First Edition: Nov. 19, 2020
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Note To Readers:
Dr. Anthony Fauci Speaks With KHN
Dr. Anthony Fauci sat down with Elisabeth Rosenthal, KHN’s editor-in-chief, for an interview that will be aired on KHN’s “What the Health?” podcast later today. Fauci said that, even with vaccines, we won’t be able to throw away our masks until around this time next year. “I think that we're going to have some degree of public health measures together with the vaccine for a considerable period of time.”
KHN:
States’ Face-Covering Mandates Leave Gaps In Protection
Brady Bowman, a 19-year-old student at the University of Colorado-Boulder, and two friends strolled down 11th Street, all sporting matching neck gaiters branded with the Thomas’ English Muffins logo. He had received an entire box of the promotional gaiters. He thinks they are just more comfortable to wear than a face mask. “Especially a day like today, where it’s cold out,” he said, with the top of his gaiter pulled down below his chin. (Hawryluk, 11/19)
KHN:
People Proving To Be Weakest Link For Apps Tracking COVID Exposure
The app builders had planned for pranksters, ensuring that only people with verified COVID-19 cases could trigger an alert. They’d planned for heavy criticism about privacy, in many cases making the features as bare-bones as possible. But, as more states roll out smartphone contact-tracing technology, other challenges are emerging. Namely, human nature. The problem starts with downloads. Stefano Tessaro calls it the “chicken-and-egg” issue: The system works only if a lot of people buy into it, but people will buy into it only if they know it works. (Bichell, 11/19)
KHN:
Family Mourns Man With Mental Illness Killed By Police, Calls For Change
Rulennis Muñoz remembers the phone ringing on Sept. 13. Her mother was calling from the car, frustrated. Rulennis could also hear her brother Ricardo shouting in the background. Her mom told her that Ricardo, who had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia five years earlier, wouldn’t take his medication. Within an hour, Ricardo Muñoz, 27, was dead. Muñoz, who had a knife, was killed by a police officer in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The incident has striking similarities to the killing of Walter Wallace Jr. in Philadelphia six weeks later but has received far less national attention. (Sholtis, 11/19)
KHN:
Surprise Federal Drug Rule Directs Insurers To Reveal What They Pay For Prescription Drugs
Health insurance companies will have to give their customers estimated out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs and disclose to the public the negotiated prices they pay for drugs, under an unexpected new Trump administration rule. The administration said those requirements, part of a broader rule issued Oct. 29 forcing health plans to disclose costs and payments for most health care services, will promote competition and empower consumers to make better medical decisions. (Meyer, 11/19)
The New York Times:
The Coronavirus Has Now Killed 250,000 People In The U.S.
The United States passed a grim milestone on Wednesday, hitting 250,000 coronavirus-related deaths, with the number expected to keep climbing steeply as infections surge nationwide. Experts predict that the country could soon be reporting 2,000 deaths a day or more, matching or exceeding the spring peak, and that 100,000 to 200,000 more Americans could die in the coming months. (11/19)
The Hill:
US Reaches Grim Milestone Of 250,000 Coronavirus Deaths
More than a quarter-million Americans have died from complications of COVID-19, the disease caused by a coronavirus that is tearing massive holes in states across the nation, as health experts warn the death toll could double in the coming months. NBC News reported the death toll crossed the 250,000 mark on Wednesday. Other counts maintained by Johns Hopkins University and The New York Times were slightly below that figure. (Wilson, 11/18)
The Wall Street Journal:
U.S. Daily Cases Top 170,000 For Second Time
The U.S. logged more than 170,000 newly reported Covid-19 cases for the second time, as the death toll crossed the quarter-million mark. The nation reported 170,161 new cases for Wednesday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, more than any day but Friday, when it reported 177,224 new cases. More than 11.5 million people in the country have been confirmed to have been infected with the coronavirus so far, Johns Hopkins data show. (Martin, 11/19)
The Washington Post:
More Than 3 Million People In U.S. Estimated To Be Contagious With The Coronavirus
