A review of the “fully vaccinated” definition, upward pressure on the minimum wage, falling unemployment claims, and another record high for COVID-19 cases in Connecticut are among the top business news items this morning.
National
Centers for Disease Control Director Rochelle Walensky says the agency is “working through” the question of whether to update the definition of “fully vaccinated” to include a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The current CDC definition says people are considered fully vaccinated after receiving two doses of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or one dose of a Johnson & Johnson vaccine, but that the spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant is leading health officials to stress the need for booster shots for enhanced protection.
Business trends
More than half of all states are raising their minimum wage in 2022, with many working toward the $15 an hour goal pursued by labor activists for nearly a decade. However, businesses have often been raising their starting salaries above this level to compete for workers and some activists have been pushing for a higher minimum wage as well, citing factors such as inflation.
Unemployment claims fell to pandemic lows, with initial claims falling to 198,000 last week and continuing claims totaling 1.72 million in the week prior. The four-week moving average for claims fell to 199,250, a 52-year low.
Connecticut
Connecticut’s COVID-19 daily test positivity rate continues to rise, reaching a record 17.8 percent on Wednesday. Hospitalizations crested 1,000, with a net increase of 150.
