First Edition: Feb. 2, 2022

KHN: The Advice To ‘Vaccinate And Test’ Isn’t Much Help To Parents With Kids Under 5
Just before my son’s 9-month checkup, my wife and I debated whether to postpone it. It was a “well baby visit,” but the potential threats to his health felt real. The last time he went to the pediatrician, in November, the air inside the office was stuffy, and the waiting room was crowded with children from schools in and around St. Louis, all waiting to get their covid shots. By showing up to get their children vaccinated, the families were all following the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for children ages 5 to 11. But we were trying to follow the CDC guidance too, and for children too young for the vaccine. That means avoiding crowded or poorly ventilated places — like the pediatrician’s waiting room. (Sable-Smith, 2/2)

KHN: At Nursing Homes, Long Waits For Results Render Covid Tests ‘Useless’ 
More nursing homes are waiting longer for covid-19 test results for residents and staffers, according to federal data, making the fight against record numbers of omicron cases even harder. The double whammy of slower turnaround times for lab-based PCR tests and a shortage of rapid antigen tests has strained facilities where quickly identifying infections is crucial for keeping a highly vulnerable population safe. (Pradhan, 2/2)

KHN: ‘An Arm And A Leg’: Know Your ‘No Surprises’ Rights
On Jan. 1, Americans woke up with some new protections from giant medical bills. Meet the No Surprises Act. It’s a new law that protects patients from one of the worst experiences the U.S. health care system has to offer — surprise out-of-network hospital bills. That’s when a person gets hit with a bill from an out-of-network provider at an in-network hospital. Under the new law, if a person visits an in-network hospital and is seen by an out-of-network provider, that provider and the insurer have to work it out for themselves. Patients are only on the hook for what they would’ve paid an in-network provider. That’s a big deal. (Weissmann, 2/2)

Stat: Experts Question Authorization Plan For Covid Vaccine For Kids Under 5
The Food and Drug Administration’s willingness to consider authorizing a Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech for children under the age of 5 — without evidence yet that it would be protective — is raising concerns among some vaccine experts who fear the plan could backfire and undermine vaccine uptake in this group. Pfizer and BioNTech confirmed Tuesday that they had been asked by the FDA to submit an application for the use of a two-dose vaccine in children 6 months to 4 years old. Data on a third shot would be submitted to regulators once they became available in the spring — ostensibly clearing the way for the agency to authorize a three-shot regimen for the youngest children who can get vaccinated. (Branswell, 2/2)

AP: Pfizer Asks FDA To Allow COVID-19 Vaccine For Kids Under 5 
Pfizer on Tuesday asked the U.S. to authorize extra-low doses of its COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5, potentially opening the way for the very youngest Americans to start receiving shots as early as March. In an extraordinary move, the Food and Drug Administration had urged Pfizer and its partner BioNTech to apply earlier than the companies had planned — and before it’s settled if the youngsters will need two shots or three. (Neergaard and Perrone, 2/1)

NPR: Pfizer's Paxlovid Contract With The Government Has Some Surprises
The United States is spending about $530 for each 5-day course of Pfizer's COVID-19 pill, Paxlovid. But the contract for the first 10 million doses would allow the government to get a lower price if one of a handful of other wealthy countries gets a better deal on the drug. It's part of a purchase agreement that seems to be more favorable to the federal government overall compared to the COVID-19 vaccine contracts, says Robin Feldman, a professor at the University of California Hastings College of the Law, who focuses on the pharmaceutical industry and drug policy. (Lupkin, 2/1)

USA Today: Senators Try To Root Out Fake Masks
Three Democratic senators are urging the Justice Department to address the proliferation of fake N95 and KN95 masks on the market, a growing problem as Americans seek improved protection from the highly infectious omicron variant. In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, Senators Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut point out consumers are increasingly finding fraudulent masks for sale, and it can be difficult to tell if they're legitimate, especially when purchasing online. (Ortiz, Yancey-Bragg, Thornton and Tebor, 2/1)