More than 3 million people in the United States have active coronavirus infections and are potentially contagious, according to a new estimate from infectious-disease experts tracking the pandemic. That number is significantly larger than the official case count, which is based solely on those who have tested positive for the virus. The vast — and rapidly growing — pool of coronavirus-infected people poses a daunting challenge to the governors and mayors in hard-hit communities who are trying to arrest the surge in cases. (Achenbach, 11/18)
The Hill:
US Military Reports Record 1,300 Coronavirus Cases In One Day
U.S. officials recorded more than 1,300 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 among members of the armed forces on Tuesday, a new record for the military over a 24-hour period, CNN reported. Officials also told the network that the test positivity rate among the armed forces is now 6.8 percent, lower than the U.S. national average. (Bowden, 11/18)
The Hill:
White House Warns Of 'Aggressive, Unrelenting' COVID Spread Across The Country
Faced with skyrocketing new COVID-19 cases, multiple states are issuing new lockdown restrictions, closing common spaces like bars, restaurants, schools, and gyms. In response to about 50 U.S. states and territories witnessing record-breaking new COVID-19 cases, the White House Coronavirus Task Force issued candid remarks about the state of the nation, describing the “now aggressive, unrelenting, expanding broad community spread across the country, reaching most counties, without evidence of improvement but rather, further deterioration.” (Kelley, 11/18)
Reuters:
Minnesota Governor Orders Restaurants, Bars To Halt In-Person Dining For Four Weeks
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Wednesday ordered all restaurants and bars to halt in-person dining, fitness and entertainment centers to close and youth sports to be canceled for four weeks. (11/18)
The Hill:
Kansas Governor Issues New Mask Mandate
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) issued a new mask mandate on Wednesday set to go into effect the day before Thanksgiving, as Kansas and the rest of the country deals with surging coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. Kelly’s executive order will require face-coverings to be worn inside public spaces, health care facilities, in line for public transportation and outdoors where social distancing is not possible. The mandate goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25. (Coleman, 11/18)
The Washington Post:
Biden Praises Republican Governors For Adopting More Stringent Measures To Fight Coronavirus In Defiance Of Trump.
An emotional President-elect Joe Biden praised Republican governors and others who have bucked President Trump to endorse more-stringent measures to control the spread of the coronavirus, while warning Wednesday that a "tough guy" approach contributes to preventable deaths. Biden contrasted restrictions imposed by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) and a growing number of other Republican leaders with what he suggested is Trump’s negligence. (Gearan, 11/18)
Modern Healthcare:
'Trifecta Of Shortages' Hampering Response To COVID-19 Surge
A "trifecta of shortages" is hampering the U.S. healthcare system's ability to treat current and future COVID-19 patients, a member of President-elect Joe Biden's COVID-19 Advisory Board said Wednesday. Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, said during a webinar hosted by the National Institute for Health Care Management that care for hospitalized coronavirus patients could be compromised due to a lack of staffing rather than a lack of beds. Providers will again run out of personal protective equipment in light of the current surge in cases, especially since Europe is experiencing similar increases, he said. Finally, critical drugs used to treat COVID patients are in increasingly short supply, a problem also exacerbated by Europe's surge. (Bannow, 11/18)
Stat:
Biden Adviser Says Scientists Should Lead Communications On Covid-19
A member of President-elect Joe Biden’s Covid-19 task force is advocating for federal scientists — rather than high-ranking political appointees — to take on the daily work of informing the public about the pandemic beginning in January. Celine Gounder, a task force member and veteran infectious diseases specialist, specifically highlighted two veteran Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientists who appeared at public briefings early in the pandemic but largely disappeared from public view in the spring. (Facher, 11/19)
