News Digest 4-26-2021

 

New York workers’ comp bill honors fallen fireman

A new bill introduced to honor a fallen New York fireman would include vascular rupture among the injuries covered by the Volunteer Firefighters’ Benefit Law. James Brooks Jr., an assistant chief with the Whitehall Fire Department, was at a fire call May 2, 2020 when he suffered an aortic rupture. While trying to recover, he suffered three strokes and was confined to a wheelchair before passing away in late September. Under the new bill, presumptive coverage for vascular ruptures that occur on the job would be covered similarly to heart attacks. Firehouse

 

Maine: Farmington voters to decide on budget inflated by workers’ comp following explosion

Voters in Farmington, Maine will decide Monday on a budget that’s 12 percent more than last year, with most of the increase coming from workers’ compensation adjustments as a result of the 2016 building explosion. Sun Journal

 

Lawsuit filed by fired, pregnant officer dismissed

A federal court has dismissed a wrongful termination lawsuit filed against a former Delaware county police officer, who said she was fired while injured on the job and pregnant. WDEL

 

FDA: N95 masks should no longer be reused

U.S. manufacturers say they have vast surpluses of face masks for sale, and hospitals say they have three to 12 month stockpiles. In response, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends hospitals and healthcare providers return to one mask per patient. ABC News

 

Can accounting firms mandate vaccines?

With the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, public accounting firms and other employers are watching and waiting, determining how far they can go in encouraging staff to be vaccinated. The issue of how to handle the vaccine in workplaces nationwide depends on some unknowns: Will the number of coronavirus patients subside or continue to rise? Will the vaccines be effective in reducing pandemic patient numbers? Will employees who do not get vaccinated pose a threat to others in the workplace? Journal of Accountancy