CBS News: CDC Says Hospitalizations Are Rising In Teens With COVID-19
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging parents to get their teenagers vaccinated against COVID-19 after an alarming spike in hospitalizations among young coronavirus patients. About 24% of kids ages 12 to 17 have received at least one dose. Before most were eligible for the vaccine, about one-third of teens who were admitted to the hospital for COVID-19 wound up in the intensive care unit, according to the CDC. Nearly 5% of those cases were put on respirators. None of the patients died. CDC Director Rochelle Walenksy said she is "deeply concerned by the numbers of hospitalized adolescents." (Lenghi, 6/5)

Axios: CDC Head Urges Parents To Get Their Teens Vaccinated Against COVID-19 
Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, urged parents on Friday to get their kids 12 years and older vaccinated against COVID-19. "I am deeply concerned by the numbers of hospitalized adolescents and saddened to see the number of adolescents who required treatment in intensive care units or mechanical ventilation," Walensky said in a statement. (Knutson, 6/4)

The Washington Post: CDC Director Urges Parents To Vaccinate Teens, Pointing To Increase In Severe Cases 
Researchers suggest that the increased hospitalization among adolescents in March and April may be related to several factors, including more transmissible and potentially more dangerous virus variants; larger numbers of youths returning to school; and changes in physical distancing, mask-wearing and other prevention behaviors. (Sun, 6/4)

USA Today: COVID Vaccine: CDC Report Finds Teen Hospitalization Rates On The Rise
About 70% of hospitalized adolescents had one or more underlying medical conditions, with the most common being obesity, chronic lung disease including asthma and neurological disorders. But Dr. Henry Bernstein, pediatrician at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York, said it’s important to note that nearly 30% of hospitalized adolescents were “perfectly healthy.” (Rodriguez, 6/4)

In related news —

Fox News: Teens’ Coronavirus Hospitalization Rates 3 Times Higher Than Flu: CDC Study
While teens appear to face a low risk of hospitalization due to COVID-19, a study suggests the rate of hospital visits due to the virus is actually three times greater compared to flu-related hospitalizations. Findings out Friday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) stemmed from FluSurv-NET data, a surveillance system across 13 states, to compare COVID-19 and flu-related hospitalizations among kids aged 12-17 from October to April, or most of the typical flu season. Rates were compared across three flu seasons starting in 2017. (Rivas, 6/5)

USA Today: Vaccination Rates Fall To New Lows
The rate of vaccinations around the country has sunk to new lows in recent weeks, threatening President Joe Biden's goal of 70% of American adults with at least one dose by July 4. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on June 3 that 63% of adults had received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, only slightly up from the 62% the week before. Twelve states, including Utah, Oklahoma, Montana, the Dakotas, and West Virginia, have seen vaccinations sink to 15 daily shots in 10,000 residents; Alabama had just four people for 10,000 residents get vaccinated last week, according to data from The Washington Post. (Aspegren, 6/7)

The Washington Post: Vaccination Rates Fall Off, Imperiling Biden’s July Fourth Goal
Plummeting vaccination rates have turned what officials hoped would be the “last mile” of the coronavirus immunization campaign into a marathon, threatening President Biden’s goal of getting shots to at least 70 percent of adults by July 4. The United States is averaging fewer than 1 million shots per day, a decline of more than two-thirds from the peak of 3.4 million in April, according to The Washington Post’s seven-day analysis, even though all adults and children over age 12 are now eligible. (Diamond, Keating and Moody, 6/6)

The Washington Post: Americans Abroad Push For Access To Vaccines, Raising Question About International Inequality 
The United States is one of the small number of countries where coronavirus vaccinations are widely available. “All over the world people are desperate to get a shot that every American can get at their neighborhood drugstore,” President Biden said on Wednesday. But one group of Americans feels left behind: expatriates. “We pay taxes, we vote, why shouldn’t we have a vaccine?” asked Loran Davidson, an American living in Thailand. (Parker, 6/6)

ABC News: Full FDA Approval Could Drive COVID-19 Vaccinations, But Experts Advise Against Waiting 
One-third of unvaccinated U.S. adults say they will only get in line for the COVID-19 jab once it's fully approved, but medical experts say it can also be risky to wait. Moderna became the latest COVID-19 vaccine maker to apply for full approval by the Food and Drug Administration, announcing last week that it has started the process for approval in people ages 18 and up. That follows Pfizer's announcement in early May that it was seeking approval in those ages 16 and up. (Deliso, 6/6)

Also —

ABC News: US Surpasses 300 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Shots Administered 
The U.S. surpassed another milestone Sunday in its efforts to vaccinate Americans against the coronavirus. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that over 300 million vaccines doses have so far been administered across the country. (Pereira, 6/6)

CIDRAP: Over 60% Of US Adults Have At Least 1 COVID Shot 
Even if the United States meets President Joe Biden's COVID-19 vaccination goal for first doses by Jul 4, now just a month away, at least 30 states will not hit the 70% mark among their own adult residents. One-dose vaccine coverage hit 63% this week. (McLernon, 6/4)

AP: Jill Biden, Dr. Fauci Visit Vaccine Site At Harlem Church
First lady Jill Biden and Dr. Anthony Fauci toured a COVID-19 vaccination site at a historic Harlem church on Sunday. Biden, Fauci and U.S. Sen Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, watched as people got their shots in the basement of the Abyssinian Baptist Church. Biden asked a teenager about to get his shot how old he was, and when he said he was 14, she responded, “You’re 14, that’s exactly what we want! Twelve and over.” (6/6)

The Washington Post: Royal Caribbean Announces Cruises With No Vaccine Requirement 
Cruise giant Royal Caribbean International on Friday announced plans to bring back six more ships — including some of its largest — for U.S. sailings starting July 2. The Miami-based operator will not require passengers to be vaccinated. “Guests are strongly recommended to set sail fully vaccinated, if they are eligible,” the cruise line said in a news release. “Those who are unvaccinated or unable to verify vaccination will be required to undergo testing and follow other protocols, which will be announced at a later date.” Crew members will be fully vaccinated. (Sampson, 6/4)

Big Island Now: Hawaii To Abolish All Inter-Island Travel Restrictions 
Pre-pandemic travel norms are on their way back to the Hawaiian Islands. All restrictions on inter-island travel throughout Hawai´i are set be lifted later this month, marking the first time state residents and visitors will be able to move entirely unencumbered in well over a year. The rollbacks will apply to all individuals, regardless of vaccination status. “On Tuesday, June 15, we will be ending restrictions on inter-county travel,” Governor David Ige announced at a press conference Friday. “There will be no testing (and) no quarantine requirements.” (Dible, 6/4)

USA Today: Flying To Maui? Travelers Will No Longer Be Tested For Coronavirus On Arrival
Travelers to Maui who aren't vaccinated will no longer be tested for COVID-19 upon arrival, a move that eliminates one travel restriction as vacationers flock to the island this summer. The popular Hawaii destination ended the testing program on Friday after a month of test results found just a handful of positive cases among visitors and residents. "I think the time has arrived,'' Maui Mayor Michael Victorino said this week in announcing the end of the testing. (Gilbertson, 6/4)

CNBC: United Will Require New Employees To Show Proof Of Covid Vaccine, Following Delta
United Airlines this month will start requiring new hires to show proof that they have been vaccinated against Covid-19, following a similar move by Delta Air Lines. The new rule requires external candidates with job offers made after June 15 to confirm they have been fully vaccinated by their start date, the Chicago-based airline said. (Josephs, 6/5)