Roll Call: Senate Begins Work On Bipartisan Mental Health Package 
Top senators on an influential health committee indicated at a hearing Tuesday that they plan to work on a bipartisan mental health and substance use package this year. The COVID-19 pandemic has seen record numbers of drug overdose deaths and rises in the number of individuals reporting symptoms of anxiety and depression. Experts have renewed calls for increased resources for children’s mental health, expanding access to mental telehealth and broadening the continuum of care for individuals in crisis situations. (Raman, 2/1)

Modern Healthcare: Senators Eye Workforce Fixes To Improve Mental Health Access
More needs to be done to bolster the health workforce in response to a growing mental health and substance use crisis that the pandemic worsened, senators said during a hearing on Capitol Hill Tuesday. Lawmakers hope to pass legislation this year to address gaps in the behavioral healthcare system. A growing body of evidence shows the existing workforce is insufficient to meet the public's needs. The status quo especially underserves children and young adults at a time when the rate of deaths by suicide among those groups was rising even before COVID-19 surfaced. (Hellmann, 2/1)

Politico: Top Republican Throws Cold Water On Struggling FDA Nominee 
Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) — one of the handful of Republicans in the upper chamber who the Biden administration had been counting on to save the embattled nomination of Robert Califf to lead the FDA — told POLITICO on Tuesday that he’s skeptical the White House is fully behind the nominee. “I like him,” Blunt said of Califf. “But I haven’t made a final decision on that yet and don’t intend to until the administration appears to be truly ready to push his name forward.” (Ollstein and Lim, 2/1)

Bloomberg: Democratic Senator Lujan Recovering After Surgery For Stroke
Democratic Senator Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico is recovering from surgery for a stroke at a hospital in New Mexico but is expected to make a full recovery. The 49-year-old senator began experiencing dizziness and fatigue on Thursday and checked himself into Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe. He was transferred to the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, diagnosed with a stroke in his cerebellum, affecting his balance. An official statement on his health didn’t say how long Lujan would be hospitalized. (Dennis, 2/1)

NBC News: House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer Has 'Mild Symptoms' After Testing Positive For Covid-19
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Tuesday he was experiencing "mild symptoms" after testing positive for Covid-19, making him the latest of dozens of lawmakers to contract the virus during the pandemic. "Thankfully, I am fully vaccinated and already received my booster shot," the 82-year-old Maryland Democrat said in a statement. (Gregorian, 2/1)

The Hill: GOP Senator Tests Positive For COVID-19
Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) announced on Tuesday that he had tested positive for COVID-19 in a breakthrough case of the virus. “While asymptomatic, I tested positive for COVID-19 this afternoon. I’ve consulted with the Senate Physician and will continue to follow the recommendations of my health care provider,” he said in a statement. (Vakil, 2/1)

Fox News: COVID-19 Hospitalizations In Midwest, South Begin To Fall
Hospitalizations in several states across the U.S. are reportedly declining, as the omicron variant of the coronavirus continues to drive the daily American death toll up. In the South, the number of Alabamans hospitalized with COVID-19 has decreased about 5% in the last week. Statistics from the Alabama Department of Public Health showed 2,805 people were being treated for the illness on Monday; that number is down from 2,961 last Tuesday. While the hospitals are still struggling to manage patients amidst staff shortages, the percentage of people testing positive for COVID-19 dropped to a still-high 36% after exceeding 40% for nearly four weeks straight. (Musto, 2/1)

The New York Times: U.S. Has Far Higher Covid Death Rate Than Other Wealthy Countries
Two years into the pandemic, the coronavirus is killing Americans at far higher rates than people in other wealthy nations, a sobering distinction to bear as the country charts a course through the next stages of the pandemic. (Mueller and Lutz, 2/1)

Fox News: Lockdowns Only Reduced COVID-19 Mortality By .2%, Study Finds: 'Lockdowns Should Be Rejected Out Of Hand'
The researchers – Johns Hopkins University economics professor Steve Hanke, Lund University economics professor Lars Jonung, and special advisor at Copenhagen's Center for Political Studies Jonas Herby – analyzed the effects of lockdown measures such as school shutdowns, business closures, and mask mandates on COVID-19 deaths. "We find little to no evidence that mandated lockdowns in Europe and the United States had a noticeable effect on COVID-19 mortality rates," the researchers wrote. The researchers also examined shelter-in-place orders, finding that they reduced COVID-19 mortality by 2.9%. (Best, 2/1)

