United Airlines CEO calls on companies to mandate COVID-19 vaccination

·1 min read
FILE PHOTO: United Airlines president Scott Kirby speaks at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago

(Reuters) - United Airlines may make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for employees, and other companies should do the same, United Chief Executive Officer Scott Kirby told workers at a meeting on Thursday, according to a transcript reviewed by Reuters.

A United spokeswoman confirmed that the company was "strongly considering" making vaccines compulsory, though it isn't a policy yet.

"I think the right thing to do is for United Airlines, and for other companies, to require the vaccines and to make them mandatory," Kirby said.

"If others go along and are willing to start to mandate vaccines, you should probably expect United to be amongst the first wave of companies that do it."

CNBC had earlier reported the news of Kirby wanting to mandate the vaccine for employees.

Private U.S. companies can require employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19, but are unlikely to do so because of the risks of legal and cultural backlash, experts have said.

Companies are still in the early stages of navigating access and distribution of vaccines against the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, but inoculation is considered the key to safely resume operations at crowded warehouses, factory lines and on sales floors.

(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski in Chicago and Sanjana Shivdas in Bengaluru; Editing by Vinay Dwivedi)

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To promote employee wellbeing, many employers also modified employee benefits. Half (50%) changed the features of paid time off or vacation/sick day benefits offered, and about a quarter (23%) changed their annual carryover limits. “Employers have assessed their caregiving support was not as effective as hoped, and as a result the mental health of their workforce is suffering. Many solutions were short term in nature, which contributed to their ineffectiveness. With the stakes so high, employers need a revamped approach to caregiving support that includes a holistic view of benefits, paid time off and flexible work policies,” said Rachael McCann, senior director, Health and Benefits, Willis Towers Watson. Preparing for vaccines The survey also found that may employers are exploring ways to increase employees’ access to vaccines. Nearly two-thirds (65%) are planning or considering exploring vendor solutions to provide vaccines. Almost no employers have mandated vaccines, but 45% are planning or considering proof of vaccination as a condition to return to in-person work, while 34% are planning or considering mandating vaccines as a condition of employment.Other key findings from the survey: Return to normal: Two-thirds of employers (67%) expect the pandemic to recede enough so they can reach a “new normal” in terms of returning to the workplace and bringing to an end pandemic-related policies and programs during the second half of 2021. One in four (26%) expect that to happen by the first quarter of 2022 or later.Remote workers: Employers expect nearly two in five employees will still be working remotely at the end of 2021, compared with 57% who work remotely now, although that varies by industry.Health care costs: More than six in 10 employers (61%) say their medical and pharmacy benefit costs came in under budget in 2020. Among those that came under budget, more than one-third (37%) report actual costs 8% or more below budget. Despite this, employers remain cautious and are budgeting a 4.2% median increase for 2021 before making plan design changes and 3.0% after plan changes. About the survey A total of 494 employers participated in the Emerging from the Pandemic Employer Survey, which was conducted between January 4 and 15. Respondents employ 6.4 million workers. About Willis Towers WatsonWillis Towers Watson (NASDAQ: WLTW) is a leading global advisory, broking and solutions company that helps clients around the world turn risk into a path for growth. With roots dating to 1828, Willis Towers Watson has 45,000 employees serving more than 140 countries and markets. We design and deliver solutions that manage risk, optimize benefits, cultivate talent, and expand the power of capital to protect and strengthen institutions and individuals. Our unique perspective allows us to see the critical intersections between talent, assets and ideas — the dynamic formula that drives business performance. Together, we unlock potential. Learn more at willistowerswatson.com. Media contactEd Emerman: +1 609 240 2766eemerman@eaglepr.com

  • Global Rigid Transparent Plastics Market Trajectory & Analytics Report 2020: Market to Reach $24.1 Billion by 2027 - U.S. Market is Estimated at $5 Billion - ResearchAndMarkets.com

    The "Rigid Transparent Plastics - Global Market Trajectory & Analytics" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