In updates on the vaccine rollout —

CNN: In Rural Georgia, A Door-To-Door Push To Get Neighbors Vaccinated Against Covid-19 
If it were the fall, this group of volunteers -- folders in hand, walking shoes on their feet -- would be knocking on doors to get out the vote in rural Cuthbert, Georgia. As they walked in the hot spring sun this April and May, these four have another mission. They are using their powers of persuasion to get more neighbors to take the Covid-19 vaccine. (Christensen, 6/6)

Burlington Free Press: Slow Vaccination Rate In Vermont Prompts Surge In Walk-In Clinics
Vermont's embrace of COVID vaccines remains shy of a goal that would ditch most pandemic-related restrictions — and state officials are urging folks to make a beeline to walk-in clinics this weekend. Until 80% of eligible residents receive their first dose, Vermonters must abide by rules that limit the size of gatherings and events. Some simple math, courtesy of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development: Doubling the number of Vermonters that daily step up to get the vaccine will halve the number of days until social life returns to somewhat normal. (Banner Baird, 6/4)

Mississippi Clarion-Ledger: Mississippi Health Officials Urge Residents To Get COVID-19 Vaccine
For months, State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs has been pleading with Mississippians to get vaccinated against COVID-19. During a Friday afternoon discussion, he was firm: It’s unacceptable Mississippi is last in the nation for fully vaccinated people. As of Friday afternoon, over 911,000 people were fully vaccinated in Mississippi, or 29% of the population. But it lags behind the nation's average of 41%. “There’s no excuse for that,” Dobbs said during the livestreamed talk with the Mississippi State Medical Association. “I will personally drive up to your house to give you one.” (Haselhorst, 6/4)

Also —

NPR: A New Type Of COVID-19 Vaccine Could Debut Soon
A new kind of COVID-19 vaccine could be available as soon as this summer. It's what's known as a protein subunit vaccine. It works somewhat differently from the current crop of vaccines authorized for use in the U.S. but is based on a well-understood technology and doesn't require special refrigeration. In general, vaccines work by showing people's immune systems something that looks like the virus but really isn't. Consider it an advance warning; if the real virus ever turns up, the immune system is ready to try to squelch it. In the case of the coronavirus, that "something" is one of the proteins in the virus — the spike protein. (Palca, 6/6)

AP: Biden Turns To Obama To Help Boost Health Care Enrollment
President Joe Biden turned to his old boss, former President Barack Obama, on Saturday to help him encourage Americans to sign up for “Obamacare” health care coverage during an expanded special enrollment period in the pandemic. Biden used his weekly address for a brief Zoom chat with Obama to draw attention to the six-month expanded enrollment period that closes Aug. 15. Meanwhile the government released a report that claims that nearly 31 million Americans — a record — now have health coverage through the Affordable Care Act. (Alonso-Zaldivar and Madhani, 6/5)

HuffPost: 31 Million Now Get Coverage Through 'Obamacare,' Biden Administration Says
More people than ever are getting health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, providing new proof of the law’s value even as its survival depends on a Supreme Court ruling that could come as soon as Monday. Approximately 31 million people now get coverage through “Obamacare,” according to a report that the Department of Health and Human Services issued Saturday. In most cases, that means they’ve enrolled in newly expanded Medicaid programs or purchased subsidized insurance through HealthCare.gov or state exchanges like Covered California. (Cohn, 6/5)

In other White House news —

Axios: Biden Recognizes 40th Anniversary Of AIDS Epidemic 
President Biden on Saturday released a statement recognizing the 40th anniversary of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and announcing that he has asked Congress to provide $670 million to fight new infections. NIAID director Anthony Fauci — who has played a key role in tackling AIDS — told Axios that he believes it's possible to end the epidemic by 2030 with a combination of different treatments. (Gonzalez, 6/5)

CNN: Biden Stays Mum On State Abortion Laws With Major Test Ahead For Roe 
As more Republican-led states pass abortion bans with the easing of the Covid-19 pandemic, a heated debate has returned to center stage with abortion rights supporters warning of a looming threat to access and anti-abortion activists determined to keep up the momentum. But one key person has been noticeably quiet on the issue: President Joe Biden. (Kelly, 6/6)

Politico: White House Briefing Room To Return To Full, Pre-Pandemic Seating Capacity
The White House’s James S. Brady Press Briefing Room is slated to return to full seating capacity this week, the White House Correspondents’ Association announced on Sunday. The WHCA will also reintroduce its pre-pandemic seating chart for the briefing room, featuring a front row of reporters from outlets including NBC, Fox News, CBS News, the Associated Press, ABC News, Reuters and CNN. (Forgey, 6/6)

The Hill: More Than A Dozen Police Officers Still On Medical Leave From Jan. 6 Injuries 
Over a dozen police officers injured during the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol remain on medical leave, according to a report from CBS News. More than 150 law enforcement officers suffered injuries on Jan. 6 attack. Of those who reported injuries, 86 were Capitol Police officers and 65 were members of the Metropolitan Police Department. As of Thursday, at least 10 Capitol police officers had not yet returned to duty due to injuries, a source told the outlet.  (Jenkins, 6/3)

CNN: Biden Has Paused A Public Option. Nevada Is About To Try Its Own.
A federal public option isn't happening anytime soon, so Nevada officials are creating their own. The Democratic-led state legislature recently passed a bill establishing a type of public health insurance option, aimed at lowering costs and improving access to coverage for state residents. Gov. Steve Sisolak, a Democrat, has said he will sign it. ... Nevada would be the second state to launch a public option program, following Washington, where "Cascade Select" policies began being sold on the state Affordable Care Act exchange this year. (Luhby, 6/7)

NBC News: The Health Insurance Public Option Might Be Fizzling. The Left Is OK With That.
When President Barack Obama abandoned a public insurance option to win moderate support for the Affordable Care Act in 2009, progressives were enraged. A decade later, Joe Biden campaigned on making the public option a reality, but so far, he's done little to get Congress to enact one. Instead of outrage, influential progressives seem to be OK watching the promise go unfilled, preferring to pursue universal health care through other means, like expanding Medicare eligibility. (Sarlin and Kapur, 6/5)

Georgia Health News: Though Facing The Federal Axe, State’s Medicaid Waiver Plans Moving Ahead 
Georgia officials say they’re still working toward a July 1 launch of the waiver plan to add more people to the state’s Medicaid program, despite a harsh initial assessment by the Biden administration. The conflict with the feds involves the eligibility requirements that Georgia proposed and that the Trump administration approved. President Joe Biden, who took office in January, and his fellow Democrats have sharply different views on Medicaid than do former President Donald Trump and many Republicans. (Miller, 6/4)

Modern Healthcare: CMS Could Pull Georgia's Waiver To Privatize Its ACA Marketplace
Georgia may lose CMS approval for its plan to privatize its Obamacare exchange in 2023, after the agency requested more information on how the changes could affect access to care. CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure ordered Georgia to study access and health equity issues, according to her letter to Gov. Brian Kemp (R-Ga.) on Thursday. The new analysis is needed to ensure that the Trump-approved waiver supports recent changes in federal healthcare priorities, policies and law, Brooks-LaSure said in the letter. Those changes include President Joe Biden's executive orders instructing the federal government to advance equity and strengthen the Affordable Care Act in addition to March's pandemic relief package, which increased health insurance subsidies for two years. (Brady, 6/4)

Axios: CMS Innovation Director Wants More Value-Based Care Models 
The Biden Administration is closely looking at how it can create health care payment models that benefit patients over providers, even if that means making them mandatory. Liz Fowler, the innovation chief of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, signaled the Biden administration's commitment to value-based care models if they save money or not. (Fernandez, 6/4)

