NEW YORK (Reuters) – Several Wall Street banks are increasing efforts to ensure staff get coronavirus booster shots, after Jefferies reported a surge in COVID-19 cases and as countries and industries grapple with how to respond to the spread of the Omicron variant.
Daily COVID-19 cases in New York City have surged in recent days and hospitalizations in the city are at their highest level since April, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While the Delta variant is still dominant in the United States, Omicron has been detected in many U.S. states including New York.
Most banks are strongly recommending staff get booster shots, the sources said.
Deutsche Bank has made COVID-19 boosters available to staff at its new headquarters in Columbus Circle since early November, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Wells Fargo said Wednesday it was providing all employees with four hours of paid leave to get the booster shot.
Meanwhile banks are reluctant to reverse efforts since the summer to get staff who had been working from home back into the office. However they are conscious that staff are increasingly concerned about the Omicron variant.
On Wednesday, Jefferies asked staff to work from home again due to a spate of COVID-19 cases, throwing the issue of office versus homeworking back into focus.
Banks are also, for the most part, allowing small teams to get together for holiday parties to help maintain morale, but not planning large-scale, firm-wide gatherings, the sources say.
(Reporting by Matt Scuffham and Noor Zainab Hussain; Editing by Frances Kerry)
