Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Dems Want Formal Coronavirus Protections For Workers As States Start To Ease Shut-Down Restrictions
Democrats and labor groups say companies should be forced to establish formal workplace coronavirus protections, a demand set to become a point of tension with Republicans and the Trump administration in the next round of stimulus talks. Rep. Bobby Scott (D., Va.), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee,聽on Tuesday introduced a measure that would direct the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to order all companies to implement comprehensive plans to protect workers who continue in their jobs during the pandemic. (Hughes, 4/21)
Adam Ryan, a Target employee in Christiansburg, Va., has felt unsafe at work in recent weeks. He finds it difficult to follow the recommendation that he stay six feet away from others because the store is often crowded and customers linger closely while he restocks shelves. 鈥淧eople will get mad at me when I鈥檓 in the area and they want to grab something,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hey just act like it鈥檚 business as usual.鈥 Target has taken steps to address workers鈥 safety concerns, including providing masks, but Mr. Ryan feels that the company hasn鈥檛 gone far enough. (Scheiber, 4/22)
Nevada鈥檚 largest health care union slammed state officials Tuesday for not thoroughly investigating workplace safety complaints at hospitals. Service Employees International Union, Local 1107 board member Jody Domineck said it was 鈥渃ompletely unacceptable鈥 that the Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration was not performing work-site inspections for any of the more than two dozen complaints made against hospitals since the state鈥檚 coronavirus outbreak began in early March. (Davidson, 4/21)
A second Smithfield Foods worker has died from COVID-19 complications after a coronavirus outbreak at the Sioux Falls-based meatpacking plant erupted earlier this month. Craig Franken, 61, died on Sunday from COVID-19, according to his obituary. Franken started working at John Morrell and Company, now Smithfield Foods, after serving in the U.S. Army for three years in 1979. The obituary did not say what position Franken had at the plant. (Huber, 4/21)
