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Coronavirus social distancing clashes with confinement conditions
Michelle R. Matisons Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityWhile free people rush about getting errands done, like procuring increasingly rare toilet paper rolls and hand sanitizer, confined people are physically separated from the rest of society by design, placing them in an extremely vulnerable position as the coronavirus pandemic’s scope widens. Some U.S. corrections facilities have responded by instituting mass lockdowns, like large-scale quarantines, while others are letting people out early — especially nonviolent offenders.
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How COVID-19 is affecting the world’s airports
Matt Falcus Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementThe COVID-19 pandemic is causing an unprecedented attack on air travel around the world, leaving airports, airlines and travelers exposed to a period of uncertainty that is difficult to prepare for. The outbreak began in China and spread throughout the countries of Asia, affecting many of the world’s biggest hub airports. Now, a few months down the line, the effect is already being felt. Passengers at Singapore Changi Airport in February were down 32.8% on last year.
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Accepting the new virtual reality
Linda Popky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementAs the coronavirus crisis escalates, more and more restrictions are being put in place: no large gatherings, no in-person classes at school, no sporting events, avoid air travel, cancel unnecessary meetings, etc. Many employers have closed their campuses and required employees to work from home — when they can. Many industries, like retail, hospitality, and personal services, can't just be packaged up and run remotely. But there are many others that could provide remote services — but have just never made it part of their offerings.
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The coronavirus threat to US education
Patrick Gleeson EducationLike everyone these past few weeks, I've watched the rapid worldwide spread of the coronavirus with alarm. But the emphasis in the media so far has largely concentrated on lives lost and political missteps — both of them significant and disturbing subjects. But nothing I've read seems to describe adequately the impact on American families, probably because the worst is yet to come. It's a huge subject, so here I'd like to concentrate on the implications of the virus for U.S. education.
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As organizations close, tips for facility managers to clear out the coronavirus
Scott E. Rupp Facilities & GroundsThe Clean Buildings Expo (CBE) and National Facilities Management and Technology (NFMT) Conference and Expo that was to be held this week in Baltimore has been postponed because of the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). There's likely no better time for the information that was slated for the clean-building conference than now. But that's the current state of the world given the pandemic. As governments develop strategies to lead their citizens through these developments, there's an important role to be played by facility managers.
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Halting sports shows human lives valued over making money
Damon Sayles Sports & FitnessThe coronavirus (COVID-19) has hit the world with a left hook that packs 100 times the power of the greatest heavyweight boxing champion. On the evening of March 11, the NBA suspended its season. The next day, the NCAA Tournament crushed the dreams of college basketball fans by canceling March Madness, one of the biggest events in American sports not named the Super Bowl. From there, hockey fans saw the NHL season suspended, baseball fans saw the spring training schedule canceled and Opening Day pushed back indefinitely, and soccer fans saw leagues from various nations go on hiatus.
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New study reports on incubation period of COVID-19
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareA new study on COVID-19, led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, estimates 5.1 days for incubation period and suggests that about 97.5% of people who develop symptoms of infection will do so within 11.5 days of exposure. The researchers estimated that for every 10,000 individuals quarantined for 14 days, only about 101 would develop symptoms after being released from quarantine. These estimates imply that, under conservative assumptions, in 101 out of every 10,000 cases, people will develop symptoms after 14 days of active monitoring or quarantine.
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What small businesses need to know before filing tax returns
Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementWhat does the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, perhaps President Trump’s signature legislative achievement, mean for businesses? We turn to the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center (TPC), located in Washington, D.C. "TCJA allowed businesses to deduct the full cost of qualified new investments in the year those investments are made (referred to as 100 percent bonus depreciation or 'full expensing') for five years," according to the TPC. But this is not a permanent change to the tax code.
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Beware the dangers of groupthink for proposals
Lisa Pafe Civil & GovernmentProposal color team reviews don’t work. Why? In many cases, proposal reviewers make two critical mistakes: 1. They read the proposal as if it was a novel, instead of scoring and rating it according to the evaluation criteria. 2. They get tired of arguing about their comments, so they come to consensus — which really means they succumb to groupthink. These mistakes often result in a proposal that not only fails to offer a value proposition rich in discriminating strengths, in some cases it is non-compliant.
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Telehealth used in an attempt to curb coronavirus
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcareAs the pandemic that is the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) grows, telehealth technology is finding its footing as people become more concerned about their level of exposure to the virus and as health systems expect to be overwhelmed with treating those affected. President Donald Trump recently signed an $8.3 billion package that, in part, allows Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar to waive Medicare telehealth payment restrictions during the coronavirus emergency.
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