  • Medical oxygen scarce in Africa, Latin America amid virus

    DAKAR, Senegal — A crisis over the supply of medical oxygen for coronavirus patients has struck nations in Africa and Latin America, where warnings went unheeded at the start of the pandemic and doctors say the shortage has led to unnecessary deaths. It takes about 12 weeks to install a hospital oxygen plant and even less time to convert industrial oxygen manufacturing systems into a medical-grade network. But in Brazil and Nigeria, as well as in less-populous nations, decisions to fully address inadequate supplies only started being made last month, after hospitals were overwhelmed and patients started to die. The gap in medical oxygen availability “is one of the defining health equity issues, I think, of our age,” said Peter Piot, director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, who said he survived a severe coronavirus infection thanks to the oxygen he received. Doctors in Nigeria anxiously monitor traffic as oxygen deliveries move through the gridlocked streets of Lagos. Desperate families of patients around the world sometimes turn to the black market. Governments take action only after hospitals are overwhelmed and the infected die by the dozens. In Brazil’s Amazonas state, a pair of swindlers were caught reselling fire extinguishers painted to look like medical oxygen tanks. In Peru, people camped out in lines to get cylinders for sick relatives. Only after the lack of oxygen was blamed for the deaths of four people at an Egyptian hospital in January and six people at one in Pakistan in December did governments address the problems. John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said medical oxygen is a “huge critical need” across the continent of 1.3 billion people and is a main reason that COVID-19 patients are more likely to die there during surges. Even before the pandemic, sub-Saharan Africa’s 2,600 oxygen concentrators and 69 functioning oxygen plants met less than half the need, leading to preventable deaths, especially from pneumonia, said Dr. John Adabie Appiah of the World Health Organization. The number of concentrators has grown to about 6,000, mostly from international donations, but the oxygen produced isn't pure enough for the critically ill. The number of plants that can generate higher concentrations is now at 119. Yet without formal requests from governments, nearly $20 billion in World Bank coronavirus funds for the world’s poorest countries remains unspent so far, the organization told The Associated Press. Nigeria was “struggling to find oxygen to manage cases” in January, said Chikwe Ihekweazu, head of its Centre for Disease Control. A main hospital in Lagos, a city of 14.3 million, saw its January virus cases increase fivefold, with 75 medical workers infected in the first six weeks of 2021. Only then did President Muhammadu Buhari release $17 million to set up 38 more oxygen plants and another $670,000 to repair plants at five hospitals. Some oxygen suppliers have dramatically raised prices, according to a doctor at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to talk to reporters. That has driven up the cost of a cylinder by 10 times, to $260 — more than the average monthly wage — and a critically ill patient could need up to four cylinders a day. Money and influence don't always help. Femi Odekunle, a Nigerian academic and close ally of the president, went without adequate oxygen for nearly 12 days at the Abuja University Teaching Hospital until two state governors and Ministry of Health officials intervened. He died anyway, and relatives and friends blame the oxygen shortage, the Premium Times newspaper reported. The hospital attributed his death to his severe infection. In Malawi, the president promised funding for protective gear for medical workers and the immediate purchase of 1,000 oxygen cylinders. Corruption was blamed for defects in a new oxygen plant at a hospital in Uganda's capital of Kampala, the Daily Monitor newspaper reported. Workers had to rely on rusty oxygen cylinders blamed for the deaths of at least two patients. “While top health officials basked in the oxygen of good publicity, patients were literally choking to death,” the newspaper said. Leith Greenslade of the Every Breath Counts Coalition, which advocates for wider access to medical oxygen, said the looming shortages were apparent last spring. “Very little was done. Now you have a second wave, not just in Africa but in Latin America and Asia, and the oxygen shortages are becoming at crisis levels,” she said. The World Bank has set aside $50 billion for the world’s poorest countries alone during the pandemic, and $30.8 billion has been allocated, including $80 million for oxygen-related upgrades. “We make money available for countries, but it’s countries, governments who have to make a decision about how much they spend and what they spend it on,” said Dr. Mickey Chopra, who helps with the World Bank’s global medical logistics response. A global task force focusing on oxygen was formally announced Thursday and will include the World Health Organization and World Bank, among others. Already, $90 million was identified in immediate oxygen funding needs for 20 developing countries, including Nigeria and Malawi. Many countries view oxygen supplies primarily as an industrial product for more lucrative sectors such as mining, not health care, and it has not been a focus of many international donors. Oxygen manufacturing plants require technicians, good infrastructure and electricity — all in short supply in developing nations. The main provider of medical oxygen to Brazil’s Amazonas state, White Martins, operated at half capacity before the pandemic. The first infections hit the isolated city in March and led to so many deaths that a cemetery was carved out of the jungle. Doctors in its capital of Manaus were forced last month to choose which patients to treat as oxygen supplies dwindled. Brazil’s Supreme Court began an investigation into management of the crisis after White Martins said an “unexpected increase in demand” led to shortages. “There was a lack of planning on behalf of the government,” said Newton de Oliveira, president of Indústria Brasileira de Gases, a major oxygen supplier. Only after deaths averaged 50 a day did the government say it would build 73 oxygen plants in the state. Within a month, 26 were up and running. Oxygen shortages remain critical in Peru, where Dani Luz Llamocca waited five days outside a distribution centre in Lima, saying her virus-stricken father was down to less than half a tank of oxygen. She was willing to wait as long as it took. "If not, my father will die,” said Llamocca. In all, health experts estimate that 500,000 patients in developing countries currently need 1.1 million oxygen cylinders a day. The WHO's Appiah said countries with mining industries could convert their systems to produce medical-grade oxygen. India's national trade body for gas makers suggested that last April and industrial storage tanks were repurposed at hospitals, said Surendra Singh, a manager at the multinational Linde corporation. “It’s not rocket science,” said Saket Tiku, president of the All India Industrial Gases Manufacturers Association. “The decision saved thousands of lives.” ___ Hinnant reported from Paris. Sam Olukoya and Lekan Oyekanmi in Lagos, Nigeria, Aniruddha Ghosal in New Delhi, Franklin Briceño in Lima, Peru; Sam Magdy in Cairo, Diane Jeantet in Rio de Janeiro, Cara Anna in Nairobi, Kenya, Riaz Khan in Peshawar, Pakistan, and Rodney Muhumuza in Kampala, Uganda, contributed. —- Follow AP’s pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic, https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak Carley Petesch And Lori Hinnant, The Associated Press

