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The current public health crisis has complicated the relationship between an employer’s need to know and an employee’s patient privacy. “I’m sure that in some of these cases, we’ll see litigation out of this crisis.”
Self-quarantined after testing positive for the coronavirus, Miami’s mayor kept a daily video journal on Twitter, setting a standard of transparency while creating a sense of social media intimacy in a time of social distancing.
Gig workers are largely ineligible for company unemployment assistance and health care which means many continue working despite virus-like symptoms. Some sick workers keep going because, “what would these people do if I didn’t do it?”
In California, a Berkeley man “nude bombed” a Zoom session, exposing himself to students, and an Oakland school district inadvertently released access codes, passwords and student info online. “A lot of schools are struggling.”
New Jersey’s system was written in a software language created in the 1950s and it can’t handle the large influx of unemployment claims. The problems heighten calls for a complete system rewrite.
Last month Ohio had a last-minute switch to a vote-by-mail election due to coronavirus fears and officials want to avoid that happening again in the fall. Assuring a smooth November election requires planning now.
We have a loose consensus in America on factors that drive costs and time up and quality down. What we don't have is consensus on how to get those factors under control.
The order to stay at home puts a special burden on the homeless. Residents in one shelter in northern Virginia are doing what they can to keep their distance in a pandemic.
Unemployment threatens to rise to levels not seen since the Great Depression. A Pulitzer Prize-winning historian of that era thinks most of the economy will recover much more quickly than it did back then.
State lawmakers continue to address wide-ranging consequences of the pandemic with bills that focus on various remedies to the financial burden on workers and their families placed by government work restrictions.
When the coronavirus pandemic begins to subside, communities should use a nuanced, calibrated approach to allowing businesses to reopen and residents to return to work and school.
Ann Arbor’s virtual city council meeting discussed concerns about spending money on large city projects with an uncertain economic future. “I don’t want to see us putting good money on top of a dumpster fire.”
Many want Minnesota’s Corrections Department to release non-violent, elderly and medically compromised prisoners as a way to protect them from the coronavirus. None of the state prisons have an ICU or any ventilators.
The state only has tests for every 362 per 100,000 people and fewer test results means less information to help public health officials understand the virus. “It’s really important for us to know if they’re positive.”
Work to bridge the digital divide has gained momentum in recent years in state and local government, and the case to close the gap may get a further boost by the novel coronavirus reinforcing the importance of having the Internet at home.
Federal fiscal assistance could avert budget-balancing cutbacks at the state and municipal level as the coronavirus devastates the economy. Here are some of the strategies and policies that are likely to be — or ought to be — considered.
The information they collect for operational purposes can be leveraged in numerous ways to help them deal more effectively with the economic devastation of the coronavirus.
The revenue drop from COVID-19 is barely starting to show up in official figures, but already furloughs and major shortfalls are common in state and local governments around the country. The pain may be sudden, but it could last for years.
Throughout the ages, writers and historians who have witnessed pandemics have chronicled their impact and provided us with a valuable history lesson on how not to repeat the mistakes of the past.
Masks are commonplace due to COVID-19 so companies are expanding their facial recognition capacity to recognize the masked faces. Privacy concerns are more pressing than ever as the pandemic could increase society surveillance.
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry says that about half of the recent million or more recent claims filed so far have been paid. “We will take care of everyone’s concerns.”
As COVID-19 has increased patient numbers and discouraged in-person, non-urgent appointments, it could be an inflection point for telehealth. “I don’t think we’ll ever go back to where we were.”
2020 candidates are having to maneuver their campaigns around coronavirus constraints with video and phone calls. While there are drawbacks to online-only campaigns, there can be some benefits, like reaching wider and different audiences.
Local governments have a legal obligation to keep conducting business and engaging the public during the global pandemic, but there can often be more to virtual public meetings than meets the eye.
It may not always look pretty, but the American system of federalism creates opportunities to try different things and pick up the slack when there's a shortfall at one level of government.
The legal system has had to adapt to a virtual system as the coronavirus threat continues. While some believe this can help the courts break down barriers and silos, many are concerned about the efficacy of virtual court.
Only 10 of Pennsylvania’s counties or municipalities are allowed to have detailed data about infectious diseases in the area. An antiquated law is frustrating officials and threatening to further spread the coronavirus.
Four of Ohio’s cities are dependent on income taxes. With thousands now unemployed, the coronavirus’s financial toll continues to mount. “Who knows how long this is going to last, but the effect will be felt immediately.”
A Microsoft executive believes that COVID-19 could revolutionize the way artificial intelligence is used in health care, now and in the future. Even beyond telehealth developments, increased tech could mean early detection of disease.
After issuing a stay-at-home order, Louisiana workers have transitioned to working remotely during April. But many companies had to scramble to ensure their workers had the capability to work from home.
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