USA Today:
In Meeting With Biden, Emergency Workers Plead For Equipment, Testing To Combat 'Skyrocketing' Coronavirus Cases
As President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office in two months, he heard Wednesday from a firefighter, nurses and a caregiver who described chronic shortages of protective equipment, tests and contact tracing to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The virus, combined with rebuilding the economy, is the biggest challenge facing Biden. The online roundtable came as the number of cases nationwide grows rapidly, with more than 11 million cases nationwide and nearly 250,000 deaths so far. (Jansen, 11/18)
Politico:
‘It’s Complicated’: Biden Team Weighs Whether To Retain Deborah Birx
President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team is weighing whether to give Trump administration coronavirus coordinator Deborah Birx a role in its Covid-19 response, even as it prepares a broader purge of officials closely tied to the president’s handling of the pandemic. The debate over Birx’s future has vexed transition officials, with advocates for the longtime public health official arguing that her experience on the front lines of the pandemic could aid a Biden administration that will be thrust into the middle of a deepening crisis. (Cancryn, 11/18)
USA Today:
Anthony Fauci On Why He Thinks He Hasn't Heard From Joe Biden's Team
Dr. Anthony Fauci said Wednesday he wants to begin talks with President-elect Joe Biden to ensure a smooth transition for the new administration but believes the Biden team is wary of putting him in a "compromised position" as President Donald Trump refuses to concede the election. Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, hasn't spoken to Biden as the U.S. battles a significant spike in the coronavirus pandemic and the president-elect looks to start working on his plan to combat the virus. (Garrison, 11/18)
Politico:
Trump Officials Clash Over Coronavirus Precautions For Thanksgiving
Senior Trump administration officials sent starkly different messages on Wednesday as they prepared Americans for their first pandemic Thanksgiving — with the federal government’s top health official urging deference to local coronavirus guidelines and the White House press secretary describing those same directives as “Orwellian.” The fierce criticism of state-level mitigation efforts from Kayleigh McEnany, President Donald Trump’s top spokesperson, came in an interview on Fox News’ "Fox & Friends." She was asked by co-host Steve Doocy specifically about “suggestions and guidelines” from some governors that residents not gather in large groups when celebrating next Thursday. (Forgey, 11/18)
The Hill:
Capitol's COVID-19 Spike Could Be Bad Thanksgiving Preview
Congress is experiencing a spike in COVID-19 cases among lawmakers while doing exactly what Americans are being warned not to do for Thanksgiving this year: gathering together after traveling from all over the country. In the last week alone, seven members of Congress have tested positive for COVID-19, with three others quarantining after exposure. (Marcos, 11/18)
Stat:
House Passes Bill To Close Loophole Giving Drug Makers 'Unfair' Monopolies
Seeking to boost competition in the pharmaceutical industry, the House passed a bill that would close a loophole in a law that was meant to encourage development of rare disease drugs, but that had inadvertently precluded availability of lower-cost versions of medicines. The legislation was proposed last year after a company complained that it was unable to win approval from the Food and Drug Administration to sell an opioid addiction treatment because of a stipulation in the Orphan Drug Act. (Silverman, 11/18)
The Hill:
AOC, Progressive Dems Attack Corporate Greed During Health Care Discussion
Several progressive members of the House Democratic Caucus joined a livestreamed conversation on health care reform on Wednesday and attacked what they said was widespread greed and fraud in the pharmaceutical and health care industries. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Katie Porter (D-Calif.) spoke at the event hosted by the left-leaning Center for Health and Democracy, where they and former Cigna executive Wendell Potter, now a "Medicare for All" advocate, discussed the state of the U.S. health care system. (Bowden, 11/18)
The Washington Post:
Walmart And McDonald’s Have The Most Workers On Food Stamps And Medicaid, New Study Shows
