Local organizations and businesses in Coachella Valley are scaling back on some operations and hours as the Omicron-fueled COVID surge pushes their staffing limits.

The surge is also coming at a cost to many workers, who are asked to quarantine after federal COVID-19 pay protections have expired.

In 2020, Congress guaranteed many workers two weeks of pay if they contracted Covid-19 or were quarantining. It also provided an additional 10 weeks of paid family leave to those who were staying home with kids whose schools were closed or caring for an ill family member. Those benefits expired at the end of 2020, but the government continued to provide tax credits to employers who voluntarily chose to offer the benefit through October 1.

Although those aid packages have expired, the pandemic has raged on. As News Channel 3 has reported, staffing shortages have forced changes in the hours and operations of many restaurants, court proceedings, community facilities, and upcoming events.

Sherman's Deli and Bakery in Palm Springs is one of the local businesses who had to close one day a week due to staffing shortages. The owner, Sam Harris, said this has never happened before.

"We pick tuesdays, that's one of our slower days and the guys are getting time off," said Harris. "They'll work seven days a week if if they needed to but I don't want them to work like that. They need a life. They need to take care of themselves too."

He said he is struggling to find people to hire and his...

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