Also —

Oklahoman: Over 51,000 Oklahomans Have Enrolled In Medicaid Through Expansion
More than 51,000 Oklahomans have been approved for health benefits through Medicaid expansion less than a week after applications opened. That’s over a quarter of the 200,000 Oklahomans expected to enroll for benefits in the first year of expanded Medicaid. Data shared Friday morning by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority showed that 51,708 residents have been approved for benefits through SoonerCare, the state’s Medicaid program, since applications opened on Tuesday. Over 33,000 — about 65% — are women. (Branham, 6/4)

KFOR: Questions Linger About Medicaid Expansion After Supreme Court Ruling 
There are still questions on who will administer Medicaid expansion after the Supreme Court ruled against the governor’s plan to privatize it. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority says they still have to analyze the ruling before they know what comes next. Last year, Oklahomans voted to expand Medicaid. At this point, nearly 52,000 people have applied for SoonerCare. (Shen, 7/4)

Yahoo Money: Ohio Lawmakers Join ProMedica In Frustration With Medicaid Contract
The Ohio Senate has slipped a provision into its vision for the next two-year budget to force the state to scuttle April's awards of six Medicaid managed-care contracts and redo the selection process after Paramount Advantage, ProMedica's insurance subsidiary, was shut out. The Senate said it made the move out of its frustration at being unable to get answers from Gov. Mike DeWine's administration about the scoring process. (Provance, 6/5)

KHN: Covid Was A Tipping Point For Telehealth. If Some Have Their Way, Virtual Visits Are Here To Stay. 
As the covid crisis wanes and life approaches normal across the U.S., health industry leaders and many patient advocates are pushing Congress and the Biden administration to preserve the pandemic-fueled expansion of telehealth that has transformed how millions of Americans see the doctor. The broad effort reaches across the nation’s diverse health care system, bringing together consumer groups with health insurers, state Medicaid officials, physician organizations and telehealth vendors. (Levey, 6/7)

Reuters: In Rare Public Outing, Trump Denounces Fauci, China; Dangles 2024 Prospects
Former President Donald Trump on Saturday sharply attacked U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, demanded reparations from China and denounced an investigation into his finances in a speech in North Carolina. Speaking in Greenville, North Carolina, at the state's Republican Party convention, Trump joined a chorus of Republican politicians who are criticizing Fauci for asking Americans to wear masks to guard against the virus and who at times has been skeptical of a theory that the virus escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan, China. Trump called Fauci "not a great doctor but a great promoter" for his frequent television appearances. "But he's been wrong on almost every issue and he was wrong on Wuhan and the lab also," Trump said. (Brice, 6/6)

Politico: Trump Reemerges On The Trail And Plays The Hits Of Yore 
Trump bragged about his administration’s role in developing the coronavirus vaccine and attacked the Biden administration's foreign policy, energy and immigration policies. “If we had not come up with a vaccine, you would have had 1917 Spanish flu numbers,” Trump said of the virus’ death toll and Operation Warp Speed. The former president attacked infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has become a boogeyman for Trump and the right, as “not a great doctor, but a hell of a promoter.” (McGraw, 6/5)

The Washington Post: Trump Pushes Wuhan Lab Leak Theory And Targets Fauci 
Donald Trump and his Republican allies have spent the last few weeks trying to rewrite or distort the history of the pandemic, attempting with renewed vigor to villainize Anthony S. Fauci while lionizing the former president for what they portray as heroic foresight and underappreciated efforts to combat the deadly virus. They have focused on the early moments of the coronavirus response and the origins of the virus, downplaying any role they may have played and casting others in the wrong, at times taking comments out of context and at others drawing conclusions that are unproved. (Viser and Abutaleb, 6/5)

Politico: Attacks On Fauci Grow More Intense, Personal And Conspiratorial 
For over a year, Anthony Fauci has been a bogeyman for conservatives, who have questioned his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and accused him of quietly undermining then-President Donald Trump. But those attacks took on a whole new level of vitriol this week, to the point that one social media analysis described it as highly misleading and at least one platform pulled down some posts, citing false content. (Korecki and Owermohle, 6/4)

Axios: Fauci Calls Personal Attacks "Distorted" And "Misleading" 
NIAID director Anthony Fauci called criticism against him "completely inappropriate, distorted, misleading, and misrepresented attacks." MSNBC's Rachel Maddow asked Biden's chief medical adviser if he worried about being the subject of personal attacks as the public face of the federal government's coronavirus response, but Fauci said he was more concerned about the "attack on science." (Gonzalez, 6/5)

Newsweek: Donald Trump Jr. Accused Of Making Threat Against Anthony Fauci After Sharing Murder Meme
Critics have accused Donald Trump Jr. of issuing threats against Dr. Anthony Fauci after he shared a meme about the infectious disease expert's hypothetical murder on Friday. At around 7 p.m. last night, Trump Jr. shared a meme about Fauci to his 4.5 million followers on Instagram via a story. "I'm gonna just jump out ahead on this and say I don't think Fauci killed himself," read the meme, seen by Newsweek. The words were photoshopped onto a photo of Leonardo DiCaprio drinking a cocktail. (Zhao, 6/5)

In related news about the Trump administration's early response to the coronavirus —

CNBC: Fauci's 2,000 Emails A Day Show How Little U.S. Officials Knew In The Early Days Of The Covid Pandemic
On April 12, 2020, an official at the National Institutes of Health emailed Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, and then CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield fretting about the increasing hostilities between the U.S. and World Health Organization over the coronavirus pandemic. Then President Donald Trump was threatening to withdraw funding from the international health organization for getting “every aspect” of the outbreak wrong. (Breuninger, Lovelace Jr., Feiner, Mendez and Bursztynsky, 6/5)

CBS News: Condoleezza Rice Says Early Dismissal Of Coronavirus Lab Leak Theory Was A "Mistake" 
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice suggested public health officials in the United States made a "mistake" in the early weeks of the pandemic by dismissing the possibility that the coronavirus accidentally leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan, China. "There was too much of a tendency early on to dismiss this possibility of a laboratory leak, and I think there was a lot, and I think the press bears some responsibility for this," Rice said in an interview with "Face the Nation" that aired Sunday. "'Well, it had to be animal-to-human transmission.' These were conspiracy theories about a laboratory leak. And in fact, some of the evidence was right in front of our faces." (Quinn, 6/6)

Axios: Exclusive: People Who Wore Masks Were Less Likely To Get Sick 
Turns out that wearing a mask and social distancing really weren't a waste of time. Exclusive polling data from our Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index, which started in March 2020, shows that the respondents who reported never wearing masks were twice as likely to test positive for COVID as those who said they wore masks all the time. (Nather, 6/7)

Axios: No. 2 CDC Official Says U.S. Isn't Ready For The Next Pandemic 
The U.S. health care system was "overwhelmed" by COVID-19's "complex, systemwide assault" and remains unprepared for another pandemic, Anne Schuchat, the No. 2 official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a Friday interview on NPR's Morning Edition. The U.S. response "wasn't a good performance," Schuchat, the principal deputy CDC director, said. "But another threat tomorrow, we're not where we need to be. We're still battling this one." (Chen, 6/4)

In updates on where covid cases are rising or falling —

Salt Lake Tribune: COVID-19 Cases Rise Following Memorial Day Holiday
Utah experienced another post-holiday bump in COVID-19 cases this week as they rose, on average, by almost two per day over the same day last week. On Sunday, the Utah Department of Health reported 223 cases, which is 47 more than May 30, but no deaths. This past week’s numbers are still lower than what the state saw last year in the week following Memorial Day when the pandemic was just heating up, however. In 2020, positive cases rose by an average of 48.7 cases per day compared to the same day the previous week. That included a jump of 160 cases — from 183 to 343 — from the Friday before the holiday to the one after. (Jag, 6/6)