A sizable number of the recipients of federal aid programs such as Medicaid and food stamps are employed by some of the biggest and more profitable companies in the United States, chief among them Walmart and McDonald’s, according to a new report from Congress’s nonpartisan watchdog. The Government Accountability Office undertook the study at the behest of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to answer questions about the relationship between employers and the federal assistance programs. The report draws on February data from agencies in 11 states that administer Medicaid and the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP, or food stamps. (Rosenberg, 11/18)
The Washington Post:
12 Million Americans Will Lose Their Unemployment Benefits If Congress Fails To Act, According To Report
Deadlines set by Congress early in the pandemic will result in about 12 million Americans losing unemployment insurance by the year’s end, according to a report released Wednesday — a warning about the sharp toll that inaction in Washington could exact on the economic health of both individual households and the economy at large. According to the report from unemployment researchers Andrew Stettner and Elizabeth Pancotti, those Americans will lose their unemployment benefits the day after Christmas — more than half of the 21.1 million people currently on the benefits — due to deadlines Congress chose when it passed the Cares Act in March amid optimism the pandemic would be short-lived. (Rosenberg, 11/18)
Arizona Republic:
Judge Orders US To Stop Expelling Unaccompanied Migrant Children
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has barred President Donald Trump's administration from deporting any more migrant children who arrived to the U.S.-Mexico border by themselves, chipping away at a policy that U.S. border officials have been using for months to quickly remove more than 200,000 migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan issued a preliminary injunction on Wednesday ordering the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to stop expelling unaccompanied migrant children using an emergency order published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under Title 42 of the U.S. Code. (Carranza, 11/18)
The New York Times:
Judge Halts ‘Public Health’ Expulsions Of Children At The Border
A federal judge on Wednesday blocked President Trump’s policy of turning away migrant children at the border as public health risks, ruling that the expulsion of thousands of children without due process exceeded the authority that public health emergency decrees confer. The Trump administration has since March used an emergency decree from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to effectively seal the border to migrants, rapidly returning them to Mexico or Central America without allowing immigration authorities to hear their claims for asylum. Top homeland security officials have cited the potential spread of the coronavirus that could come from detaining asylum seekers in border facilities. (Kanno-Youngs, 11/18)
NPR:
Judge Says Coronavirus Can't Be Used As Reason To Quickly Deport Unaccompanied Minors
A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to stop deporting minor immigrants on the grounds that they are a coronavirus threat. The government has already expelled nearly 9,000 children who crossed the border alone, seeking protection, citing a public health order issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since March, immigration agents have been ejecting nearly everyone — children and adults — who shows up at the U.S. border asking for asylum. The government had insisted that it had to turn youngsters back to prevent the possible infection of border agents, youth shelter workers and other immigrants in custody. (Burnett, 11/18)
The Washington Post:
Army To Review Discharges For Soldiers Kicked Out For Suicide Attempts And Sexual Assault Trauma
Thousands of traumatized veterans kicked out of the Army achieved a legal victory Wednesday after the Army agreed to review punitive discharges linked to mental health and sexual assault trauma, potentially unlocking care for those struggling in their post-military lives. In a lawsuit filed against Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy, a class of veterans argued that the Army should overhaul its process of reviewing discharge upgrade requests and review past denials under more generous guidelines. (Horton, 11/18)
Reuters:
AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine Shows Promise In Elderly, Trial Results By Christmas
