As COVID Surges, McDonald’s, Starbucks Say They Won’t Shut Dining Rooms Across The Board
Instead, restaurant chains say they're honing safety plans to still serve customers inside where possible. In other public health news: lowering your COVID risk during holiday travel, teleworking lowers infection rates and more.
The Wall Street Journal:
Restaurants Defend Dining Rooms As Covid-19 Spreads
Restaurant chains are setting long-term plans to keep dining rooms open whenever and wherever possible as the coronavirus pandemic shows no sign of relenting. ... McDonald’s and Starbucks say they aren’t shutting dining rooms across the board this time. Instead they are fine-tuning plans that they say allow them to serve customers inside safely in some restaurants where possible, even as the virus continues to circulate across the U.S. (Haddon, 118/)
KQED:
Visiting Family Over The Holidays? Here's How To Lower Your Risk For COVID-19
It’s been months of quarantine and the urge to see friends and family is real, especially as the holidays approach. But as people are considering traveling to spend Thanksgiving or Hanukkah with loved ones, COVID-19 cases are again surging across the U.S. While doctors say there’s no way to completely eliminate the risk of catching or spreading the novel coronavirus when venturing out, there are things you can do to reduce the risk. (Arcuni, 11/9)
Fox News:
Teleworking May Drop Coronavirus Infection Rates By Nearly 50%, CDC Finds
Looking to go back into the office anytime soon? Evidence is starting to mount against it, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The data released Friday revealed that, in July, of 248 people, those who worked from home for two weeks before developing symptoms of any sort were less likely to be infected with coronavirus. (Rivas, 11/7)
The Wall Street Journal:
What Rights Do Furloughed Employees Have?
What rights do furloughed employees have? A furlough generally means workers’ hours have been cut or eliminated temporarily, or requires that they take a certain amount of unpaid time off. Furloughed workers are still considered active employees and eligible for some benefits. While furlough doesn’t have a technical legal meaning, employers—especially since the onset of the pandemic—are using the term to signal that it’s a status where employees can expect to maintain their health care benefits and eventually be called back to work. Still, a furlough can lead to termination. (Steele, 11/8)
In other public health news —
CNN:
'Magic Mushroom' Ingredient Could Work As Mental Health Treatment
While magic mushrooms are known for their hallucinogenic effects, they may also have a role to play in the treatment of some mental health treatment. Or they might, if they weren't illegal in most states. Oregon has become the first US state to make psilocybin, the hallucinogenic compound in magic mushrooms, legal for mental health treatment in supervised settings. (Hunt, 11/7)