ABC News: Why These 2 Missouri Counties' COVID-19 Surges Are Among Worst In The Country 
Sherry Weldon thought the worst of the pandemic was over for Livingston County, a rural area in northern Missouri, after the winter. Confirmed cases had essentially dropped down to zero. Schools had largely stayed open. But starting at the end of April, cases started popping up. "Then in May, it just hit really quick -- with a vengeance," Weldon, the administrator of the Livingston County Health Department, told ABC News. (Deliso, 6/6)

Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio Reaches Fewer Than 50 COVID-19 Cases Per 100,000 Residents, Former Benchmark To Lift Health Orders
Ohio has had fewer than 50 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents in the past two weeks, state officials announced Saturday. Gov. Mike DeWine had set a goal to get to that 50-case benchmark – called a case incidence rate – as a condition for lifting the state’s coronavirus health orders, including the mask mandate. He abandoned that goal on May 12, announcing instead the health orders would be lifted three weeks later, on June 2. At the time, DeWine predicted the rate ­­– 123 at the time – would fall to 50 around or soon after June 2. On Saturday, three days after the orders ended, the number reached 49.5, according to the Ohio Department of Health. (Borchardt, 6/5)

AP: New England's Success Against COVID-19 Could Be A Model
For Dr. Jeremy Faust, the moment he realized the pandemic no longer dominated his workday came over Memorial Day weekend, when he didn’t see a single coronavirus case over two shifts in the emergency room at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Kerry LaBarbera, an ER nurse a few miles away at Boston Medical Center, had a similar realization that same weekend, when just two patients with COVID-19 came through her unit, one of the busiest in New England. (Marcelo, 6/5)

San Francisco Chronicle: California One Of Just Two States At CDC's Lowest Level Of COVID Transmission
California continues to help set the pace for U.S. COVID-19 recovery, now ranked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as one of just two states at the lowest level of coronavirus community transmission. In fact, according to the CDC’s four-level color-coded system, California’s transmission metrics were the lowest out of all 50 states as of Saturday. The CDC determines the level of community transmission based on the number of cases in the last seven days per population of 100,000, and the number of tests in the last seven days that yield a positive result. (Hwang, 6/6)

AP: Northern California County Changes COVID-19 Death Reporting
A Northern California county has changed its methodology to record coronavirus deaths, causing its fatality figures to decrease by 25%. The official COVID-19 death count in Alameda County, in the San Francisco Bay Area, fell from 1,634 to 1,223 after officials changed the criteria for fatalities to match state and national definitions, the county’s public health department said in a news release. (6/6)

WUSF 89.7: Florida To Discontinue Release Of Daily Coronavirus Updates 
The Florida Department of Health will no longer offer daily updates on coronavirus data that has been used to track information including the number of cases, deaths, and vaccines across the state. Christina Pushaw, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ press secretary, told News Service of Florida [paywall] in an email that the declining number of cases across the state prompted the decision. (Lisciandrello, 6/4)

Axios: FDA Authorizes Regeneron’s COVID-19 Antibody Treatment For Injection 
The Food and Drug Administration has approved a lower dose of Regeneron’s coronavirus treatment for injection, the company announced Friday. The update to the company's emergency use authorization, which was first issued in November, will make it easier for doctors to administer the treatment to coronavirus patients, since they can now do so by simple injection rather than intravenous infusion. (Knutson, 6/4)

CIDRAP: Bamlanivimab Reduces Risk Of COVID-19 In Nursing Homes, Study Finds
Preventive use of bamlanivimab lowered the risk of symptomatic COVID-19 in staff and residents of skilled nursing and assisted living facilities in the United States, according to a study yesterday in JAMA. In April, after the study was conducted, the US Food and Drug Administration rescinded emergency use authorization for the monoclonal antibody (mAb) when used alone because of resistance of SARS-CoV-2 variants to the drug. A treatment of bamlanivimab and etesevimab is still allowed. (6/4)

In news about covid testing and tracking —

Modern Healthcare: UnitedHealthcare Will Reimburse Family Docs For COVID-19 Tests
UnitedHealthcare will reimburse pediatric and family medicine clinicians for COVID-19 tests administered in 2021, the insurer said in a letter to providers. Healthcare professionals can provide proof of services and sign an amendment to their previous contract with UnitedHealthcare to receive 100% of CMS' rate for specific COVID-19 test codes, the email letter said. The offer applies to all past and future COVID-19 tests from Jan. 1, 2021 through Dec. 31, 2021. (Devereaux, 6/4)

The Wall Street Journal: Covid-19 Testing Could Be A Viable Long-Term Business Bet 
With slow vaccination rates threatening the likelihood of herd immunity, companies and federal and state governments are pouring billions of dollars into a future in which Covid-19 testing remains a key component for resuming normal life in the U.S. Public-health officials increasingly expect pockets of America will remain largely unvaccinated. That has businesses and health officials counting on testing as a means for controlling the virus. (Wernau, 6/6)

San Francisco Chronicle: How Scientists Are Already Hunting For California's Next COVID Variant
California is now sequencing up to 10% of all coronavirus cases, a huge improvement from less than 0.5% at the start of the year. That means the state is now, finally, doing enough sequencing that infectious disease experts say they have a good grasp of the types of variants spreading here, and they are confident that scientists will be able to spot any new mutations quickly. “We’ve got enough visibility to feel comfortable that we know which variants are emerging and how quickly they’re moving and whether they’re getting a foothold,” said Dr. Sara Cody, the Santa Clara County health officer. (Allday, 6/6)

Coastal Review Online: UNC Professor, State Track COVID Trends In Wastewater 
Researchers at University of North Carolina Institute of Marine Sciences began more than a year ago tracking in wastewater the virus that causes COVID-19, just as the pandemic was beginning to sweep across the globe. That research led to the lab to start testing samples from 11 wastewater treatment plants in the state earlier this year for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the results of which are on the NC COVID-19 Dashboard. Plans are to boost sampling to 20 plants starting next month. (Allen, 6/5)

Houston Chronicle: 'Moving With The Times': Employers Debate Tracking COVID Vaccination Status, Flexible Schedules
On the verge of returning to workplaces and resuming normal life, Houston employers say the lessons they’ve learned about public health and meeting their employees’ needs are reshaping the future of work. Most employers are now planning to bring workers back into the office, or already have, experts said at a Thursday webinar hosted by the Houston Business Coalition on Health, an association of employers purchasing health plans. Some public health measures from the pandemic will remain, such as self-quarantine if exposed to COVID-19, increased workplace cleanings and contact tracing. (Wu, 6/4)

In other covid research developments —

Fox News: Prior COVID-19 Illness Reduces Risk Of Second Infection For Months, Study Finds
A U.K. study involving care home residents found that a prior COVID-19 infection reduces the risk of being infected by the virus again for several months. The study, which was published in Lancet Healthy Longevity, conducted antibody tests on 682 residents across 100 care homes in England in June and July of 2020. About 1,429 staff also underwent antibody testing in that same time period. About a third of all study participants tested positive, suggesting prior COVID-19 infection. Beginning 90 days following the antibody testing, staff participants underwent weekly PCR testing, while resident participants were tested once per month. (Hein, 6/5)

CIDRAP: Neurologic, Psychiatric Conditions Common In COVID-19 
Two new meta-analyses detail neurologic and psychiatric conditions in COVID-19 patients, one suggesting that symptoms such as fatigue and depression are common even in people with mild illness, and the other showing central and peripheral nervous system involvement in up to 36% of cases that increased the risk of hospitalization. (Van Beusekom, 6/4)

