Even As Nation’s Cases Rise, HHS Promotes In-Person Support Systems

Modern Healthcare: Trump Order Blames Shutdowns For Worsening Behavioral Health
President Donald Trump blamed state and local shutdown orders for worsening behavioral health during the COVID-19 pandemic, directing his administration to support enhanced crisis-intervention and other behavioral health services. According to an executive order on Monday, the Trump administration wants to encourage in-person mentorship programs, support groups and communal activities like school. It also wants to increase the availability of telehealth and online behavior health tools and services. Trump asked his administration to "marshal public and private resources to address deteriorating mental health, such as factors that contribute to prolonged unemployment and social isolation." (Brady, 10/5)

USA Today: Gov. Kristi Noem Says South Dakota Has Shown Lockdowns Are 'Useless'
Gov. Kristi Noem said Monday that South Dakota has given the rest of the country an example of how to navigate a pandemic without heavy-handed government mandates. During a special legislative session in Pierre, Noem told lawmakers that while her resistance to statewide stay-at-home orders has drawn criticism, it's also provided a different approach to managing the pandemic than those taken in other states. ... Noem spoke after South Dakota's worst month yet during the pandemic. The Mount Rushmore State has consistently broken records in recent weeks for new and active cases, hospitalizations and the number of people killed by COVID-19. (Sneve, 10/5)

In other news from the states —

Bloomberg: Covid 19 Latest: Virus Cases Rising In Most States 
Covid-19 is spreading again across most of the U.S., hammering rural America and smaller cities and raising anxiety in New York, as experts warn that school reopenings and colder weather may cause the situation to rapidly deteriorate. In 34 states, the seven-day average of new cases is higher now than it was a month ago. Although the virus has waned in populous states including California and Florida, it is wreaking unprecedented havoc in the Midwest and making an incipient return in parts of the Northeast. (Levin and Brown, 10/5)

AP: Children’s Vaccinations In Washington Drop During Pandemic
Fewer children are getting scheduled vaccinations for diseases such as measles in Washington state since March, when it became clear the novel coronavirus was spreading across the globe. The number of children 18 and younger being vaccinated in Washington dropped by 31% in August compared to the August average from 2015 to 2019, The Seattle Times reported. The decline began in February then fell sharply in March with a 33% drop compared to the March average from 2015 to 2019 and bottomed out with a 39% drop in April. (10/5)

Georgia Health News: More Kids Treated For Trauma Injuries From ATVs, Bikes In Pandemic 
Since the pandemic began, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has handled about the same number of trauma cases involving kids as it did previously. But that doesn’t mean it has seen no change. The mix of injuries that required treatment shifted in the spring as schools closed due to the spread of COVID-19. The pediatric system found itself treating many more victims of trauma injuries involving bicycles, ATVs (all-terrain vehicles), golf carts, skateboards and dirt bikes, as children spending more time at home turned increasingly toward outdoor activities. (Miller, 10/5)

Detroit Free Press: Michigan Health Department Orders Masks, Restricts Size Of Gatherings
Michiganders are still required to wear masks, and the size of indoor gatherings will still be limited, despite confusion following a state Supreme Court ruling that undercut Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's authority to issue emergency orders to control the spread of the novel coronavirus. (Shamus and Hall, 10/5)

Bloomberg: How Indianapolis Is Facing Its Homelessness Crisis
When the safest place to be is at home, people experiencing homelessness face an even greater risk of exposure to the virus. And the number of people living outside could surge as pandemic-related job losses lead to a wave of evictions. Before the recent federal eviction moratorium (which, without federal rental assistance, is only a temporary stopgap), a study indicated more than 30,000 households in Marion County, Indiana, faced heightened risk of eviction, largely because of the pandemic. Black, Indigenous, and Latinx people have been disproportionately affected by both Covid-19 and homelessness, and the pandemic could widen racial disparities in health and housing stability even further — making an equitable response critical. (Hogsett, Poppe and Cunningham, 10/5)