AstraZeneca and Oxford University’s potential COVID-19 vaccine produced a strong immune response in older adults, data published on Thursday showed, with researchers expecting to release late-stage trial results by Christmas. The data, reported in part last month but published in full in The Lancet medical journal on Thursday, suggest that those aged over 70, who are at higher risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19, could build robust immunity. (Kelland, 11/19)
Bloomberg:
Oxford Study Confirms Astra Covid Shot’s Response in Elderly
The University of Oxford confirmed that the Covid-19 vaccine it’s developing with AstraZeneca Plc produced strong immune responses in older adults in an early study, with key findings from the last phase of tests expected in the coming weeks. The results, published Thursday in The Lancet medical journal, shed more light on preliminary data released in recent months showing the experimental shot generated an immune response in the elderly, who are at highest risk of severe illness. (Paton and Ring, 11/19)
The New York Times:
Immunity To The Coronavirus May Last Years, New Data Hint
How long might immunity to the coronavirus last? Years, maybe even decades, according to a new study — the most hopeful answer yet to a question that has shadowed plans for widespread vaccination. Eight months after infection, most people who have recovered still have enough immune cells to fend off the virus and prevent illness, the new data show. A slow rate of decline in the short term suggests, happily, that these cells may persist in the body for a very, very long time to come. (Mandavilli, 11/17)
The Hill:
Health Officials Say Every State Will Have COVID Vaccine Doses Within 24 Hours After FDA Green Light
Federal health officials on Wednesday expressed confidence that every state will have access to at least some doses of a COVID-19 vaccine for distribution within 24 hours after authorization. "Every jurisdiction will have access immediately upon the initial push of the vaccine," Gen. Gustave Perna, chief operating officer of the Trump administration's Operation Warp Speed, said during a call with reporters. (Weixel, 11/18)
Bloomberg:
Moderna Vaccine Production Is Gearing Up, Partner Lonza Says
Lonza Group AG made its first commercial batch of the main ingredient in Moderna Inc.’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate in the U.S. last week and plans to start European production by the end of the month, Chairman Albert Baehny said. The company is ramping up and fine-tuning its production lines, a process that may stretch into next year.“We have access to the raw materials; we have access to the people,” Baehny said in an interview. The main challenge is “to optimize as much as possible.” (Kresge, 11/19)
Bloomberg:
Covid Vaccine Freezers In Place For Rollout Once FDA Gives OK
Freezers required to store Covid-19 vaccines are in place at health systems that are preparing to administer the initial doses once the two leading candidates for shots receive a green light from regulators, U.S. health officials said Wednesday. The federal government will have 40 million doses—enough to vaccinate 20 million—ready to distribute by the end of December should vaccines developed by Pfizer Inc. and its partner BioNTech SE, and Moderna Inc. receive emergency-use authorizations, said Moncef Slaoui, chief scientific adviser of the joint-effort led by the Department of Health and Human Services and Defense Department to expedite the development and distribution of coronavirus vaccines, dubbed Operation Warp Speed. (Griffin and Baumann, 11/18)
CIDRAP:
GAO Highlights COVID Vaccine Supply Chain, Drug Transparency Issues
A report released yesterday by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) says supply chain issues could interfere with a smooth rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine and that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should disclose scientific review of vaccine and drug efficacy and safety data when issuing emergency use authorizations (EUAs). The report states that Operation Warp Speed, an effort of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Defense, and private industry to dramatically accelerate development of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics, has condensed the timeline by directing more than $10 billion to vaccine manufacturers. But, it adds, the FDA needs to address public concerns that the process has been rushed, casting doubt on vaccine and drug effectiveness and safety. (Van Beusekom, 11/18)
The Washington Post:
Dolly Parton Helped Fund Moderna’s Vaccine. It Began With A Car Crash And An Unlikely Friendship.