  • Rising competition, pandemic costs take slice out of Domino's profit

    Shares of the pizza chain slid 7% in premarket trading as sales at its U.S. stores open for more than a year rose 11.2%, but missed analysts' estimates of 12.48%. Easing coronavirus restrictions in the United States have led to a rebound in business for dine-in restaurants, which have also doubled down on their digital operations and inflicted more pressure on sales at pizza chains. Fast-food giants have also been incurring high costs to sanitize their stores regularly, while investing more in digital business to keep up with the surge in online orders during the pandemic.

  • Wix.com hits 200 million users, says will continue to invest

    The increase comes amid a surge in demand from companies wanting to create an online presence due to the coronavirus pandemic. "The trend of businesses, brands and commerce moving online accelerated in 2020, and we believe this momentum will continue to 2021," said Nir Zohar, Wix's president. Last week, Wix said it expects to grow by one third in 2021.

  • Iceland Seafood International hf: Annual General Meeting 18 March 2021 - Correction

    This is a correction to an announcement from earlier today for the Notice to Annual General Meeting. The day of the meeting was incorrectly stated in the main text of the previous announcement. The Annual General Meeting of Iceland Seafood International hf will be held on Thursday 18 March 2021 at 4pm at Hilton Reykjavík Nordica, Suðurlandsbraut 2, 108 Reykjavik, Iceland. The meeting will be webcasted live, a link will be published on the Company's website www.icelandseafood.com/investors before the meeting starts. Recording will also be available after the meeting on the Company's website. Enclosed is the Notice to convene the Annual General Meeting, proposed agenda and proposed resolutions for the Annual General Meeting. Attachments ISI_AGM_Board Proposals 2021 ISI_AGM_Notice to convene the AGM 2021