AP: Mississippi Reports 11th Pediatric COVID-19 Death 
An 11th pediatric coronavirus death in Mississippi was confirmed Tuesday by state health officials. The Mississippi State Department of Health said none of the patients who died had been vaccinated. (2/1)

USA Today: Spike In Child COVID Cases Leads To Rising Frequency Of MIS-C Cases
Although overall child COVID-19 case counts are on their way down in the United States, the January numbers were 3.5 times higher with the omicron variant than what was seen with the previous delta surge, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. The increase in cases has resulted in more pediatric hospitalizations and the rise of a dangerous inflammatory disorder called MIS-C, or Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children. MISC-C is a condition leading to inflammation in the body affecting organs like the heart and lungs, occurs about four weeks after infection and can cause high fever, rash, and in some children, other serious health outcomes. (Tebor, 2/2)

Reuters: Omicron Subvariant BA.2 Likely To Have Same Severity As 'Original' - WHO
The emerging BA.2 form of the Omicron coronavirus variant does not seem to be any more severe than the original BA.1 form, an official of the World Health Organization said on Tuesday. Based on data from Denmark, the first country where BA.2 overtook BA.1, there appears to be no difference in disease severity, although BA.2 has the potential to replace BA.1 globally, said Dr. Boris Pavlin of the WHO's COVID-19 Response Team. (2/1)

CIDRAP: COVID Vaccine-Elicited T Cells Provide Robust Protection Against Omicron
Two studies yesterday in Nature show that the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines provide robust cellular protection against serious illness caused by the highly transmissible Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant, despite evidence of waning neutralizing antibody protection against the virus. In one study, University of Cape Town researchers in South Africa evaluated the ability of vaccine-elicited T cells to react with Omicron's spike protein in vaccine recipients and in unvaccinated COVID-19 survivors. (2/1)

Bloomberg: Pregnant Women With Covid Are Unlikely to Transmit to Babies
Pregnant women who are positive with Covid-19 when they give birth rarely transmit the virus to their newborns, according to a spate of new research. The reason: Covid isn’t often found in a patient’s bloodstream. As researchers have raced to understand the effects of Covid on pregnancy and infants, these findings offer good news to expecting parents. “Analyses show that infection among infants born to women with Covid-19 was uncommon,” said Kate Woodworth, a medical epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease and Prevention. (Muller, 2/1)

CIDRAP: Study: COVID Vaccine Promotion Did Not Boost Uptake In Nursing Facilities
A new study shows that a multicomponent vaccine campaign—which included staff recognition, targeted education, and small gifts—did not significantly increase COVID-19 vaccination rates among skilled nursing facility (SNF) staff and residents from December 2020 to March 2021. The study was published yesterday in JAMA Internal Medicine. (2/1)

Roll Call: Testing Shortages Reach Nursing Homes, Home Health Agencies 
Nursing homes and other elder care providers are grappling with the current shortage of rapid COVID-19 tests, with reports emerging of low supplies as the administration mounts a massive effort to boost the country’s manufacturing capacity. The testing shortage is compounded by a worsening staffing crisis. The industry lost hundreds of thousands of workers since the beginning of the pandemic, and the surge in cases from the omicron variant is forcing more staffers to call out of work. (Clason, 2/2)

Newsweek: Most Unvaccinated Americans Have Not Requested At-Home COVID Test: Poll
Despite at-home COVID-19 testing being available through the U.S. government, many unvaccinated Americans have not filed requests for them. According to a new poll from YouGov, around 70 percent of Americans who have no plans to get a COVID-19 vaccine have not attempted to request at-home testing kits. The poll comes as a new strain of the Omicron variant entitled Stealth has been detected in 30 states, prompting an increase in the need for testing. The Stealth strain has currently been found in over 200 cases across the United States. (Brady, 2/1)