Modern Healthcare: United Unveils Policy To Retroactively Deny Patient ED Claims
A controversial new UnitedHealthcare policy intended to tamp down on emergency department visits and costs has drawn ire from providers, while insurance analysts question what, if any, impact the regulation will have. Come July 1, the Minnetonka, Minn.-based insurer said it will take a more careful view of its 26.3 million commercial patients' emergency department visits, reviewing their initial reason for visiting the ED, the diagnostic and other services provided during the visit and the outcome of the experience, when deciding whether to approve—or deny—patient claims. UnitedHealthcare, the nation's largest health insurer, said it made the move to cut down on the $32 billion unnecessary ED use costs annually, driving up healthcare costs for all. (Tepper, 6/4)

WUSF 89.7: Cyberattacks At UF Hospitals In Leesburg, The Villages Under Investigation 
UF Health has confirmed that a cyberattack was detected at its hospitals in Leesburg and The Villages on May 31. Information technology teams are investigating at The Villages Regional Hospital and UF Health Leesburg Hospital after the hospitals' computer systems showed signs of unusual activity, an official said. (Byrnes, 6/5)

North Carolina Health News: Cone Merger Cancelled, Future Consolidation Seems Inevitable 
When they made the surprise announcement last week abandoning a merger that had been in the works for almost a year, Cone Health of Greensboro and Norfolk, Va.-based Sentara Healthcare said they had reached an amicable agreement that it was better for each hospital system to remain “independent.” Experts suggest that could be a posture that’s easier for the much larger Sentara to retain than for mid-sized Cone. (Wireback, 6/7)

Stat: Carbon Health Dives Into Digital Diabetes Care, Acquires Steady Health
As health care providers large and small prepare for a transition from virtual to in-person care, one startup is carefully hedging its bets. As it builds toward its goal to open 1,500 clinics by 2025, primary care provider Carbon Health has acquired digital diabetes clinic Steady Health, marking the company’s first foray into virtual care for chronic conditions. (Brodwin, 6/4)

CNBC: Amazon Health-Care Threat? Teladoc CEO Says It's ‘Overrated'
Ask a sports star before a game whether their team is going to win and they’re likely to say yes with confidence. And then cue the headlines that will sensationalize the hubris. But would you expect an athlete to say — would you want them to think — they’re about to lose? The heads of companies sometimes talk about the competition in a similar way, and they shouldn’t be in the CEO hot seat without confidence in their company’s ability to win. Take Teladoc Health CEO Jason Gorevic, recently asked at the CNBC Healthy Returns Summit about the threat Amazon poses in health care. (Rosenbaum, 6/6)

KHN: Montana Med School Clash Revives For-Profit Vs. Nonprofit Flap
Two universities are eyeing the chance to be the first to build a medical school in one of the few states without one. The jockeying of the two schools — one a nonprofit, the other for-profit — to open campuses in Montana highlights the rapid spread of for-profit medical learning centers despite their once-blemished reputation. Montana is one of only four states without a medical school, making it fertile ground for one. (Knight, 6/7)

The Wall Street Journal: Ineligible Nursing Home Managers Received Covid-19 Bonuses 
Eight of the nine senior managers who earned too much to qualify for Covid-19-related hazard pay at New Jersey’s state-run veterans nursing homes received it anyway, according to records obtained by The Wall Street Journal. The records show that the state veterans affairs agency misappropriated federal Covid-19-relief funds more widely than it has acknowledged. Agency emails reviewed by the Journal also show that nursing-home managers procured the payments after being repeatedly told that they were ineligible. (Weaver, 6/6)

Modern Healthcare: Texas Hospital Giving 2% Raises, Extra Week Of Vacation To Staff
Texas Children's Hospital in Houston is giving a 2% raise and an extra week of vacation to its entire workforce for their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Our health care heroes' resiliency and determination over the last year was unmatched, and I am so thankful for their dedication to our patients, health plan members and each other," Texas Children's President and CEO Mark Wallace said in a statement. Wallace asked his senior leadership team to continue to support other initiatives that support staff, including recruiting and retaining the best talent, focusing on the mental and physical health of employees and improving diversity, equity and inclusion programs, according to a news release. (Christ, 6/4)

Fox News: Most Dental Offices’ Patient Volume Nearing Normal, Data Suggests
Dr. Eric Scharf, DDS, told Fox News in an interview that patients began returning last fall, estimating the practice is now in the 90-95th percentile range of pre-pandemic patient volume across offices, with all staff rehired, plus some. The U.S. dental landscape appears to be tracking similar trends, with the latest polling from the American Dental Association’s Health Policy Institute indicating a greater proportion of dental practices reporting as open and business as usual. As of May 17, 60.9% of 1,712 respondents said that the office was open with business as usual, and 38.4% reported open offices but lower-than-normal patient volume. (Rivas, 6/5)

ABC News: 'Hope And Optimism': NYC Doctors Compare Life Today To City's Brutal 1st Wave 
"In terms of patient volume, it's been a dramatic change from what it was last year," said Dr. Syra Madad, senior director of the special pathogens program at the city's hospital system, NYC Health + Hospitals. She described Memorial Day weekend, the first holiday in the U.S. following the lifted mask mandate, as "a breath of fresh air, both literally and figuratively." (Schumaker, 6/6)

KHN: Trying To Avoid Racist Health Care, Black Women Seek Out Black Obstetricians 
In South Florida, when people want to find a Black physician, they often contact Adrienne Hibbert through her website, Black Doctors of South Florida. “There are a lot of Black networks that are behind the scenes,” said Hibbert, who runs her own marketing firm. “I don’t want them to be behind the scenes, so I’m bringing it to the forefront.” Hibbert said she got the idea for the website after she gave birth to her son 15 years ago. (Zaragovia, 6/7)

Modern Healthcare: Medline To Be Sold To Private Equity Group For $30B
A group of private equity firms that includes Blackstone Group are buying Medline, according to the medical supply maker and distributor. The deal is valued at $30 billion, according to some sources. The Northfield, Ill.-based manufacturer reported $17.5 billion in revenue in 2020. Other investors include Carlyle and Hellman & Friedman. A press release announcing the deal said the privately held company, founded in 1910 by A.J. Mills, will remain under the leadership of the Mills family. (6/5)

The Wall Street Journal: Medline Deal Signals Return To Days Of Huge Leveraged Buyouts
The acquisition of Medline Industries Inc. that was agreed to over the weekend, the biggest leveraged buyout in more than a decade, serves as the clearest sign yet that the appetite for megadeals is rising as the pandemic eases and private-equity firms look to deploy mountains of cash. Blackstone Group Inc., Carlyle Group Inc. and Hellman & Friedman LLC said Saturday they struck a buyout deal that, according to people familiar with the matter, values the closely held medical-supply company at more than $30 billion—or around $34 billion including debt. That makes it the largest leveraged buyout since the 2007-08 financial crisis. (Lombardo and Gottfried, 6/6)

In other pharmaceutical and biotech developments —

Axios: FDA Approves First Weight-Loss Drug Since 2014 
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved Wegovy, a version of a diabetes medicine that can now be marketed and sold as a weight-loss drug in the United States. The drug helped certain people lose an average of 15% of their body weight over multiple weeks when used alongside increased physical activity and a reduced calorie meal plan. (Knutson, 6/5)

Stat: Fate's Natural Killer Cells Induce Responses In Blood Cancer Patients
Fate Therapeutics said Friday that an experimental, off-the-shelf immunotherapy made from so-called natural killer cells induced complete tumor responses in just over half of the patients with advanced lymphoma treated in an early-stage clinical trial. The 56% complete response rate reported for the Fate cancer treatment, called FT516, is still preliminary — and assessed from just 11 patients — but it is similar to efficacy reported with other types of cell therapy. However, the durability of the response to FT516 remains an important, unanswered question. (Feuerstein, 6/4)