  • North America Ketogenic Diet Market Forecast to 2027 - COVID-19 Impact and Regional Analysis by Product Type, and Distribution Channel

    The North America ketogenic diet market is expected to grow from US$ 3,757. 38 million in 2019 to US$ 5,434. 83 million by 2027; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 4. 8% from 2020 to 2027. Increasing awareness about the health benefits of ketogenic diets drives the demand for ketogenic diet in various cuisines.New York, Feb. 25, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "North America Ketogenic Diet Market Forecast to 2027 - COVID-19 Impact and Regional Analysis by Product Type, and Distribution Channel" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06004210/?utm_source=GNW The ketogenic diet helps reduce weight by approximately two times faster than the calorie-restricted low-fat diet.The low-fat diet is a contributing factor for the introduction of a ketogenic diet in various cuisines.A ketogenic diet leads to a natural reduction in appetite that proves to be beneficial to the consumers trying to lose weight.The excess visceral fat, which is accumulated in the abdominal cavity, is associated with insulin resistance and inflammation that may also be responsible for the metabolic dysfunction.The low carb ketogenic diet is beneficial and effective in reducing this visceral fat, which is present in overweight people.Apart from this, a ketogenic diet has various other properties. The ketogenic diet helps lower the blood pressure, which is a major concern across the world, and reduce the risk of diseases such as kidney failure, heart diseases, and strokes. Metabolic syndrome is another syndrome that is highly associated with heart diseases and diabetes. High triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol levels, and elevated blood sugar are a few symptoms associated with metabolic syndrome that can be treated by ketogenic diets. Increasing demand for ketogenic coffee is among the other factors expected to boost the growth of the North America ketogenic diet market during the forecast period.Based on product type, the snacks segment led the North America ketogenic diet market in 2019.The ketogenic snacks offer high amount of protein and are low in carbs and sugar.There is an availability of a wide range of healthy and delicious ketogenic snacks.Also, various ready-to-eat keto-friendly snacks are easily available in the market.Avocados are commonly consumed as a snack as they contain a high amount of fats and proteins.Olives are a good source of fiber and fats with minimum proteins and carbs.Care should be taken to avoid olives with carb-ridden ingredients and added oils. A good alternative to carb-rich crackers or chips is pork rinds made with the simplest ingredients such as salt and pork rinds and are not fried in unhealthy oils. Macadamia nuts is also a good ready-to-eat keto snack that contains minimal omega-6 content and high amounts of monounsaturated fats. There are several beef jerky snacks available that have very low or no-carb content with very few ingredients added to them. The bone broth and kale chips are a few of the healthiest ketogenic snacks with very low-calorie content. The availability of these keto-friendly easy-to-prepare and ready-to-eat snacks influences the ketogenic diet market growth in North America.The US has the highest number of COVID-19 confirmed cases around the globe.The pandemic is hindering the food and beverages industry in the region owing to the restrictions on the supply chain.In addition, the overall disruptions in manufacturing processes, research, and development activities are restraining the growth of the North America ketogenic diet market.The overall North America ketogenic diet market size has been derived using both primary and secondary sources.To begin the research process, exhaustive secondary research has been conducted using internal and external sources to obtain qualitative and quantitative information related to the market.The process also serves the purpose of obtaining an overview and forecast for the North America ketogenic diet market with respect to all the segments pertaining to the region.Also, multiple primary interviews have been conducted with industry participants and commentators to validate the data, as well as to gain more analytical insights into the topic.The participants of this process include industry experts such as VPs, business development managers, market intelligence managers, and national sales managers, along with external consultants such as valuation experts, research analysts, and key opinion leaders, specializing in the North America ketogenic diet market. A few players operating in the market are Ample Foods; Ancient Nutrition; Danone S.A.; Keto and Company; Know Brainer Foods; Love Good Fats; Nestle S.A.; Perfect Keto; Pruvit Ventures, Inc.; and Zenwise Health.Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06004210/?utm_source=GNWAbout ReportlinkerReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.__________________________ CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001