Business leaders see the omicron threat 'as short term’: Commerce Secretary

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo joins 'Influencers with Andy Serwer' to discuss COVID-19 and its impact on American business.

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Video Transcript

ANDY SERWER: I want to shift gears and ask you about Omicron and the disruptions that that's causing. And I'm curious whether the business leaders that you talk to consider this to be a long-term problem, a short-term problem. How are they seeing things?

GINA RAIMONDO: Yeah. It's a very, very good question. I think-- look, everybody's done with COVID, you know? Everybody is willing to be done with it-- ready to be done with it, excuse me. I think they see it as short-term.

Recently, in fact, just this week, the-- I've been, you know, doing a round of check-ins with business leaders being in the new year. Folks are beginning to say it feels like we are peaking and going to start to come down the other side of the curve. It's anyone's guess how long it will take. Also, we're all hoping that there's not yet another variant.

But I think there's a general view of optimism that these vaccines really do work. We have to get everybody vaccinated. There is increasing frustration from everyone, including business leaders, like why people still won't get vaccinated. But I think there's a view it's temporary.

ANDY SERWER: And the labor shortages-- I know I should maybe be asking Marty Walsh this question, but I'll ask you-- how do you see those right now, getting worse, getting better? And what are business leaders saying to you about that as well?

GINA RAIMONDO: Getting better but still a significant issue. I would say getting better, but still a real issue.

ANDY SERWER: And the CDC reduced its quarantine guidance from 10 days to five days. Is that helping do you think?

GINA RAIMONDO: I think so, yes. I think so.

ANDY SERWER: OK.

GINA RAIMONDO: But still, folks got to get vaccinated.