Indianapolis Star: Indiana Winter Storm Will Close COVID-19 Testing, Vaccination Clinics
With a projected snow and ice storm bearing down on Central Indiana, the Indiana Department of Health on Tuesday announced that many of its mobile COVID-19 testing and vaccination clinics will be closed Thursday. All of the state's mobile clinics will close at 5 p.m. Wednesday and many will remain closed on Thursday, including the largest clinic at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (Rudavsky, 2/1)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Health Department Rolling Out A New Gift Card Incentive Program For Residents Receiving Their First COVID-19 Vaccine Dose
With COVID-19 cases, positivity rate, and hospitalizations declining in Milwaukee County and across the state, and the surety that another variant is on the horizon, the Milwaukee Health Department is launching a new vaccine incentive program to help boost the area's vaccination rates. Starting Thursday, anyone age 5 and older, who receives their first vaccine dose will receive a $100 gift card. To be eligible you must receive your first vaccine at one of the three health department sites, or a mobile clinic hosted by the health department. (Bentley, 2/1)

CIDRAP: It's Easy To Misinterpret At-Home COVID Test Results, Data Show
A randomized controlled trial yesterday in JAMA Internal Medicine finds that adult consumers struggle to interpret and act on negative at-home COVID-19 tests. ... Steven Woloshin, MD, of the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, led the April 2021 trial, which involved asking 338 US adults how they would interpret the results of their self-test using instructions authorized by the FDA, instructions developed using decision science principles, or no instructions. The FDA-authorized test instructions were provided by the individual test makers. (Van Beusekom, 2/1)

AP: Virginia Governor's Mask Order Prompts Dueling Lawsuits 
An executive order by Gov. Glenn Youngkin that allows parents to opt out of COVID-19 school mask mandates prompted dueling lawsuits Tuesday, one siding with Youngkin and the other challenging his order. Parents of children with disabilities filed a federal lawsuit, arguing that forcing schools to repeal their mask mandates effectively excludes those students from public schools, in violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act. A separate suit was filed by three parents against the Loudoun County School Board for ignoring Younkin’s order and continuing the school district’s mask mandate. (Lavoie and Rankin, 2/2)

AP: Suits Target New Orleans Virus Rules, Some Affect Mardi Gras 
More than 100 people have joined a lawsuit against New Orleans’ mayor and health director over COVID-19 restrictions that recently were extended to parade and other participants on Mardi Gras and during the season leading up to it. The lawsuit against Mayor LaToya Cantrell and health director Jennifer Avegno targets mask and vaccination mandates, news outlets reported. (2/2)

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Sheriff Lifts COVID Vaccine Mandate For New Employees
Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo has rescinded a mandate requiring new Metropolitan Police Department hires to be vaccinated against COVID-19. In a Tuesday interview, Lombardo said he continues to encourage officers and other employees to get the vaccine. But with a recent dip in positive cases at the department, he lifted the vaccine mandate for new hires about a week ago. “I support the vaccines,” the sheriff said. “I think they keep you from a detrimental experience or hospitalization possibly resulting in death, but that is a personal decision.” (Puit and Wilson, 2/1)

USA Today: Why Do Americans Keep Taking Ivermectin For COVID Despite FDA Warnings? Hundreds Of Doctors Continue To Prescribe It.
Contrary to scientific evidence and warnings from health agencies, hundreds of doctors nationwide continue to prescribe ivermectin – encouraged by a little-known national group of physicians – to prevent and treat COVID-19. During the omicron wave they've been busier than ever, writing tens of thousands of prescriptions. Many of the doctors follow treatment guidelines set by an organization called the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance, which promotes the controversial drug along with other unproven therapies. (Rodriguez, 2/2)

AP: Missouri Health Director Out Following Conservative Blowback
Missouri senators on Tuesday effectively ousted the new state health director following conservative blowback, despite the health czar’s stances against abortion and mask and vaccine mandates. Senators on Tuesday adjourned for the week without taking up Department of Health and Senior Services Director Don Kauerauf’s nomination. The deadline to confirm him is Friday, and because Republican Gov. Mike Parson didn’t retract his nomination, Kauerauf will be barred from serving after this week. (Ballentine and Lieb, 2/2)

