Back to Work: Planning for COVID-19 Impacts in the U.S. Through 2021

Current Events 

Recent trends confirm that the impacts from COVID-19 will continue.  While death rates in states like New York^[1] and Arizona^[2] are decreasing, states like Georgia^[3] and Florida^[4] are seeing climbing infection rates.  Local hotspots like Danbury, Connecticut, have emerged,^[5] and eight states (thus far) have had spikes in cases caused by the large Sturgis motorcycle rally in South Dakota.^[6]  In response, some states and local governments are implementing controls.  For example, Illinois is taking some preventative safety measures,^[7] and Oahu, Hawaii issued a two-week lockdown to address increasing infection rates.^[8] 

The important point is that COVID-19 is expected to impact businesses for the remainder of 2020 and perhaps into 2021, and those impacts will be volatile, as local circumstances change. 

What Can Your Business Do? 

Despite the uncertainty about what COVID-19 impacts will look like and how long they will last, businesses can take proactive steps to try to mitigate COVID-19’s long-term effect.  

Throughout the months of September and October, we will be publishing a series of alerts to address the following topics, and provide practical advice on steps that you can take now to mitigate those impacts:  

• Telecommuting (Week of September 7)
• Flexible Schedules (Week of September 14)
• Workplace Protections as a way to Boost Morale (Week of September 21)
• Essential Business Travel (Week of September 28)
• Supply Chain Management (Week of October 5) 

Conclusion 

COVID-19 regulations and impacts are expected to continue through 2021, so businesses that take the time to implement practical solutions that allow them to continue their operations as efficiently as possible will have a competitive advantage in these uncertain times. 

The impacts of COVID-19 on businesses and our society continue to change and develop.  Our COVID-19 Reopening Team is tracking those changes, click on the following link to receive notice of our updates directly.  In the meantime, do not hesitate to contact us regarding best practices and “watch outs” that we have learned in assisting our clients with their particular business and or travel restriction challenges.

^{[1] See, e.g.,  https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/new-york-coronavirus-cases.html}

^{[2] See, e.g.,  https://www.foxnews.com/health/arizona-drop-coronavirus-cases-deaths}

^{[3] See, e.g.,  https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/26/us/georgia-covid-19-cases-white-house-task-force-recommendations/index.html}

^{[4] See, e.g.,  https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article245261405.html}

^{[5] See, e.g.,  https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/gov-lamont-to-hold-news-conference-amid-covid-19-spike-in-danbury/2323547/}

^{[6] See, e.g.,  https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-sturgis-motorcycle-rally-south-dakota-over-100-cases-8-states/}

^{[7] See, e.g.,  https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ban-on-indoor-service-at-bars-restaurants-in-southwest-il-to-return-as-covid-increases/ar-BB18koj5 and https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-coronavirus-illinois-will-kankakee-crackdown-20200824-joflogsa3rhinlkhdo2v4ntlg4-story.html}

^{[8] See, e.g.,  https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2020/08/25/list-retailers-gyms-salons-will-all-have-close-under-citys-new-stay-at-home-order/}