On macOS 10.15.7 (Catalina) and version 1.17.*, Minecraft will no longer go to the background.

On version 1.16.5, if I wanted to check the browser, for example, I can go Cmd-Tab and get to the Mac's taskbar, then I can tab to Safari and use the browser. When I reactivate Minecraft from the dock, the game has gone to pause and I can go back as normally, after hitting Esc.

This does not work in 1.17, I can not find a way to get to other processes without terminating Minecraft.