Axios: Biogen Banks On Alzheimer's Drug To Offset Tecfidera Cliff 
Multiple sclerosis drug Tecfidera has propped up Biogen for the past eight years, representing more than a third of the company's sales. But that revenue wave is coming to an end after generic versions of the pill entered the U.S. market last year. Biogen is banking on federal approval of its Alzheimer's drug, aducanumab, to boost its financial future and offset the decline of Tecfidera. (Herman, 6/7)

Stat: Biotech, Health Startups Bet On A Strange New Reality Show For Crowdfunding
"Mount up! Let’s hear more about this unicorn.” So begins every episode of a new reality show called “Unicorn Hunters,” built around an outlandish twist on a well-worn premise: What if people could actually invest in the startups they see on television? It gets weirder from there. (Sheridan, 6/7)

Bloomberg: Holmes’s Silence On Mental Defense Spurs Prosecutors’ Questions
The latest mystery in the prosecution of Elizabeth Holmes is whether she still plans to claim she was suffering from a “mental disease or defect” when she allegedly duped investors into backing Theranos Inc. In a court filing, prosecutors are asking why a 46-page questionnaire Holmes wants to use to vet jurors for her trial in three months doesn’t include a single question related to the mental-health defense her legal team was exploring last year. This line of defense hasn’t been discussed in public filings or hearings for almost nine months -- until now. (Blumberg and Nayak, 6/5)

The New York Times: Fisher-Price Recalls Rock ‘N Glide Soothers After 4 Infant Deaths 
Fisher-Price is recalling its 4-in-1 Rock ‘n Glide Soother, a baby sleep product, after it was linked to reports of four infant deaths, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said. The infants who died were reported to have been placed on their backs unrestrained in the product, which is supposed to rock babies to sleep, and were later found on their stomachs, the commission said. (Jimenez, 6/6)

Axios: Study: IPhone 12's Charging System May Interfere With Cardiac Implants 
A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association this week found that the iPhone 12's magnetic charging system may interfere with cardiac implantable electronic devices. Authors of the study said the phone's Magsafe charging technology can produce a magnetic field strong enough to potentially "inhibit lifesaving therapy" if placed directly on the skin over one of the implantable devices. (Knutson, 6/5)

Axios: America's Next Big Wave Of Sick 
Influenza cases and other common viruses have been at historically low numbers for the past year due to the safety precautions taken by the public to stifle the spread of COVID-19. But that could change soon. Experts say the last year and a half, we've largely gone without "boosts" to our adaptive immunity from exposure to viruses, as STAT News reported recently. And if flu cases start to rise in the fall, buckle up. (Fernandez, 6/7)

The Boston Globe: At Dartmouth College, First-Year Suicides A Grim Reminder Of A Year Of Loneliness
The deaths have devastated the small Ivy League campus of about 4,000 and sparked deep outrage among students, who say the school’s mental health resources have been woefully inadequate during an academic year blighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In op-eds and makeshift memorials and red paint splattered on the driveway of the college president’s home, students are ending the year in grief-stricken protest, criticizing the school for what they say were overly strict social safety protocols that failed to take into account the deep toll they took on students’ psychological health. (Krantz, 6/5)

The Mercury News: Pandemic Fuels Struggle To Buy Baby Diapers
Struggling parents with children still in diapers may get a $30 million boost under a proposed state budget allocation to assist existing diaper banks in California and launch similar services in other regions, including San Bernardino County. Money for the five state-funded diaper banks now in operation – in Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Fresno and San Francisco counties – and three new ones would extend over a three-year period, with each diaper bank receiving a total of $3.75 million under the spending plan proposed by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, and supported by a host of Southern California legislators. (Walker, 6/6)

Axios: Families Opting For Summer School As Nation Re-Opens 
The number of students signing up for summer school is expected to be greater than ever before, with the Biden administration requiring states to devote some of the federal pandemic relief packages to these programs, the Associated Press reports. Families are enrolling their children in academic-focused summer programs to catch up and stay on track after the last 18 months. (Reyes, 6/6)

And more people are considering cosmetic surgery —

CBS News: Plastic Surgery And Cosmetic Procedures Booming Amid COVID-19 Pandemic 
As summer approaches, you may not fully recognize a relative or close friend. This may be due to an uptick in Americans seeking cosmetic surgeries. As coronavirus restrictions have eased across the U.S., the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) says pent-up patient demand is fueling the industry's current boom, with interest in both non-surgical and surgical treatments increasing. (McDougle, 6/4)

The New York Times: For These Guys, A Face-Lift Is Like A Car Tuneup 
Like many of his contemporaries, Eddie Wunderlich, 36, a personal trainer and hairstylist in Manhattan, spent much of the past year on FaceTime and Zoom and was not quite ready for his close-up. “Seeing myself on the screen all day, I looked tired,” he said. He was plagued by the visible hollows beneath his eyes and a slackening jawline. “It was exhausting, even looking at myself.” (La Ferla, 6/4)

11 Alive: RSV Child Respiratory Illness Spreading In Metro Atlanta 
Doctors at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta are spreading the word: RSV is circulating in Atlanta. Respiratory syncytial virus typically affects babies and toddlers in their first one to two years of life, and while cases typically pop up over the winter months, experts are seeing a different trend this year. "We've gotten this significant uptick in RSV here," Dr. Matt Linam, infectious disease physician at Children's and associate professor of pediatric infectious diseases at Emory University School of Medicine, explained. "We're seeing it here at Children's, as well as they're seeing in children's hospitals across the country." (Lucas, 6/4)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: At Georgia Immigration Jail, Warnings About Women’s Medical Care Went Unheeded
Federal immigration officials failed to monitor medical treatment at a South Georgia detention center where dozens of women say they underwent unwanted procedures, including hysterectomies, newly released documents show. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not track whether women held at the Irwin County Detention Center in Ocilla consented to the procedures, the documents show. Nor did the agency ensure that an outside gynecologist — now accused of sterilizing women against their will — used a government-funded translation service to explain procedures in the women’s native languages. (Judd, 6/5)

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Expanded HIV Testing Comes To Southern Nevada
When Dr. Jerry Cade started treating AIDS patients in Las Vegas more than 35 years ago, diagnosis was viewed as a death sentence. Today there are drugs that can reduce HIV in infected individuals to undetectable levels, so the virus can no longer spread. There also are medications to prevent infection in people at higher risk. “We have the tools today to eliminate HIV if we have the political will,” Cade, the longtime medical director of the UMC Wellness Center, said on Friday, the 40th anniversary of when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the first five cases of what became known as AIDS. (Hynes, 6/4)

Charleston Gazette-Mail: Raleigh County Community Says Coal Dust From Nearby Mine Is Taking Its Breath Away
Eunice should have been Becky Rectenwald’s place to settle. The dust settled there instead. Rectenwald, 58, moved to the former Raleigh County mining town from Marmet nearly four years ago for cleaner air and a larger yard for her dogs as she kept taking care of her mother. Eight months ago, at 15% lung capacity with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and bronchitis, Rectenwald left her 79-year-old mother in Eunice in the care of her 18-year-old granddaughter. The filters on Rectenwald’s oxygen machine and ventilator had turned black. She had to go. “The way we’ve gotta live, it’s sad,” Rectenwald says. “I can’t be with my family because of it.” (Tony, 6/5)

Houston Chronicle: Texas' Restrictive New Abortion Law Faces Uncertain Path
Last month, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country, a prohibition on the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy. While Texas isn’t the first state to enact a six-week limit, it is the first to allow private citizens to enforce it by suing doctors and anyone else who helps provide abortions after six weeks, or when a fetal heartbeat is first detected. That makes the law difficult to preempt in federal court. Advocates on both sides say the statute still faces an uncertain path, even if allowed to take effect as scheduled on Sept.1. (Blackman, 6/4)

