Here are eight COVID-19 updates from the last week:
1. Daily COVID-19 case reports are flat or falling in at least 35 states, with Mississippi and Florida reporting some of the largest declines. However, there are still hot spots emerging across the country.
2. Kaiser Permanente placed more than 2,200 employees on unpaid leave as of Oct. 4 for failing to comply with the system’s COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
3. Here’s how vaccination rates are changing in each state — up in 46, down in 3.
4. Since February 2020, nearly 1 in 5 healthcare workers (18 percent) have quit their jobs. Read more here.
5. The U.S. supply of rapid, at-home COVID-19 tests is set to quadruple by December, the White House said Oct. 6.
6. The CDC director on Sept. 24 recommended booster doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 shot for tens of millions of people. Here’s where three states stand on booster rollout.
7. The coronavirus has evolved to become more airborne, a possible explanation as to why variants such as alpha and delta are more transmissible than the original strain.
8. UnitedHealth Group said Oct. 5 that a significant portion of its U.S.-based team is subject to a COVID-19 vaccination requirement.
At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.