On the latest episode of the ABA Banking Journal Podcast — sponsored by NICE Actimize Xceed — ABA SVP Paul Benda provides a COVID-19 situation update. Between spiking case and hospitalization rates, new mutations of the coronavirus and COVID-19 fatigue, “we’re in a very dark period of time,” he says. In this episode, Benda covers:

• Capacity challenges in many U.S. health-care facilities affecting COVID-19 treatment.
• The slow pace of U.S. vaccinations and when frontline bank employees might expect to receive one.
• The growing risk of the so-called United Kingdom and South African SARS-CoV-2 variants, the latter of which may not be prevented by the coronavirus vaccines.
• Practices banks continue using to protect employees and clients, including face coverings and HVAC filtration.

This episode is sponsored by NICE Actimize Xceed.