Oklahoman: Oklahoma Family Feels Pain Of Counterfeit Prescription Pills That Kill
In a police report, she left a north Oklahoma City bar with an acquaintance around 9 p.m. on Aug. 6 and drove to a drug dealer’s apartment to buy oxycodone. In a state Medical Examiner’s report, she died from a fatal mix of drugs that included fentanyl, a synthetic opioid about 100 times stronger than morphine, that international criminal cartels press into counterfeit prescription pills and smuggle into the United States by the millions each year. (Dulaney, 6/6)

Oklahoman: OKC Creating New Homeless Plan, Strategies Coordinator Position
Oklahoma City is working to complete a new homelessness plan and will begin interviewing candidates for a new homeless services position. The plan is being prepared for public review and comment with the aim of releasing it by the end of June. The homelessness strategies coordinator position was approved by the city council in its May 25 meeting. Interviews of candidates could begin as early as next week, Assistant City Manager Aubrey McDermid said. (Williams, 6/6)

In news from California —

Los Angeles Times: Lyme Disease-Carrying Ticks Found Near California Beaches
Millions of people enjoy hanging out at California beaches in the warmer months. So do ticks carrying Lyme disease. That’s one finding from four years of field work in California’s San Francisco Bay Area and nearby wine country involving the collection of some 3,000 Western black-legged ticks. The abundance of the blood-sucking arachnids surprised some tick biologists and experts, in part because it is unclear what animals may be spreading them around. (Rust, 6/6)

AP: San Francisco Played Key Role In AIDS Fight, Officials Say
San Francisco played a critical role in fighting AIDS in America and around the world, leaders and activists said Saturday at a ceremony to mark the 40th anniversary of the first reported cases of the illness. Mayor London Breed and U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke at the private ceremony in the National AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles were the first major U.S. cities hit by AIDS. (6/6)

KHN: With Restrictions Tightening Elsewhere, California Moves To Make Abortion Cheaper 
Even as most states are trying to make it harder to get an abortion, California could make it free for more people. State lawmakers are debating a bill to eliminate out-of-pocket expenses like copays and payments toward deductibles for abortions and related services, such as counseling. The measure, approved by the Senate and headed to the Assembly, would apply to most private health plans regulated by the state. (Bluth, 6/7)

CNN: US Senators Took A Military Aircraft To Taiwan. To Beijing, That Is A Major Provocation 
Taiwan is finally getting much-needed help from the United States to fight its spiraling coronavirus outbreak. But to Beijing, the offer is a major provocation that risks escalating both cross-strait and US-China relations. A delegation of US senators visited Taiwan on Sunday morning local time to announce the donation of 750,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen called the vaccines "timely rain" for the island, which has only vaccinated 3% of its population and on Saturday recorded its highest daily Covid death toll of 37 fatalities. (Gan and Westcott, 6/7)

Axios: U.S. To Donate 750,000 COVID Vaccines To Taiwan Amid China Block Reports 
The U.S. will donate 750,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) announced after arriving in the capital, Taipei, on a bipartisan congressional visit Sunday. The island state is facing spiking coronavirus cases, and officials say their efforts to obtain vaccines are being impeded by China's government, which considers Taiwan to be part of its territory. (Falconer, 6/6)

NPR: The U.S. Is Sending 1 Million Vaccines To Mexico Border Cities And Resort Spots
One million Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines are heading to Mexico from the U.S. with most of the shots set to service resort areas and spots along the border. The batch of vaccines is part of the 25 million excess doses the White House announced on Thursday would be shipped to other countries around the world. Much of the vaccine distribution will be through COVAX, an international system aimed at helping to vaccinate people in the world's poorest countries. (Diaz, 6/4)

In related news about sharing vaccines —

AP: UK Urges Commitment To Vaccinate The World By End Of 2022
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will use the Group of Seven wealthy democracies’ summit next week to urge world leaders to commit to vaccinating the global population by the end of 2022. Johnson is expected to stress the importance of a global vaccination drive when he meets with fellow world leaders on Friday in Cornwall, on England’s southwestern coast, for the first face-to-face G-7 summit since the pandemic hit. (6/6)

CNN: G7: Hundreds Of Former Leaders Urge Rich Nations To Vaccinate Poor Against Covid-19 
One hundred former presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers have urged the Group of Seven (G7) rich nations to pay for global coronavirus vaccinations to help stop the virus mutating and returning as a worldwide threat. The leaders made their appeal ahead of a G7 summit in England which begins on Friday, when US President Joe Biden will meet the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan. (Yeung, 6/7)

CNBC: China's Guangzhou Fights Delta Covid Variant With Lockdowns, Mass Testing
Authorities in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong are carrying out mass testing and have locked down areas to try to control a flare up of coronavirus cases in Guangzhou. The city has cited the Delta variant of the coronavirus, first detected in India, as a driver behind the uptick in cases it has reported since the latter part of May. The Delta strain is known to be highly transmissible. (Kharpal, 6/7)

Bloomberg: Fiji’s Covid Cases Hit Record High As Kava Blamed For Spread
Fiji recorded a surge in Covid-19, with 83 new cases reported on Sunday from the day before, according to the Fiji Times. The majority of the infections were from known clusters or areas already under containment or lockdown protocols, with only 11 fresh cases of unknown origin, the newspaper said, citing health authorities. The new tally is a record high for the Pacific Islands nation, where only 0.33% of the population have been fully vaccinated, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Fiji, which had seemingly eliminated community transmission two months ago, saw cases begin to spike in late May, with 244 recorded in the week to June 5, that data shows. (Scott, 6/7)

AP: India Cautiously Starts To Open Up As Virus Cases Decline
Businesses in two of India’s largest cities were reopening Monday as part of a phased easing of lockdown measures in several states now that the number of new coronavirus infections in the country is on a steady decline. India’s capital allowed businesses and shops to reopen with limited hours and the Delhi Metro, which serves New Delhi and adjoining areas, also resumed operations at 50% capacity. Last week, authorities in the capital allowed some manufacturing and construction activity to resume. (6/7)

AP: Thais Debut Locally Made AstraZeneca But Supplies Are Tight
Health authorities in Thailand began their much-anticipated mass rollout of locally produced AstraZeneca vaccines on Monday, but it appeared that supplies were falling short of demand from patients who had scheduled vaccinations for this week. Hospitals in various parts of the country have been posting notices for several days that some scheduled appointments would be delayed, adding to existing public skepticism about how many doses Siam Bioscience would be able to produce each month. (Ekvittayavechnukul and Vejpongsa, 6/7)

In news from Europe and the Americas —

The New York Times: British Tourists Scramble To Leave Portugal Ahead Of Quarantine Deadline
British tourists scrambled to leave Portugal over the weekend in order to beat a Tuesday deadline for a new quarantine imposed by the British government on those returning from Portugal over concerns about a dangerous virus variant. Britain had recently put Portugal, one of the most popular destinations for British tourists, and 12 other countries and territories with low coronavirus caseloads on a “green list,” allowing visitors coming from Britain to avoid a quarantine period upon returning from those locations. (Minder and Thomas, 6/7)

AP: France Tackles Virus Variants As It Readies For Tourists
French health authorities are racing to contain scattered cases of the more contagious delta virus variant, as France prepares to reopen its borders to vaccinated visitors and celebrates plunging COVID-19 infection and hospitalization rates. Health Minister Olivier Veran said Sunday that France has multiple clusters of the variant, first identified in India and believed to be fueling a rise in infections in neighboring Britain, notably in the southwest Landes region. Speaking on BFM television, Veran said the variant hadn’t spread widely into the community and that health investigators are working to track cases. (6/6)

