Updates on our COVID-19 response and vaccines.

On today’s special Wednesday edition of Up To Speed Live, Andy welcomed back Hans and Christy, who shared the following updates:

COVID-19: Looking Forward

Hans explained that we continue to prioritize the safety of our customers and V Team. Christy shared the following updates related to our COVID-19 response:

• COVID-19 is very much present around the world and will require us to remain vigilant and agile.
• We will continue to operate in our adjusted state through the first quarter.
• Those working from home will continue to remain remote.
• Those with daily access to the office will continue to have access as needed.
• Those with rotating access will continue with a weekly schedule when they need to access the office for a business-critical purpose.

For our retail teams:

• We will follow our current safety protocols like Touchless Retail, wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing.
• Additionally, we will continue to follow any state- or local-level orders from officials.

For our technicians:

• We will continue to follow our safety protocols; wearing masks whenever entering a customer’s home or business, maintaining a safe distance when working on site and continuing customer pre-checks.
• For associates working from home, we have agreements to continue that for January.
• We have agreements with the unions to extend home garaging through the end of December. We will keep you updated on developments beyond that.

For anyone working on site — whether in our stores, in the field or in an office — continue to certify daily through our Return to Office tool before coming to a Verizon facility.This includes taking your temperature as part of the wellness precheck.

COVID-19 vaccines:

• When the vaccine(s) become available, we expect that first on the list would be first responders, healthcare staff and the most-vulnerable populations like older adults.
• In the United States, vaccines are covered under our medical plans and will be free to our employees.
• Most people around the world will likely not get access to a vaccine for a few months. In the meantime, we must continue to adhere to our safety protocols.

Check the COVID-19 employee resource page for any additional safety measures required by your county, state, or country.

If you are not feeling well, please remain home. And, if you experience any symptoms of COVID-19, contact your healthcare provider to get tested.

How to get tested

The CVS COVID-19 Testing resource provides you with testing availability by state, a questionnaire to determine your eligibility, a search capability by zip code and a registration process for your appointment. COVID-19 testing is free for Verizon employees.

We also have a Case Care team standing by, ready to help and support your needs.

Safety reminders from Christy:

• As we near more holiday celebrations, please exercise good judgment and stay informed of your local and regional guidelines.
• By staying safe outside of work, you're not just protecting yourself, your loved ones and your co-workers, you're also helping to ensure we all can be there for our customers when they need us most.
• Follow the same measures outside of work that we've adopted internally. That means wearing a mask, social distancing, monitoring yourself for symptoms and minimizing contact with others.

Submit questions

We’ll be having our 2021 Kickoff on Monday, January 4, at 12 PM ET/9 AM PT on Up To Speed. Andy invited all V Teamers to submit their questions for our leaders here. Verizon Media employees can email us at live@verizon.com.

Final thoughts

Hans urged V Teamers to continue to focus on safety. While we still have work to be done the rest of 2020 to support our customers, he encouraged all of us to reach out to our friends and family over this holiday season, especially those who will be alone.

If you have any questions, email them to live@verizon.com.

Click here for a transcript of the webcast.

Get the latest information on our Coronavirus Resource Page (Inside Verizon, The Street).

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