As Dolly Parton tells it, her first-ever car accident in October 2013 was minor, but left her bruised and sore enough to seek medical advice at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. That’s where she met Naji Abumrad, a physician and professor of surgery. Abumrad knew next to nothing about the beloved megastar with big, blond hair, but he soon befriended her because he deeply enjoyed their talks about current events and science. Their bond of nearly seven years received worldwide attention Tuesday after it was revealed that Parton’s $1 million donation to Vanderbilt for coronavirus research, made in honor of Abumrad, partially funded the biotechnology firm Moderna’s experimental vaccine, which a preliminary analysis released this week found is nearly 95 percent effective at preventing the illness. (Bella, 11/18)
Boston Globe:
What You Need To Know About The Latest News From Pfizer On Its COVID-19 Vaccine
Pfizer said Wednesday that its experimental COVID-19 vaccine appeared to be 95 percent effective in warding off the illness that’s surging around the world, a remarkable showing for the first set of complete results from a late-stage clinical trial. The pharmaceutical giant, which has a large presence in Massachusetts, said it expects to apply to the Food and Drug Administration for the first emergency use authorization of a coronavirus vaccine “within days.” (Saltzman, 11/18)
Stat:
Hospitals In Half The States Are Facing A Massive Staffing Shortage
Hospitals in at least 25 states are critically short of nurses, doctors, and other staff as coronavirus cases surge across the United States, according to the industry’s trade association and a tally conducted by STAT. The situation has gotten so bad that in some places, severely ill patients have been transferred hundreds of miles for an available bed — from Texas to Arizona, and from central Missouri to Iowa. (Goldhill, 11/19)
NPR:
Nurses Implore Public To Stay Safe As COVID Hospitalizations Surge
The number of hospitalizations from the coronavirus reached nearly 77,000 on Tuesday — a new record. For the country's nurses, the surge is taking a heavy toll, as they grow exhausted, worried and frustrated by disinformation and disregard for safety. Some eight months into the crisis, nurses have been taking to social media, describing grim scenes at work and imploring Americans to stay safe as hospitals reach capacity limits. Nationwide, hospitalizations have been steadily climbing, with the Midwest and the South hit especially hard. In the last week alone, each has seen a roughly 35% spike in hospitalizations, according to the Covid Tracking Project. (Glenn and Inskeep, 11/18)
The Washington Post:
Health-Care Workers Are Desperate For Americans To Listen: ‘We Didn’t Go To Nursing School To Be Martyrs’
Lauren Sharp graduated from nursing school last year. She started working on an adult respiratory floor at a public hospital in East Lansing, Mich. Then in March, the coronavirus struck. “Mentally, it takes such a toll on you. It makes me question so many things and it almost feels like I’m not doing anything — not helping anybody when people just keep coming in and getting sick,” she said. “Nurses are supposed to help people. And I feel like I’m not doing that.” (Youn, 11/18)
The Washington Post:
Long Lines And Delayed Results Again Plague Coronavirus Tests As Thanksgiving Approaches
Americans seeking coronavirus tests amid an unprecedented surge in cases are experiencing lengthier lines and waiting days to get test results — delays that complicate efforts to slow the pandemic and that are expected to intensify as people try to get tested ahead of family gatherings. Testing sites from New York to Wisconsin to Oregon are reporting lines stretching three to four hours, with results taking as long as five days. (Wan, 11/18)
CIDRAP:
Smartwatch Data May Help Identify Pre-Symptomatic COVID-19
A study in Nature Biomedical Engineering today shows that smartwatches and other wearable devices may detect pre-symptomatic COVID-19 infection and allow for early-stage interventions that reduce transmission. Among infected smartwatch users, 81% showed alterations in their heart rate, number of daily steps, or time asleep. Changes before symptom onset identified 63% of the COVID-19–positive individuals, showing that consumer wearable device data can recognize pre-symptomatic infection. (11/18)
CIDRAP:
Childhood Vaccine Uptake Down 26% This Year, Report Estimates
Nine million childhood vaccines are projected to be missed by the end of this year in the United States—a 26% decrease compared with 2019—according to a Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) report. This decline would cause a gap between vaccination rate and that required for herd immunity of 4.8 percentage points for measles and 12.7 percentage points for pertussis (whooping cough). Polio would still maintain a 2.9-percentage-point buffer. According to BCBS medical claims, both measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) and diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DtaP) childhood vaccination rates dropped 26% January through September year-over-year, with a predicted 2020-end rate of 88.2% and 79.3%, respectively. That compares with herd immunity requirements of 93.0% and 92.0%, respectively, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (11/18)