AP: Officials Seek Fewer Jail Bookings Due To COVID, Short Staff 
Public defenders and corrections officers describing inhumane conditions in King County jails are asking the county to stop booking people awaiting charges on nonviolent felony offenses amid staff shortages and a surge in coronavirus cases. The proposal, which is opposed by the county prosecutor’s office, is an effort to further reduce jail populations, which have fallen significantly since the pandemic started, The Seattle Times reported. (2/2)

Stat: Despite Biden’s Promises, Covid-19 Is Still Raging Through Prisons
On his first full day in office, President Biden promised to order the federal Bureau of Prisons to reevaluate its Covid-19 protocols and release additional data on the spread of the virus in prisons, two in a slew of pledges aimed at ensuring the United States’ pandemic response was equitable. But that specific order never came. And now, as Covid-19 is spiking in multiple federal prisons around the country, spurred by the Omicron variant and still-substandard infection control, advocates say that the BOP’s Covid-19 protocols are as broken as ever. (Florko, 2/2)

The New York Times: Medical Care At Rikers Is Delayed For Thousands, Records Show 
It started with a toothache. A 25-year-old man taken into custody last winter asked New York City jail officials if he could see a dentist for cavities. But his consistent requests for care went unanswered, according to court records and lawyers for the man, even as it became difficult for him to eat and sleep because of the pain. His mouth became infected, leaking blood and pus. He was in agony by the time he finally saw a dentist last month, nearly a year since he first requested medical treatment. He was told he would need extensive surgery. (Bromwich, 2/1)

Modern Healthcare: Magellan Health To Kick Off Prescription Medicine Drone Delivery
Magellan Health's pharmacy benefits management division plans to roll out drone delivery for some members' medications later this year, the managed-care company said Tuesday. Phoenix-based Magellan Health, which was acquired by Centene last month, has partnered with Zipline, a company that develops and operates drones to deliver medical products. Magellan Rx Management will deliver prescriptions to members at home using Zipline drones. The program will start this year with specialty drugs for members with chronic and complex conditions. (Kim Cohen, 2/1)

Press Association: The NHS Is ‘Riddled With Racism’, Says British Medical Association Chair
The chair of the council of the British Medical Association has said the NHS is “riddled with racism” following the findings of a survey into the experiences of doctors. The survey found at least 75% of ethnic minority doctors experienced racism more than once in the past two years and 17.4% experienced regular racism at work. Speaking to the BBC, BMA council chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul said: “This is about a moral right for anyone who works for the NHS to be treated fairly.” (2/2)

The Washington Post: Native American Tribes Reach Tentative Opioid Deal With Major Drug Distributors, Johnson & Johnson
Hundreds of Native American tribes, devastated disproportionally in the opioid epidemic, tentatively agreed to settle with the country’s three major drug distributors and Johnson & Johnson for $665 million. (Kornfield, 2/1)

ABC News: Sacklers 'Close' To Deal To Contribute Additional Cash In Opioid Settlement 
The family that owns Purdue Pharma is “close” to an agreement that substantially increases its financial contribution to a nationwide opioids settlement, according to a new court filing. The filing from Judge Shelley Chapman, who is mediating a dispute between Purdue Pharma and states that objected to its bankruptcy reorganization plan, asked for an extra week to reach a deal. Tuesday had been the original deadline. (Katersky, 2/1)

The Washington Post: Mich. GOP Governor Candidate Said Rape Victims Shouldn’t Have Abortions: ‘Baby Inside Them May Be The Next President’
When Garrett Soldano was asked on a right-wing podcast how he would “ensure the sanctity of life” in Michigan, the Republican candidate for governor said he would stop at nothing to protect a fetus. Even in cases where victims of rape become pregnant, Soldano said, “we’re always going to fight for life.” “They don’t know that little baby inside them may be the next president, may be the next person who changes humanity,” Soldano said on the “Face the Facts” podcast. (Peiser, 2/1)