CNN: The City Of Serrana's Mass Vaccination Experiment Offers A Taste Of Normality In Brazil
Hope has returned to the small city of Serrana, Brazil, after researchers vaccinated almost its entire adult population in a city-wide medical experiment this spring. "Everything is practically open now, and the atmosphere is so different, so much lighter and joyful. We feel safe while the other cities around us are in a very difficult situation," says Ricardo Luiz, owner of a well-known restaurant in Serrana. (Reverdosa and Rodrigo Pedroso, 6/6)

NPR: Want To Mix 2 Different COVID-19 Vaccines? Canada Is Fine With That
Canada's public health agency says people can mix COVID-19 vaccines if they want to, citing cases where local supply shortages or health concerns might otherwise prevent some from completing their two-dose vaccination regimen. The new recommendations come after safety concerns were raised linking the AstraZeneca vaccine to the potential for dangerous blood clots — a condition the health agency calls "rare but serious." That vaccine is not authorized for use in the U.S., but the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which has faced similar scrutiny, is. Both of them are viral vector vaccines. (Chappell, 6/4)

AP: Canada Grants NHL Cross-Border Travel Exemption For Playoffs
The NHL received an exemption from Canadian health officials allowing cross-border travel for teams starting in the semifinal round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the league announced on Sunday. When in Canada, teams will be required to stay in a bubble and be tested daily for COVID-19, similar to the tight restrictions that allowed the NHL to stage and complete its playoffs in two hub cities last year. Teams will be assigned designated hotels and have no interaction with the public. (Wawrow, 6/6)

In updates on malaria —

The Washington Post: Malaria Is Far Deadlier In Africa Than The Coronavirus. Why Is The Vaccine Taking So Long? 
No hospital in this rural community has recorded a covid-19 death. But another menace fills graves on a grimly predictable schedule. The seasonal downpours that soak the red dirt roads here nurture clouds of mosquitoes that spread malaria. Researchers call it a forgotten epidemic: The parasitic disease kills more than 400,000 people each year. Most victims are children in Africa. (Wilkins and Paquette, 6/7)

The New York Times: Brooks: You May Live A Lot Longer
Phil Mickelson just won the PGA Championship at age 50. Tom Brady won the Super Bowl at 43. Serena Williams is a top tennis star at 39. Joe Biden entered the presidency at 78. Last year Bob Dylan released an excellent album at 79. Clearly, we’re all learning to adjust our conception of age. People are living longer, staying healthier longer and accomplishing things late in life that once seemed possible only at younger ages. And it’s not just superstars. The fraction of over-85s in the U.S. classified as disabled dropped by a third between 1982 and 2005, while the share who were institutionalized fell by nearly half. (David Brooks, 6/7)

Los Angeles Times: My Daughter Fell Off The Mental Health Care Cliff, And I Have To Jump After Her 
Our mental health system has failed my daughter. Again. Actually, that’s not true. There is no system, no real help for her. My 20-year-old daughter tried to kill herself three weeks ago. She took a lot of pills all at once and, afraid that wouldn’t do the trick, drove toward the American River to drown herself. Her boyfriend happened to drive past her car and waved her down. That serendipity is the only reason she’s alive today. My family isn’t alone in being affected by the failures of a non-system. Of our rising mental health problems — suicides, homelessness — doctors use the word “tsunami.” On average, says the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one person dies by suicide in the U.S. every 11 minutes. (Jasmin Iolani Hakes, 6/7)

Scientific American: A New Mental Health Crisis Is Raging In Gaza 
“Have you ever seen a six-month old baby with exaggerated startle response?” One of my colleagues who works on our telephone counseling service was calling me for advice on how to respond to several distraught mothers asking her how to help their babies who had started showing such distressing symptoms of trauma during the recent bombing. Our telephone service was back and responding to callers on the third day of the attacks on Gaza, though of course with certain difficulties. (Yasser Abu Jamei, 6/4)

The Washington Post: Leaving Abortion To The States Makes Them Agents Of Oppression
Writing about the future of abortion rights inevitably entails discussing precedent and the importance of sticking with it. That’s the easy part. The harder questions are these: Does the Constitution protect a right to abortion? Or is abortion a matter of public policy best left in the hands of individual states? (Ruth Marcus, 6/4)

Los Angeles Times: Single-Payer? California Needs Public Option First 
You couldn’t design a better stress test for the healthcare system than the COVID-19 pandemic. And on some fundamental levels, the system failed — witness, for example, the racial and ethnic disparities in outcomes that the virus laid bare. Most fundamentally, the disease and the resulting shutdowns caused millions of Californians to lose their jobs, and in many cases, their employer-sponsored health insurance. And there couldn’t have been a worse time to lose one’s coverage than in the midst of a deadly pandemic. (John Healy, 6/6)

San Diego Union-Tribune: OSHA, Newsom And CDC Should Get On The Same Page On California Mask Guidelines
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began early last year, governments at all levels have struggled to adopt and adjust policies that limited the spread of the virus that causes the disease. This year, though, the delivery of millions of safe, highly effective vaccines has caused numbers of new infections and deaths to plunge, and prompted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue an advisory on May 13 saying that in most circumstances, people who are fully vaccinated didn’t need to wear face masks, including at most workplaces. Some criticized the step as being premature. But three weeks later, the communities that followed the CDC’s advice have seen no negative fallout and the science the CDC cited is significant: infections and transmissions are rare among vaccinated people, and the vaccines seem to be effective against variants. (6/4)

San Francisco Chronicle: Abolish The Sheriff's Department From S.F. General Hospital
As a Black woman growing up in the South, I was taught at a young age to fear the police and to limit interactions with them whenever possible. I never imagined a world in which they were not present. I was an undergraduate in college when I marched after 12-year-old Tamir Rice was killed by a police officer. And then in medical school for Michael Brown. And then once more for Laquan McDonald. And then again, and again. Childhood fears of law enforcement morphed into justified anger. I protested for change. But a world without police didn’t seem a possibility. As I continued my journey into medicine, I knew that my work as a physician demanded I address how racism in all forms, including police brutality, led to the health disparities in patients who look like me. (Erinma Ukoha, 6/7)

The New York Times: Why Are So Many Children In Brazil Dying From Covid-19? 
In the modern history of catastrophic infectious diseases in Brazil, children often suffer the most in terms of deaths and disability. When dengue epidemics emerged in Brazil in 2007 and 2008, children accounted for more than half of the fatalities. When pregnant women became infected with the Zika virus during an epidemic that began in 2015, more than 1,600 newborn Brazilian infants were born with devastating microcephaly birth defects, far more than in any other nation. Respiratory viruses continue to disproportionately affect Brazil’s children, while hookworms and other intestinal parasites stunt childhood growth and development, especially in poor rural areas. (Peter J. Hotez and Albert I. Ko, 6/4)

CNN: India Covid-19: Reporting On The Brutal Second Wave From Delhi 
Wearing a crumpled pastel T-shirt, jeans and a white face mask, a grieving young man performed the final rites at Nigambodh Ghat, one of Delhi's biggest crematoriums. He looked lost, numb and exhausted. Accompanied by a family member, Madhur Chawla followed the priests' directions almost robotically. He'd lost his 49-year-old mother to Covid-19. Madhur couldn't bring himself to immerse the ashes of his mother -- while his relative obliged, the 27-year-old sat on a bench close by. (Vedika Sud, 6/4)

Stat: With Covid-19, As With HIV, Science And Partnerships Lead The Way 
Like so many of her generation, Josephine Nabukenya wasn’t aware of her HIV status during her early childhood in Uganda. But when she was 8 years old, she came across a letter written by her mother that revealed the devastating news: Josephine and her mother and father were all living with HIV. Josephine was HIV-positive at birth. (Adeeba Kamarulzaman, 6/7)