• • Allowing sick employees to work from home or take a leave as appropriate. (89%)
  • Minimizing unnecessary travel. (87%)
  • Educate employees on the signs and symptoms of the Coronavirus, as well as the precautions to take. (74%)
    • Tools:
      • Poster of Coronavirus symptoms for the work place
      • Poster on “What you need to know and how to protect yourself from the Coronavirus” for the workplace
      • Educational videos from the CDC
  • Minimizing unnecessary meetings and visitors. (74%)
  • Establishing first-line points of contact within the HR team responsible for managing employee questions or concerns. (38%)
  • Implementing and/or evaluating workplace emergency response protocols. (35%)
  • Training supervisors about strategies to address overreaction from employees and conflict in the workplace. (13%)
  • Other:
    -Asking all employees to work from home. (Our survey shows the number of companies initiating this policy is on the rise.)
    -Doing mock drills to ensure company does not have disruption should employees need to work from home.
    -Creating internal COVID-19 Task Force.
    -Establishing a hotline for employees to call with questions.
    -Providing employees with access to hand sanitizers as well as sanitizing common touch points within the office, such as copy machines, coffee makers, door handles, etc.

• Providing other meeting options, such as video conferencing, to avoid travel. (78%)
• Monitoring and sharing travel advisories and warning with employees. (72%)
  • Click here for international travel news.
  • Click here for CDC’s live Travel Health Alert Notice.
• Suspending all travel to affected areas. (67%)
• Asking employees who have recently returned from affected regions to work from home. (50%)
• Implementing guidelines for travel to affected regions. (48%)
  • Click here for a sample Company Policy Memo developed by a BioNJ Member Company and issued to its’ global staff.
• Contingency planning for operations and supply-chain disruption that may occur due to travel restrictions in affected areas. (35%)
• Developing a policy to address employees who refuse to work with co-workers returning from travel in affected regions to avoid anti-harassment/discrimination. (8%)
• Other:
  – No U.S. travel to states that have declared a state of emergency.
  -Asking employees not to attend meetings of 20 or more individuals.
  -Allowing employees who have pre-existing medical conditions, childcare needs or other concerns related to COVID-19 to work from home.

Click here to download a copy of the World Health Organization’s guide to developing a
“Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan for the New Coronavirus

• Defining when an ill employee must stay home, when an ill employee will be sent home and when and in what circumstances the employee may return to work. (87%)
• When an employer may require an ill employee – or those who have been exposed – to be quarantined. (63%)
• Whether the employer will pay employees for the time spent in quarantine as well as an outline of benefits available to employees. (58%)
• What illnesses or exposure to illness an employee must disclose to the employer, and when and how such disclosure should be made. (52%)
• Other: Allowing employees who have pre-existing medical conditions, childcare needs or other concerns related to COVID-19 to work from home.

• Yes (22%)
• N0 (79%)

