covid19businessimpact

Freep: Omicron Disrupting Most Aspects of Life in Michigan

covid19businessimpact

From the Detroit Free Press, Sunday, January 9.

Coronavirus cases in Michigan are growing exponentially as the most contagious variant to emerge in the pandemic — omicron — drives record-breaking case rates, pushes up hospitalizations and causes disruption in almost every aspect of life — from schools to offices and manufacturing sites, to airline travel, grocery stores and restaurants.

“We are bracing for one of the bleakest months yet,” said Dr. Dennis Cunningham, director of infection prevention for Henry Ford Health System.

Even though the omicron variant is believed to cause milder illness than previous strains, with the massive wave of infection now upon the state and nation, it means many will still need hospitalization even as thousands of Michigan health care workers are off the job because they contracted the virus or were exposed.

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Businesses already grappling with a tight labor force are reducing the hours they’re open or are even temporarily closing as workers go into isolation and quarantine from sickness or exposure.

In the manufacturing sector, shifts are reduced, said John Walsh, president and CEO of the Michigan Manufacturers Association. He has seen a business owner working on the factory floor because there aren’t enough employees.

“They’re moving their office personnel into the production area where they can to help get things done,” Walsh said. Other options include offering employees overtime or hiring workers who may need extra training to “get through the pinch.”

Organizations staffed remotely are staying that way amid the omicron surge, said Emily Annand, a strategic consultant with the health brokerage firm Lockton Michigan.

“If there was an anticipated date to return to the office in the near future, it has been pushed back,” she said.

When businesses do eventually return to in-person work, Sandy Baruah, president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber, said it likely won’t be for the typical 40-hour, five-day-a-week structure that was common before the pandemic.

“The vast majority of these businesses are saying they’re going to move to some sort of hybrid system, with some in-office time and activity, but allowing for a greater degree of remote flexibility for employees,” Baruah said.

Read the complete story in The Detroit Free Press