Contact tracing apps could potentially slow disease transmission, but policymakers need to weigh the pros and cons, GAO reported Tuesday: Decision makers should consider how to build public trust for such apps; legal and privacy safeguards; coordination among local, state and federal agencies; how to expedite test results to maximize the benefits; and how to ensure accuracy of contact identification.
COVID-19-related calls from labs, insurers and healthcare facilities to people who have tested positive encouraging plasma donations after recovery fit in the "emergency purposes" exception to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and don't need prior express consent, the FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau said Tuesday.
COVID-19 is a good reason to extend Lifeline waivers for recertification, reverification, non-usage and income documentation rules until Dec. 31, TracFone told the FCC. The wireless eligible telecom carrier supports the National Lifeline Association’s July 8 petition, said the letter posted Tuesday in docket 11-42. The company said the FCC should temporarily freeze minimum service standards for mobile broadband service at 3 GB, and the mobile voice-only subsidy at $7.25 monthly.
May desktop monitor imports soared from April at a rate nearly quadruple that of laptops and tablets, the connectivity tools most commonly associated with COVID-19 stay-at-home mandates, according to Census Bureau figures we accessed Sunday through the International Trade Commission’s DataWeb. May brought the highest monthly unit imports of monitors in 10 months. The one-month spike in May monitor imports came amid surging demand in videoconferencing adoption. Cisco’s Webex exceeded 500 million meeting participants in April, generating 25 billion meeting minutes, more than triple the volume in February (see 2005140001). U.S. importers sourced 4.16 million monitors from all countries in May, a 45% increase from the 2.86 million shipped here in April, said DataWeb. May laptop and tablet imports increased 11%. Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam also contributed to U.S. monitor supply in May, on a vastly smaller scale than China.
Americans are increasingly worried about returning to offices amid spikes in COVID-19 cases, and most expect more fall outbreaks, IBM’s monthly consumer attitudes survey found. It canvassed 7,000 respondents in July, finding 84% would prefer working from home indefinitely, at least occasionally, up 3 points from June. More than six in 10 say employers need to communicate clearly what they're doing to sanitize, up from 54% in June. And 58% say employers need strict social distancing protocols, up from 49% in June. Telehealth use is rising, with 40% having participated in a virtual medical visit the past month, up 6 points from June. Half the June respondents planned to keep using telehealth after the pandemic, and 60% expressed those intentions in July. Only 19% said they used telehealth sessions before COVID-19.
More than six in 10 seniors agree that stay-at-home mandates swayed them to embrace technology more, and nearly half regularly binge-watch TV shows, a healthinsurance.com survey found. The healthcare website canvassed 1,000 U.S. adults 65 and older online July 20-21, finding tech ownership is high among Medicare-eligible seniors. Three-quarters own a smart TV or streaming device, 89% have a smartphone and 68% use a tablet. Two-thirds subscribe to cable. Sixty-four percent say they left the house only to visit the supermarket or pharmacy. Sixty-eight percent of those who haven’t used telehealth during the pandemic say it’s because they haven’t had to. Ten percent used it before the crisis, 44% have used it since and 43% plan to continue using it after COVID-19.
Public Knowledge's IP3 Awards event Sept. 24 -- covering areas of intellectual property, information policy and internet protocol -- will be virtual due to the pandemic, PK said Monday.
An Amazon spokesperson confirmed Prime Day will be later this year, after the event was pulled from its normal July schedule. This year, the representative emailed, the e-tailer will hold Prime Day "later than usual, while ensuring the safety of our employees and supporting our customers and selling partners." Prime members in India will experience the event Aug. 6-7. Also Monday, Target followed Walmart by closing this Thanksgiving, leaving to the pre-social distancing age images of crowds storming store entrances to score the best deals. “Let’s face it: Historically, deal hunting and holiday shopping can mean crowded events, and this isn’t a year for crowds,” blogged Target CEO Brian Cornell.
The FCC Wireless Bureau granted emergency authorization for standard reviews to proceed for public safety in Michigan’s Charlevoix and Washtenaw counties. The bureau June 25 released an electronic process for licensees to apply for expedited historic review or emergency authorization of wireless facilities during the pandemic (see 2006260028).
Stay-at-home restrictions in Q2 should result in “substantial revenue upside” for Amazon, which reports Thursday, Wedbush's Michael Pachter wrote investors Monday. Grocery business will likely be a key driver, said the analyst, maintaining a revenue estimate of $81 billion. The company has switched focus from boosting shipping speeds to “the wellbeing of its employees,” Pachter said. COVID-19-related expenses in Q1 were over $600 million; Q2 estimates are $4 billion or more, he said. Spending on safety measures is “unlikely to slow down any time soon.”