• Governor Murphy, Treasurer Muoio Announce Plan to Follow Federal Government’s Lead to Enhance the Benefits of Paycheck Protection Program Loans
• Governor Murphy Announces the First Phase of the Small and Micro Business PPE Access Program
• The Road Back: Restoring Economic Health Through Public Health
• NJ A3843 (20R) directs the State’s Medicaid program and health benefit plans to cover Coronavirus testing. The Governor took similar action last week, advising plans to cover Coronavirus testing as well as emergency room, urgent care and office visits. The guidance applies to any health plan available through the state’s individual, small and large group marketplaces.
• NJ A3845 (20R) allows the Economic Development Authority to extend grants to small businesses impacted by the virus.
• NJ A3848 (20R) would prohibit employers from firing workers who need to take time off because of the Coronavirus.
• NJ A3849 (20R) grants some flexibility for custodians under the State’s open =376 w, extending the time frame by which they have to respond to requests during a state of emergency, public health emergency or State of local disaster emergency.
• NJ A3850 (20R) allows public bodies to conduct business remotely, or using electronic means, during a period of emergency.
• NJ A3851 (20R) would extend the deadline by which local and county governments have to adopt their budgets during periods when New Jersey is in a state of emergency or public health emergency.
• NJ A3854 (20R) would allow licensed health care facilities to collect swabs during the period covered by Murphy’s public health state of emergency and grants Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli the ability to waive any staffing requirements for those facilities during that period.
• NJ A3855 (20R) would require the State’s departments and agencies to put information about accessing food on public notifications relating to public health emergencies.
• NJ A3861 (20R) would allow corporations to hold shareholders’ meetings remotely, rather than in person, during a state of emergency.
• NJ AJR158 (20R) urges the FCC to take temporary measures to secure broadband access for those affected by COVID-19.
• A-3903/S-2336 allows remote notarial acts during Public Health Emergency and State of Emergency declared by Governor in Executive Order 103 of 2020.
• A-3910/S-2333 provides civil and criminal immunity to certain health care professionals and health care facilities during public health emergency and state of emergency; facilitates issuance of certain temporary licenses and certifications during public health emergency and state of emergency.
• A-3913/S-2374 expands protections of the Family Leave Act to allow employees forced to take time off to care for a family member during the COVID-19 outbreak with up to 12 weeks of unpaid family leave in a 24-month period without losing their jobs.
• A-3915/S-2342 permits nonprofit corporations to allow members to participate in meetings by means of remote communication, and permits nonprofit corporations to hold meetings in part or solely by means of remote communication during state of emergency.
• Executive Order 107 provides that “all New Jersey residents shall remain home or at their place of residence,” with certain specified exceptions. With regard to life sciences companies, EO 107 provides an exception for any business with “employees that cannot perform their functions via telework or work-from-home arrangements” provided that the business makes “best efforts to reduce staff on site to the minimal number necessary to ensure that essential operations can continue.”  It also provides examples of such employees who cannot work remotely, including “lab technicians.” Click here for details.
• Executive Order 109 is intended to assess the availability of PPE as we move forward in the current situation.
• Executive Order No. 112 authorized the Division of Consumer Affairs to temporarily reactivate the licenses of recently retired health care professionals and grant temporary licenses to doctors licensed in foreign countries.
• Executive Order No. 113 authorizes the New Jersey State Director of Emergency Management to use the Governor’s full authority under the Disaster Control Act to commandeer personal services and/or real or personal property.
• Executive Order No. 122 ceases all non-essential construction projects and imposing additional mitigation requirements on essential retail businesses and essential industries to limit the spread of COVID-19 in New Jersey. The order also outlines specific protections and policies for all essential retail, manufacturing, and warehousing businesses, as well as businesses engaged in essential construction projects.
• Executive Order No. 123 extends grace periods during which certain insurance companies, including health insurers, life insurers, and property and casualty insurers, will not be able to cancel policies for nonpayment of premiums.
• Executive Order No. 127 extended various deadlines associated with rulemaking for state agencies until 90 days following the end of the public health emergency.
• Executive Order No. 128 allows tenants to direct their landlords to use their security deposits to offset rent or back rent.
• Executive Order No. 137  rescinding Executive Order No. 73 (2019), which directed the Department of the Treasury to achieve a $1.276 billion surplus by the end of this current fiscal year.
• Executive Order No. 140 outlining the formation of a statewide council of leaders to advise on New Jersey’s restart and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Executive Order No. 142 permits the resumption of non-essential construction, curbside pickup at non-essential retail businesses and car gatherings for the purpose of drive-through and drive-in events.
• Executive Order No. 210 extends the Public Health Emergency that was declared on March 9, 2020 through Executive Order No. 103, which was previously extended on April 7, May 6, June 4, July 2, August 1, August 27, September 25, October 24, and November 21. Under the Emergency Health Powers Act, a declared public health emergency expires after 30 days unless renewed.

• BIO COVID Vaccine Facts Portal
• BIO: Vaccine Development, Manufacturing and Distribution During a Pandemic
• BIO Members are Working Around the Clock to Find Solutions to Combat Coronavirus
• BIO: Biopharmaceutical Innovators Are Leading The Charge In Fight Against Coronavirus.pdf
• How Biopharmaceutical Researchers are Ensuring COVID-19 Vaccines will be Safe and Effective­
• BIO’s First-of-its-kind, Interactive Tracker of the New Treatments and Vaccines in the COVID-19 Pipeline.
• BIO Coronavirus Hub FAQ
• NJ Biotech Lab Says it has a Treatment for Very Sick COVID-19 Patients
• BIO’s Portal: The Coronavirus is No Match for Science — Share What You Need, and How You Can Help
• BIO/PhRMA Commitment to Beat Coronavirus
• PhRMA New infographic: How we are fighting COVID-19
• PhRMA’s Industry Fact Sheet — COVID-19
• America’s Biopharma Companies Working Around the Clock to Beat Coronavirus
• The Road to a Vaccine Episode 1: How a COVID-19 Vaccine Might Work. Plus, How Quickly We Could Get There
• BioCentury Coronavirus Analysis
• Coronavirus: Biopharma Business & Investment Impact Survey Report
• Scientist.com Coronavirus Clinical Trials Dashboard
• Akers Biosciences Acquires Licenses to COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate
• Amgen and Adaptive Biotechnologies Webinar on Research to Find New Antibody Treatment for COVID-19
• Amici to start human trials of potential COVID-19 vaccines
• BioAegis Therapeutics Initiates Phase 2 Clinical Trial of Its Inflammation Regulator, Gelsolin, for COVID-19 Treatment
• BD, BioGx Submit FDA Emergency Use Authorization for COVID-19 Diagnostics
• Caladris Plans to Assess Cell Therapy for Repair of COVID-19-Induced Lung Damage
  
