By Staff
Wednesday, April 8, 2020 12:33 AM
SILVER SPRING, Md.—The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday issued new,
temporary guidelines for remote ophthalmic assessment and monitoring devices during the coronavirus disease crisis. The guidelines, which are voluntary and non-binding, cover diagnostic devices such as visual acuity charts, visual field devices and general-use ophthalmic cameras and tonometers. The purpose of the guidelines is “provide a policy to help expand the capability of remote ophthalmic assessment and monitoring devices to facilitate patient care while reducing patient and health care provider contact and exposure to COVID-19 during this pandemic,” according to the FDA.
By Staff
Wednesday, April 8, 2020 12:27 AM
NEW YORK—In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, all
Marcolin Eyewear corporate and field employees are working from home, including the company’s customer service team. Marcolin USA said its distribution center is fully operative with a reduced staff who are following enhanced health and safety measures. In addition, the company said in a letter to customers, a portion of its employees and sales force is temporarily on furlough. The balance of the workforce is experiencing a reduced workweek, and the sales team will remain on payroll and have access to their health benefits from Marcolin. Marcolin USA said its leadership team will also forgo part of its salaries. These temporary actions are in effect from April 6 to the foreseeable future.
By Staff
Wednesday, April 8, 2020 12:25 AM
DULUTH, Ga.—
National Vision Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: EYE) one of the nation’s largest optical retailers, announced additional COVID-19 related business measures on Tuesday. In addition to the previously noted organization-wide initiatives to reduce expenses and capital expenditures, as
VMAIL reported
here, National Vision on Tuesday said it has temporarily furloughed a significant portion of its associates. And, along with a pause in new store openings and reduced near-term marketing, the company is working with its base of partners and vendors to extend payment terms and modify existing contracts, the announcement Tuesday noted.
By Staff
Wednesday, April 8, 2020 12:24 AM
GENEVA, Switzerland—
Alcon (SIX/NYSE: ALC) announced a series of updates yesterday stemming from the impact of COVID-19, among them the withdrawal of its full year 2020 guidance previously disclosed on Feb. 25. The company noted, "Most countries and local municipalities have mandated or advised unprecedented measures to help contain the spread of COVID-19. These measures, which have necessitated a temporary deferral of eyecare procedures and exams in many markets, are anticipated to have an impact on Alcon’s financial results.
By Staff
Wednesday, April 8, 2020 12:15 AM
VM brings you the latest information from optical companies and organizations responding to the coronavirus. L'Amy America's Norwalk, Connecticut-based customer service team is working remotely and remains available to take orders online, via email at support@lamyamerica.com or via phone at 800/USA-LAMY. The company's distribution center is shipping orders twice a week with a skeleton staff while following strict social distancing, protection, and sanitation protocols. In a statement, the company said, "Our priority is the safety and health of our L'Amy family and of our customers and together we will get through this difficult period. We wish everyone and their loved ones in our wonderful industry good health and please, stay safe."
By Staff
Tuesday, April 7, 2020 12:24 AM
PADUA, Italy—In response to the COVID-19 pandemic,
Safilo Group has issued a statement saying that the 2020 outlook provided by the Company on Dec. 10, 2019, in relation to the release of its Group Business Plan for 2020-2024, is no longer valid. Due to the pandemic, Safilo’s net sales are now expected to decline by 11 percent to 13 percent at constant exchange rates compared to the same quarter in 2019.
By Staff
Tuesday, April 7, 2020 12:15 AM
VM brings you the latest information from optical companies and organizations responding to the coronavirus pandemic. 100%, the San Diego-based sports performance company, reported that they sent a shipment of performance protective eyewear to the United FireFighters of Los Angeles City, an organization of the proud men and women that serve as firefighters and emergency medical personnel protecting the City of Los Angeles.
By Staff
Monday, April 6, 2020 12:27 AM
SAN ANTONIO, Texas—
Visionworks, a
VSP Global company, will begin reopening locations starting today, April 6, to better serve increased needs for essential and emergency eyecare. The company emphasized it will not be doing routine eyecare. Up to 60 percent of Visionworks locations could reopen in the coming weeks, the company announced last Friday, noting that all will reopen with enhanced safety protocols, including personal protective equipment (PPE) for employees. “Our top priority is the health and safety of our associates, doctors, and the patients we serve, and we have taken all necessary measures to ensure their well-being,” said Pete Bridgman, president of Visionworks. “We continue to see rising needs for essential eyecare, and by reopening we can ensure those needs are safely met and optometrists can help reduce the number of patients seeking eyecare from overwhelmed emergency rooms and hospitals during COVID-19.”
By Staff
Monday, April 6, 2020 12:24 AM
LAVAL, Quebec—
Bausch Health Companies Inc. announced that due to the health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic the location of the company's 2020 annual meeting of shareholders will be held in a virtual meeting format.
By Staff
Monday, April 6, 2020 12:18 AM
VM brings you the latest information from optical companies and organizations responding to the coronavirus pandemic. As part of
ABB Optical Group’s (ABB) continued efforts to assist eyecare professionals during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the company has introduced an online Virtual Resource Center with tools, services and initiatives to help support ECPs nationwide.
By Staff
Friday, April 3, 2020 12:27 AM
NEW YORK—Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic,
Luxottica Group has taken a number of steps, both in North America and Italy, to protect customers, employees, partners and medical workers. In the U.S., Luxottica is donating 8,000 pairs of protective eyewear and 100,000 medical masks to hospitals in New York, California, Atlanta and Cincinnati.
By Staff
Friday, April 3, 2020 12:24 AM
NEW YORK—For everyone’s health and safety, ophthalmologists, optometrists, and other doctors are being urged to see only patients for urgent or emergent problems during the coronavirus pandemic. According to an announcement from Prevent Blindness, this is important for two reasons.
By Staff
Friday, April 3, 2020 12:21 AM
VM brings you the latest information from optical companies and organizations responding to the coronavirus pandemic. California lifestyle brand
Blenders Eyewear has repurposed a portion of its manufacturing to make safety goggles for health workers in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
By Staff
Thursday, April 2, 2020 10:15 AM
MILAN—In an announcement today, the management board of
Mido said that they had made the difficult but unavoidable decision to move the 50th edition of the show to Feb. 6-8, 2021. “The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Italy and its swift spread to the rest of the world, along with doubts about when the crisis will normalize globally, have forced us to make the painful, but crucial, decision,” said Mido president Giovanni Vitaloni.