The Washington Post:
Light Box Therapy Lamps Could Help With Seasonal Depression
For some people, the beginning of winter signals more than a change in weather. The shorter, darker days trigger a noticeable shift in their mood and behavior, causing what’s known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. And this winter, the onset of SAD may be exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. Cases are surging nationwide again, prompting another round of restrictions and lockdown measures in some places.“Folks are noticing [seasonal depression] a lot more because of trying to maintain their social distancing and quarantine and follow the rules related to stay-at-home,” said Dorothy Sit, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. (Chiu and Raben, 11/18)
Asbury Park Press:
Johnson & Johnson Vows To Add 50% More Black Managers In Five Years
Johnson & Johnson plans to increase the number of Black managers in the company by 50% within five years as part of a $100 million initiative to tackle racial inequality, executives said Tuesday. The world's biggest health company said it also would create college scholarships for Black students interested in science, business and health care. (Diamond, 11/18)
Politico:
Northeast Governors Call On Colleges To Provide Students With Covid Testing
Citing rising coronavirus cases nationwide, seven northeast governors are calling on colleges and universities in their states to provide Covid-19 tests for all students traveling home for Thanksgiving. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, along with the governors of Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Massachusetts on Wednesday announced they are encouraging residential colleges and universities in their respective states to make tests widely available to traveling students before they leave campus and to double down on isolation and quarantine efforts for those students who test positive. (Sitrin, 11/18)
Boston Globe:
Mass. Set To Launch First Phase Of Rapid Coronavirus Testing In Schools In December
Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, the Baker administration on Wednesday announced new testing guidelines and initiatives affecting a broad swath of Massachusetts students — from kindergarten through college — aimed at squelching infections before they spread. Under the plans, the state will roll out quick-turnaround tests to 134 public school districts, charters, and special education collaboratives in early December to screen students and staff who show any COVID-19 symptoms, however mild. (Lazar, Fernandes and Gans, 11/18)
USA Today:
Teens Glued To Screens In COVID Pandemic Need Sleep And Reality Checks, Experts Say
Young people have turned to digital devices to fill holes left by the COVID-19 pandemic, a practice that elevates depression, anxiety and hopelessness, suggests a California study released Wednesday. "Our kids weren't built to live their lives chained to supercomputers," said Jennifer Siebel Newsom, who is married to the California governor and founder of the California Partners Project, which wrote the study alongside the Child Mind Institute. (Aspegren, 11/18)
Politico:
In A Major Setback, New York City Schools To Shut Down Over Parents' Objections
In a bruising setback to the city’s recovery, the nations’s largest public school system will temporarily shut down in-person learning this week after coronavirus infections in New York City climbed to a level not seen since the spring, when the city was the national epicenter of the pandemic. Mayor Bill de Blasio exacted a hard won victory in bringing some 300,000 kids back to school in September — one of the more successful endeavors by the administration since the onset of the pandemic. But amid reluctance from the teachers union, the city agreed to close schools if it reached a 3 percent infection rate on a 7-day average, which Mayor Bill de Blasio said it just reached Wednesday. (Toure, 11/18)
The Washington Post:
New York City Schools Closing Because Of Rising Coronavirus Rates — And So Are All Schools In Kentucky
In a separate announcement, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) became the first governor to announce a statewide school closure, saying that all public and private schools must close Nov. 23 and that all public universities must do the same. Middle and high schools are staying shut until Jan. 4, and only elementary schools in areas without soaring infections will be allowed to reopen Dec. 7. (Strauss, 11/18)
The Washington Post:
Mardi Gras 2021: New Orleans Bans Parades Due To Covid-19