• Celularity Expands Strategic Collaboration With United Therapeutics Corporation to COVID-19 Infection and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
• Genscript Seeks EUA for Test that Indicates Immunity to COVID-19
• Gilead Presents Additional Data on Investigational Antiviral Remdesivir for the Treatment of COVID-19
• An Open Letter from Daniel O’Day, Chairman & CEO, Gilead Sciences
• Hackensack Meridian Health Studying the Blood of COVID-19 Survivors
• Brensocatib (Formerly INS1007) to be Studied in Patients with Severe COVID-19 in Investigator-Initiated Trial
• J&J to Supply 200M Doses of COVID-19 Vax Candidate
• Drugmaker J&J Starting Phase 3 US trial for COVID-19 Vaccine
• Single Dose of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Demonstrates Robust Protection in Pre-clinical Studies
• Johnson & Johnson’s Response to COVID-19
• Lilly’s Neutralizing Antibody Bamlanivimab (LY-CoV555) Receives FDA Emergency Use authorization for the Treatment of Recently Diagnosed COVID-19
• Lilly Announces Arrangement for Supply of Potential COVID-19 Antibody Therapy for Low- and Middle-Income Countries
• Lilly and Amgen Announce Manufacturing Collaboration for COVID-19 Antibody Therapies
• Baricitinib in Combination with Remdesivir Reduces Time to Recovery in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 in NIAID-Sponsored ACTT-2 Trial
• Lilly Begins Clinical Testing of Therapies for COVID-19
• Lilly: Neutralizing Antibodies and COVID-19 Fact Sheet
• Lilly and AbCellera-Discovered Antibody Receives U.S. FDA Emergency Use Authorization as a Monotherapy for the Treatment of COVID-19
• Merck Announces Supply Agreement with U.S. Government for Initial Doses of Investigational Biological Therapy for the Treatment of Patients with Severe and Critical COVID-19
  
• Merck Purchasing Biopharma with Promising COVID Candidate
• Merck to Announce Multiple Scientific Efforts to Combat COVID-19
• Medical Professionals Across Merck & Co., Inc., Pfizer Inc., and Eli Lilly and Company Activate to Support Health Systems, First Responders and Patients Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
• Novartis Secures Exclusive Rights for Potential Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Cell Therapy
• Novartis Announces Broad Range of Initiatives to Respond to COVID-19 Pandemic; Creates USD 20 Million Global Fund to Support Impacted Communities
• Novartis and its Foundation Arm Establish $5M COVID-19 Community Fund
• OncoSec Announces FDA Clearance of IND Application for Initiation of Phase 1 Clinical Trial of its CORVax12 Vaccine Candidate for COVID-19
• Ortho Gets $12.85M BARDA Contract for Ongoing COVID Test Work
• Palisades Therapeutics in collaboration with the Veterans Medical Research Foundation is granted FDA clearance to begin Phase II/III COVID-outpatient oral therapeutic study that targets >80% of patients
• Palisades Therapeutics: PT150 is a Modulator of Glucocorticoid and Androgen Receptors with Antiviral Activity Against SARS-CoV-2
• Pfizer and BioNTech to Submit Emergency Use Authorization Request Today to the U.S. FDA for COVID-19 Vaccine
• Pfizer and BioNTech Announce Vaccine Candidate Against COVID-19 Achieved Success in First Interim Analysis from Phase 3 Study
• Pfizer Outlines Five-Point Plan to Battle COVID-19
• Pfizer Advances Battle Against COVID-19 on Multiple Fronts
• PTC Therapeutics Announces the Initiation of a Phase 2/3 Clinical Trial to Evaluate PTC299 for the Treatment of COVID-19
• FDA Approves First At-Home Saliva Collection Test for Coronavirus
• Rutgers Doctors, University Hospital Say Use of COVID-19 Survivors’ Plasma Presents ‘Real Hope for Saving Lives’
• Rapid Screening Process for Infectious Diseases Being Created in Rutgers University–Camden Research Lab
• Rutgers Creates COVID-19 Center to Fight Pandemic
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• Soligenix Announces Publication of Positive Pre-clinical Results for a Novel COVID-19 Vaccine
  
• Soligenix and University of Hawaii at Manoa Initiate Work on Novel Coronavirus Vaccine for COVID-19