Bangor Daily News: 2021 Was The Worst Year On Record For Child Deaths In Maine
Twenty-five children died last year in incidents tracked by the state that were associated with abuse or neglect or after a history of family involvement with the child welfare system, according to updated data released by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services last week. It is the highest number of deaths recorded in a single year dating back to 2007 and more than double the total from 2020. The data also are an undercount because homicides last year that are the subject of criminal proceedings — including four reported in June — are not included. (Andrews, 2/2)

San Francisco Chronicle: California’s First Surgeon General Resigns
Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, who was appointed as California’s first-ever surgeon general in 2019, has resigned, governor’s officials said on Tuesday. In a statement provided to The Chronicle, Gov. Gavin Newsom said that Harris’ “expertise and leadership in championing equity, mental health and early childhood development have been instrumental in advancing the health and well-being of Californians.” When Burke Harris was named as the surgeon general in January 2019, governor’s officials said she would “urge policymakers at every level of government and leaders across the state to consider the social determinants of health, especially for children.” (Hernández, 2/1)

Detroit Free Press: Detroit Monthly One-Stop Shops Will Offer Health Screenings, Other Resources
A group of nonprofits launched a series of monthly "one-stop" shops Tuesday to provide   free health screenings, COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, rental and utility assistance and a food pantry for residents in Detroit and Hamtramck. Through next year, the Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency is collaborating with Wayne Health, which is affiliated with the Wayne State University School of Medicine, and ICNA Relief Michigan Muslim Family Services to offer the combination of services and to increase vaccinations. The work is supported by a roughly $99,000 grant Wayne Metro received from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation. (Rahman, 2/1)

AP: Mississippi Governor Noncommittal On Medical Marijuana Bill
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Tuesday that he has not decided whether he will sign a bill to legalize marijuana for people with debilitating medical conditions such as cancer, AIDS and sickle cell disease. The bill is expected to become law regardless of what the Republican governor does because the GOP-led House and Senate passed it last week by veto-proof majorities. (Pettus, 2/1)

NBC News: Pool Heater Blamed For 'Life Threatening' Carbon Monoxide Incident At Ohio Hotel
A hotel pool heater was the likely source of carbon monoxide exposure in an incident Saturday that sent more than a dozen people to hospitals, authorities said. Fourteen people, including at least six children, were hospitalized in the incident at a Hampton Inn in Marysville, Ohio, city fire and police officials said in a statement Monday. (Romero, 2/1)

The Texas Tribune: Alarming Number Of Teenage Girls Attempting Suicide During The Pandemic 
Growing up, Charley Tennen was rarely alone. The youngest of seven kids in a loud, busy house in El Paso, she was always out at a party, shopping with friends or organizing a road trip. Even after she was diagnosed with a chronic illness and had a feeding tube inserted, she kept her bubbly personality, her mother, Michelle, said. But when COVID-19 hit Texas in March 2020, all of that suddenly went away. Charley went from attending school with a few thousand students to sitting alone in her bedroom, doing virtual classes. She and other family members were immunocompromised, so they fully isolated themselves, terrified of getting sick. (Klibanoff, 2/1)

The Atlantic: What Happens In Your Brain When You Get Dumped 
We all know that when love is good, it’s really good. Research shows that romantic attachments, when they’re healthy and supportive, can be immensely beneficial for our health. Married people tend to live longer than single people and seem to fare better when seriously sick. But as poets and pop singers have long told us, when love goes awry, it hurts like nothing else. After my marriage ended—not by my choice—I found some comfort in art, but what I really wanted was science. I wanted to know why we feel so operatically sad when a romantic attachment dissolves. What I discovered is that love changes us so deeply—at a physiological level—that when it’s lost, we hurt more than if we had never loved at all. (Williams, 2/1)

The New York Times: Questions Remain After Highway Crash Involving Monkeys 
In the 11 days since a truck hauling 100 monkeys from Mauritius crashed in Pennsylvania, one woman who got close to the scattered crates of monkeys on the highway has been treated for possible symptoms of illness. ... No other reports of possible illness related to the crash have emerged, according to state and federal health officials, who said it was not known whether the Pennsylvania woman’s symptoms were related to the cynomolgus macaques, which were being quarantined and monitored for diseases. Experts said that direct exposure to monkey saliva or feces could be dangerous, but that the risk of a broader outbreak was low. (Levenson, 2/1)

