
Davos Economic Forum Is Postponed as Omicron Forces More Cancellations, Travel Bans
The World Economic Forum said it would postpone next month’s annual meeting in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos for the second successive year. The forum’s organizers said it would delay the in-person meeting planned for Jan. 17-21 until the early summer and hold online sessions for participants next month.
“Despite the meeting’s stringent health protocols, the transmissibility of Omicron and its impact on travel and mobility have made deferral necessary,” the organization said. Much the same happened last winter. The WEF abandoned plans to hold in-person sessions, but also had to give up on its plans for a summer session, again because of the disruptive effect of the pandemic on business travel plans.
US COVID – Omicron Variant Accounts for 73% of U.S. Covid-19 Cases, CDC Says
The Omicron variant caused more than 70% of recent Covid-19 cases in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday, highlighting its substantial increase in infectiousness compared with earlier versions of the virus. In many parts of the U.S., Omicron now makes up more than 90% of cases, the CDC said. Infectious-disease experts have said they believe the true share is likely even higher than that.
The CDC said Monday that Omicron had overtaken the Delta variant of the coronavirus in the U.S. and accounted for an estimated 73% of infections for the week ending Dec. 18. The CDC’s updated data showed Omicron had caused some 13% of recent infections in the week through Dec. 11. New York state reported a record number of Covid-19 infections for the fourth consecutive day on Monday, when officials said 23,391 people had tested positive for the virus. Just over 4,000 people were hospitalized around the state, compared with peak levels of almost 19,000 in April of 2020.
NYS Vaccine and COVID Update
Vaccine Stats as of December 19:
One Vaccine Dose
- 82.2% of all New Yorkers – 15,443,509 (plus 11,845 from a day earlier).
- In the Hudson Valley 1,608,775 (plus 1,447).
Fully Vaccinated
- 71.0% of all New Yorkers – 13,814,469 (plus 29,441).
- In the Hudson Valley – 1,410,884 (plus 1,290).
The Governor updated COVID data through December 18 . There were 60 COVID related deaths for a total of 60,500.
Hospitalizations:
- Patients Currently in Hospital statewide: 4,020.
7 Day Average Positivity Rate – Cases per 100K population
- Statewide 7.40% – 93.78 positive cases per 100,00 population
- Mid-Hudson: 6.42% – 75.01 positive cases per 100,00 population
Useful Websites:
OSHA Reacts to 6th Circuit Ruling – Delays Enforcement
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a statement on the Court’s decision to disolve the stay on the Emergency Temporary Standard requiring vaccines or testing for all employee in firms with more than 100 employees.
“To account for any uncertainty created by the stay, OSHA is exercising enforcement discretion with respect to the compliance dates of the ETS. To provide employers with sufficient time to come into compliance, OSHA will not issue citations for noncompliance with any requirements of the ETS before January 10 and will not issue citations for noncompliance with the standard’s testing requirements before February 9, so long as an employer is exercising reasonable, good faith efforts to come into compliance with the standard. OSHA will work closely with the regulated community to provide compliance assistance.”
40 Vaccine Pop-Ups Open Across State
Governor Hochul announced Friday the deployment of more than 40 new Pop-Up vaccination sites across New York State. These sites began to launch last week and are part of a multi-week effort, in partnership with local county health departments and community partners, to build on the State’s extensive outreach efforts to get all New Yorkers fully vaccinated and boosted.
Hudson Valley Locations:
Westchester County
- Pfizer-BioNTech 12+, Pfizer-BioNTech Booster, Moderna 18+, Moderna Booster
12/29: Greater Centennial A.M.E. Zion Church, 312 S. 8th Ave, Mount Vernon, NY 10550 (9:00 AM – 2:00 PM) - 1/8: Grinton I. Will Library, 1500 Central Park Ave, Yonkers, NY 10710 (11:00 AM – 5:00 PM)
- 1/29: Grinton I. Will Library, 1500 Central Park Ave, Yonkers, NY 10710 (11:00 AM – 5:00 PM)
The Netherlands Goes Into Month-Long Nationwide Lockdown in Response to Omicron
The Netherlands entered a nationwide lockdown on Sunday, becoming the first EU country to reimpose stringent holiday restrictions in the face of surging Omicron cases. Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte on Saturday announced that restaurants, bars, non-essential shops, beauty salons, and concert venues and cinemas would all close from Sunday.
Most indoor sports facilities will close, and supermarkets and chemists remain open on restricted hours. Schools and colleges will also close until January 9. Funerals are restricted to 100 attendees or fewer. People will be permitted to receive four visitors indoors over the Christmas period, and are otherwise restricted to a single visitor.
UK – Johnson Says He Must ‘Reserve Possibility of Taking Further Action’ After 91,743 New Cases
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday he was looking at all kinds of measures to keep the Omicron coronavirus variant under control as the situation was extremely difficult, cautioning that further restrictions might be needed.
Speaking after a more than two-hour cabinet meeting to discuss the latest COVID-19 situation, Johnson said the situation was “extremely difficult” and that hospitalisations were rising steeply in London. “We will have to reserve the possibility of taking further action to protect the public, and to protect public health and the NHS (National Health Service), and we won’t hesitate to take that action,” Johnson said.
