Summer archive: An "On the ground" view of managing covid-19

This summer, we are revisiting episodes from the Global Counsel podcast archive, looking at what they can tell us about topical developments in public policy and regulation ahead of the autumn. From COP26 to the education system in the US, the GC team offers timeless insight into global and national trends to look out for across sectors and around the world.

This week, we share our conversation with Alex Collins, Senior Strategy Consultant at UNC Health Care (North Carolina’s largest health system), for a perspective on the impact of covid-19 on public health practices in North Carolina.

After a relatively short period of optimism about the quick pace of the vaccine rollout in the US, federal and state officials are facing the looming threat of the Delta variant while trying to overcome resistance to the vaccine.

Almost 51% of the US population is fully vaccinated, but the US is still falling short compared to other major economies like Canada, the UK, and many EU countries such as Germany. The return of required masking in certain areas of the country has sparked anew the debate over whether states and local governments can and should enforce such mandates. This debate is heating up right before the new school year is set to begin, adding a level of uncertainty to how schools will operate.

Many companies in major cities like New York are reconsidering their plans to bring workers back to the office full-time amid rising concerns over the Delta variant, while other firms have imposed vaccination requirements for their workers. In the backdrop of these covid-19 developments, the Biden administration and Congress has been focused on advancing a bipartisan infrastructure package that would see $1.2trn in government spending, aimed at stimulating the economy and supporting the covid-19 recovery.

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