The Washington Post: Tonga, Once Covid-Free, Goes Into Lockdown Weeks After Volcano Eruption
Five coronavirus cases have been recorded in Tonga as it recovers from last month’s volcanic eruption and tsunami, forcing the once covid-free archipelago nation into a complete lockdown. Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni said the country would go into lockdown from 6 p.m. local time Wednesday and that the restrictions would be reviewed every 48 hours, local news website Matangi Tonga reported. (Vinall, 2/2)

Reuters: Tokyo's Daily COVID-19 Infections Exceed 20,000 For First Time
Tokyo's new COVID-19 cases exceeded 20,000 for the first time on Wednesday, dimming hopes that an Omicron-fuelled wave of infections in Japan is peaking out. (2/2)

Bloomberg: Covid-19: Norway Scales Back Most Of Its Restrictions
Norway is easing most of the measures to curb infection and aims to remove the rest in a couple of weeks as it bets a high level of vaccination will be enough to shield the health system from overloading. Limits on guests at private gatherings, a curb on the service of alcohol in bars and restaurants, and testing after arriving at the border have all been removed, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store told reporters in Oslo on Tuesday. Face masks will still need to be worn in shops, shopping centers and on public transport where a distance of a meter can’t be maintained. (Treloar, 2/1)

The Washington Post: WHO Urges Caution As Countries Begin To Loosen Restrictions
Countries should be cautious about lifting coronavirus restrictions, World Health Organization officials warned Tuesday, noting that many places haven’t yet reached the peak of the omicron surge. (Pannett and Suliman, 2/2)

The Washington Post: Researchers Are Asking Why Some Countries Were Better Prepared For Covid. One Surprising Answer: Trust
Before 2020, Vietnam looked particularly vulnerable to a pandemic. The Southeast Asian country, a single-party state with nearly 100 million people, scored low on international assessments of universal health coverage and had relatively few hospital beds for its population, as well as a closed-off political system. Instead, Vietnam emerged as an early pandemic success story. Long after the coronavirus began to spread in neighboring China, Vietnam maintained low levels of infections and fatalities even as wealthy countries with more robust health systems, including the United States and much of Europe, struggled. (Taylor, 2/1)

CNBC: These Countries Have The Lowest Covid Vaccination Rates In The World
Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Haiti are the least vaccinated countries in the world against Covid-19, data has shown. Just 0.05% of Burundi’s population has received at least one Covid vaccination dose, according to statistics compiled by Our World in Data. In DR Congo, 0.4% of people have been given at least one dose, while in Haiti that proportion of the population rises to around 1%. In low-income countries, just 5.5% of people have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to Our World in Data. In high-income countries, 72% of the population has been fully vaccinated with at least two doses. (Taylor, 2/2)

Roll Call: Unvaccinated Truckers Find Roadblocks At Canada-US Border 
A requirement that foreign nationals entering the U.S. and Canada be vaccinated for COVID-19 is exacerbating the supply chain logjam, according to freight industry groups who say they can’t find enough vaccinated drivers to bring goods across the U.S.-Canada border. The U.S. government argues the new requirement has had little such impact and argues the public health benefits make the mandate worthwhile. The U.S. on Jan. 22 began imposing the vaccine requirement on all non-U.S. individuals traveling for both essential and nonessential reasons. The restrictions do not apply to U.S. citizens entering the U.S. Canada began requiring northbound truckers and other incoming visitors to be vaccinated beginning Jan. 15, which has triggered a number of protests by Canadian truckers. (Wehrman, 2/1)

NPR: Cuba Has Come Up With 5 COVID Vaccine Candidates
In the early days of the COVID pandemic, Cuba decided it was going to make its own vaccine – even though vaccine development historically takes years, even decades, to bear fruit. Why did the Communist island nation decide to go it alone? It didn't want to rely on the whims of foreign governments or international pharmaceutical companies to immunize its people. Cuba didn't even sign up for the COVAX program, backed by the World Health Organization, that was promising to purchase vaccines in bulk and distribute them equitably around the globe. (Beaubien, 2/1)