Mardi Gras celebrations in 2021 will not include New Orleans’ traditional parades, which take place every year to mark the carnival season, Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s office confirmed in a news conference Tuesday. Mardi Gras guidance on the city’s website states: “Parades of any kind will not be permitted.” The guidelines stress that not all celebrations around Mardi Gras are canceled, but parades will not be possible “because large gatherings have proven to be super spreader events.” (McMahon, 11/17)
AP:
All NFL Teams To Enter Intensive COVID-19 Protocol Saturday
The NFL is placing all teams in intensive protocol starting Saturday to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 as the number of cases rises around the country. Use of masks will be mandatory at all times at team facilities, including during practice and in weight rooms. Meetings must be held either virtually or in the largest indoor space with approval by the league. Meals have to be made available for grab-and-go to avoid players and staff congregating in cafeterias. Time spent in the locker room also has to be limited. (Maaddi, 11/19)
AP:
Ohio Stadium Off Limits To Family And Friends
Ohio State will prohibit family and friends of players and coaches from attending football games this season because of the dramatic spike in COVID-19 cases in the state. The school has allowed a few hundred people at the first two home games, but that will end with the No. 3 Buckeyes’ game at Ohio Stadium on Saturday against No. 9 Indiana. The stadium holds about 105,000. (11/18)
The Washington Post:
Delta Air Lines Will Block Middle Seats Through March 2021
Delta, the only airline of the big three still blocking middle seats for social distancing, will continue to do so until March 30, 2021, the airline announced Wednesday. The decision comes days after JetBlue announced it will stop limiting capacity in January 2021 and weeks after Southwest said it will stop blocking middle seats on Dec. 1. Alaska Air has committed to blocking seats until Jan. 6. (McMahon, 11/18)
AP:
Not Just COVID: Nursing Home Neglect Deaths Surge In Shadows
When COVID-19 tore through Donald Wallace’s nursing home, he was one of the lucky few to avoid infection. He died a horrible death anyway. Hale and happy before the pandemic, the 75-year-old retired Alabama truck driver became so malnourished and dehydrated that he dropped to 98 pounds and looked to his son like he’d been in a concentration camp. Septic shock suggested an untreated urinary infection, E. coli in his body from his own feces hinted at poor hygiene, and aspiration pneumonia indicated Wallace, who needed help with meals, had likely choked on his food. (Sedensky and Condon, 11/19)
Politico:
Newsom's French Laundry Dinner Sparks Questions About 'Outdoor Dining' Definition
Does a fancy open garage count as an outdoor dining venue? That's the question prompted by pictures that emerged this week of Gov. Gavin Newsom's dinner with friends and lobbyists at the posh French Laundry in Yountville. The photos, taken by another dinner patron and obtained by Fox LA, show Newsom sitting at a round table for 12 in a dining room that is enclosed on three sides and covered. In his Monday apology for attending the dinner, Newsom stressed repeatedly that the event was outdoors, a qualifier that in the pandemic era implies safer conditions due to natural air circulation that reduces transmission. (Colliver, 11/18)
NPR:
These City Maps Show The Current Health Impacts Of Redlining From Decades Ago
The lingering harms of racist lending policies known as redlining are apparent today. Researchers created a set of interactive maps allowing you to explore the current impacts in your city. Torey Edmonds has lived in the same house in an African-American neighborhood of the East End of Richmond, Va., for all of her 61 years. When she was a little girl, she says her neighborhood was a place of tidy homes with rose bushes and fruit trees, and residents had ready access to shops like beauty salons, movie theaters and several grocery stores. (Godoy, 11/19)
Reuters:
China Sinopharm's Coronavirus Vaccine Taken By About A Million People In Emergency Use
Nearly one million people have taken an experimental coronavirus vaccine developed by China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) through the country’s emergency use programme, the firm said late on Wednesday. China launched the emergency use programme in July, which so far includes three vaccine candidates for essential workers and other limited groups of people even as clinical studies have yet to be completed to prove their safety and efficacy. (11/19)
The Hill:
Closures Of US Borders With Canada, Mexico Expected To Be Extended
The U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada will remain closed through mid-December as cases of the coronavirus spike in the United States, officials said Wednesday. Mexico's foreign ministry confirmed in a pair of tweets that nonessential land traffic would be shut down at the U.S.-Mexico border through Dec. 21. U.S. officials confirmed to Reuters that the same policy was being followed at the U.S.-Canada border. (Bowden, 11/18)