GM Delivers First of its New Ultium EV Lineup
General Motors Inc. announced December 17 that it had delivered its first electric Hummers and that its subsidiary, BrightDrop LLC, had similarly delivered the first of its electric delivery vans to FedEx Corp. Both vehicles are built on GM’s “Ultium” EV platform, which the company says will drive it to meet or surpass electric automaker Tesla Motors in sales by 2025.
General Motors Inc. announced December 17 that it had delivered its first electric Hummers and that its subsidiary, BrightDrop LLC, had similarly delivered the first of its electric delivery vans to FedEx Corp. Both vehicles are built on GM’s “Ultium” EV platform, which the company says will drive it to meet or surpass electric automaker Tesla Motors in sales by 2025.
New York Petroleum Business Tax to Swell 5% Amid Inflation Fears
New York fuel distributors statewide can expect to pay a higher petroleum business tax starting Jan. 1, 2022. The so-called Petroleum Business Tax fluctuates every year based on the producer price index, which is determined by the federal government’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The higher levy may mean that businesses, hospitals, and schools will pay more for their heating fuel due to the 5% increase, raising concerns that costs will be passed on to consumers. The price of jet fuel used by aircraft and diesel motor fuel could also rise if distributors pass on the higher cost.
2022 Will Be the Year of the Worker. Here’s Why It Will Also Be the Year of the Robot
As workers gain more power in companies big and small, so too will robots. While labor shortages have led many businesses to offer higher wages and better benefits in an attempt to hire new employees, these changes are also expected to accelerate the demand for automation, namely robots. The opportunity is a huge one for entrepreneurs building robot startups.
A recent robotics report from private-capital data and research company Pitchbook, which projects that the global robotics market will grow to $45.5 billion in 2022, up from $35.7 billion this year. The report noted that venture capital investment in robotics reached a record $7.5 billion as of November 22, up from $3.6 billion in 2020.
COVID-19 Pandemic Drove Record Medicaid Enrollment in 2021
A record number of New Yorkers relied on Medicaid for health care in 2021, with monthly enrollment exceeding 7 million for the first time, according to a new report by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. While enrollment has grown by about 5% per year over the last 15 years, increasing from about one in seven New Yorkers in 1998 to one in three in 2021, state budget projections rely on expectations for significant enrollment declines that may not materialize.
The share of New Yorkers without health care coverage has fallen from 11.4% in 2008 to 5.2% in 2019, thanks in part to the expansion of Medicaid. The pandemic and resulting economic recession swelled Medicaid enrollment in New York to record levels in 2021, with the monthly number of individuals covered by the program reaching seven million for the first time in February 2021. The Mid-Year Update to the SFY 2021-22 Enacted Budget Financial Plan expects monthly enrollment to remain above 7 million at least through March 2022, but decline by nearly 17% by March 2023 and return to pre-pandemic levels of just over 6 million by March 2024 as the economy recovers, unemployment rates decrease, and individuals temporarily enrolled begin to decline.
Read more at the Comptroller’s website
Fauci Says Mask Wearing on Planes Could be Here to Stay
White House medical advisor Anthony Fauci said on Sunday ahead of holiday travel, mask wearing on flights may be here indefinitely. Fauci told Jonathan Karl on ABC’s “This Week” that despite filtration systems on board airplanes, it would be “prudent” for passengers to take the “extra step” within the enclosed space and wear a mask. “Even though you have a good filtration system, I still believe that masks are a prudent thing to do, and we should be doing it,” he added.
“I think when you’re dealing with a closed space, even though the filtration is good, that you want to go that extra step when you have people — you know, you get a flight from Washington to San Francisco, it’s well over a five-hour flight,” Fauci said, when asked he believed there would be a post pandemic point when passengers will not have to wear masks on flights.
SUNY Taps Outgoing Oswego College President to Serve as Interim Chancellor
Deborah Stanley, outgoing president of SUNY Oswego, has been named SUNY’s interim chancellor. Stanley is stepping down this month after serving as president of SUNY Oswego 25 years. Before becoming president of SUNY Oswego, Stanley taught and earned tenure in the business school and served in administration as the vice president for academic affairs and provost.
SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras recently announced his resignation in the wake of a controversy over disparaging comments he made about a woman who accused former Gov. Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment.
Omicron’s Astonishing Speed May Have Grave Consequences
Exponential growth is a dizzying thing. In the week to December 8th Britain saw 536 new cases of covid-19 ascribed to the Omicron variant, less than 0.5% of the number caused by the dominant Delta variant. But the week before there had been only 32 cases of Omicron—and by December 14th the case number was over 10,000. Omicron looks set to become the country’s dominant strain in terms of cases before advent calendars run out of windows.
Researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine have compared models for the spread of Omicron with the situation in England during the worst previous peak, in early 2021. Of their various scenarios, the one which currently looks most plausible makes Omicron pretty good at infecting people who have been vaccinated or infected but also treats boosters as being quite good at stopping it. That would produce a peak in hospital admissions in late January well over the 3,800 a day seen in 2021. It would lead to 23m-30m infections between now and May 2022, and 37,000-53,000 deaths.
