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World Health Organization Declares COVID-19 to be a Pandemic

Client Alert | 1 min read | 03.11.20

The World Health Organization has announced its determination that COVID-19 is a pandemic. At a press briefing on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO announced that this is the first time the WHO has declared a pandemic as a result of a coronavirus outbreak. The announcement does not change the WHO’s assessment of the threat posed by COVID-19, nor does it require new WHO public health recommendations.

The WHO announcement means that U.S. employers now have additional flexibility to take measures to mitigate the spread of the virus. Guidance issued in 2009 by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in response to the ‘swine flu’ outbreak authorizes employers to be more aggressive in responding to a pandemic, notwithstanding the obligations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The EEOC guidance suggests that employers may be able to conduct certain types of testing and make more direct inquiries to their employees, as part of a containment plan.

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Client Alert | 8 min read | 09.24.25

Securing the Skies: Landmark Proposed Rule Contains New Security Requirements for Expanded Commercial Drone Deployments

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently proposed an expanded role regulating unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or drones.  On August 7, 2025, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and TSA published a joint Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (proposed rule), titled Normalizing Unmanned Aircraft Systems Beyond Visual Line of Sight Operations (BVLOS).  Through this landmark proposed rule, the FAA and TSA aim to provide industry with a clear path forward for streamlined UAS operations for a variety of purposes, including package delivery, agriculture, aerial surveying, civic interest (public safety), and flight testing.  Comments on the proposed rule are due October 6, 2025....