Some hospitals and nursing homes in rural areas still do not have access to the coronavirus vaccine. FOX Business’ Grady Trimble and more.
Grocery store chain Lidl in Arlington, Virginia, is the latest retailer to offer incentives for COVID-19 vaccinations, announcing that it will give an extra $ 200 to any U.S. employee who becomes innocent.
ALDI WORKERS WHO RECEIVE COVID-19 VACCINE WILL RECEIVE EXTRA PAYMENT, S COMP COMPANY
The additional payment will be used to cover the costs incurred by employees related to the administration of vaccines, including travel expenses and childcare. In addition, Lidl will accommodate employees’ vaccine appointment schedules.
A Lidl spokesman told FOX Business that his commitment “is greater than the incentives other retailers have recently offered.”
The announcement comes after Aldi’s, Trader Joe’s and Dollar General said they would cover the cost of vaccine administration for their employees with up to four hours paid for the two doses they receive. Meanwhile, Instacart is offering all eligible employees, including liaisons, in-store shopping and full-service buyers, starting February 1st a $ 25 fee for vaccine support.
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In March, Lidl developed a first-in-industry program with CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield to give all its employees free access to comprehensive COVID-19 medical coverage.
“We are proud to offer our employees the means to receive the COVID-19 vaccine free of any barriers,” Lidl CEO Johannes Fieber said in a press release on Wednesday. “From the beginning of the pandemic, we have worked hard to put the health and safety of our employees first. From free COVID-19 healthcare to our entire staff, to the installation of air filtration in the hospital in our stores and warehouses for cleaning and a healthier air, Lidl has made it a priority to adjust our policies to work better for our people during this pandemic, and we are proud to do so again today to ensure that every team member who wants to vaccine, do so as soon as possible. “
According to an internal survey, almost 8 out of 10 Lidl employees plan to receive the vaccine as soon as it is available. Lidl operates approximately 11,200 stores and is active in 32 countries, with a worldwide workforce of more than 310,000 employees.
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An advisory committee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that public workers in grocery stores participate in the next round, Phase 1b, of vaccines, along with front-line workers such as police officers, firefighters, U.S. postal workers, correctional officers, teachers and agricultural workers.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that more than 35 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been distributed and more than 16.5 million had been administered since Wednesday. According to the latest update from Johns Hopkins University, the United States has surpassed 24.4 million confirmed cases of coronavirus and more than 405,000 related deaths since the pandemic began.
Fox Business, Jeanette Settembre and Associated Press contributed to this report