Latest KFF Health News Stories
More Cities, Businesses Tighten Mask Restrictions
Milwaukee joins the list of places where you must wear a mask in indoor and outdoor public spaces; Michigan has extended its state of emergency; and more.
Justice Ginsburg Admitted To Hospital For ‘Possible Infection’
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had a medical procedure to clean out a bile-duct stent, a court statement says.
Unused Free Testing Behind Lethal Outbreak In Montana Care Home
The outbreak in Billings at Canyon Creek Memory Care, where eight residents have died and almost are all infected, illustrates the need to adopt common-sense preventive measures. News on testing is on the slowness of getting results, and comes from California, Maine and Georgia, as well.
VA Nursing Assistant Admits To Murdering Patients
A shocking story of a nursing assistant at a Veterans Administration hospital who intentionally killed seven patients; she pleaded guilty to the crimes.
Critics Say Administration Not Helping Unemployed Find New Health Coverage
As job loss jeopardizes health coverage for millions of people, advocates say the administration should do more to publicize the availability of Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program or health plans being sold on marketplaces. Meanwhile, the administration filed a brief with the Supreme Court asking that Arkansas’ Medicaid work requirements be reinstated.
Former Top General Signals He Won’t Lead Coronavirus Oversight Panel
Former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Joseph Dunford has told congressional leaders that he will not take the job of running the bipartisan oversight commission, another hurdle in the effort to monitor the distribution of hundreds of billions of dollars of federal pandemic aid.
White House Infighting: Fauci Defends Record While Navarro Goes On Attack
Intra-Trump administration conflict goes public as one official writes an op-ed criticizing Dr. Anthony Fauci and another posts a mocking cartoon. In response to White House efforts to undermine his credibility, Fauci responds: “I believe, for the most part, you can trust respected medical authorities. I believe I’m one of them, so I think you can trust me.”
Trump Abandons Plan To Kick Out Online-Only Foreign Students
The abrupt reversal came a little more than a week after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued an edict that left educational leaders scrambling and prompted immediate lawsuits.
Trump Administration Orders Hospitals To Bypass CDC With Data On COVID
Instead, the coronavirus patient data will go to HHS. Public health experts voice concern that the change could lead to less transparency and accuracy about the state of the pandemic. The National Guard’s possible role also alarms hospitals.
COVID Vaccine Developed In U.S. Shows Promising Immune System Reaction
The experimental vaccine — made by the biotech company Moderna with assistance from the National Institutes of Health — prompted participants in the study to develop neutralizing antibodies that have been shown to kill the virus. Larger trials are now planned.
CDC Leadership Urges Mask Wearing
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention strongly urges Americans to wear masks to limit the spread of the coronavirus while President Donald Trump’s reluctance to wear one influences the public more.
Outbreak Escalates In Even More States As US Continues To Break Case Records
While recent attention has focused on hot spots like Texas, Florida and Arizona, cases are starting to soar in other states like Oklahoma and Nevada as well. In total, over 62,000 Americans were reported sick Tuesday — another record. Death rates also continue to climb.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
California School Districts Grope for Sensible Reopening Plans
Some districts want to bring everyone back to the classroom and some are planning distance-only learning, while most others are settling on one of a variety of options in the middle. Whatever their leanings, they all face vast, troubling uncertainty.
Conspiracy Theories Aside, Here’s What Contact Tracers Really Do
Recently, the idea has triggered a lot of conspiracy-theory talk. But it’s actually a tried-and-true public health tool being applied to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Editorial pages focus on these pandemic issues and others.
Different Takes: Pros And Cons Of Reopening Schools Debated
Opinion pages focus on the best and safest ways to educate children and young adults during the pandemic.
Hong Kong Disneyland Faces Re-Closing Even As Disney Eyes More Openings In Florida
Global news reports are from Hong Kong, England, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Australia, Japan, and France.
New York Sets Fines For Travelers Who Refuse To Give Airport Officers Details Of Quarantine Plans
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday that people flying into New York will be required to fill out forms with contact information and travel plans and provide them to police officers at the airport.
Miami Becoming New ‘Epicenter Of The Pandemic’
More than 2,000 people are hospitalized the in South Florida city. In the past 13 days, Miami-Dade County has reported increases in Covid-19 hospitalizations (68%), in the number of ICU beds being used (69%) and in the use of ventilators (109%). News outlets look at the situation in Miami and elsewhere in Florida, as well as rising cases in Texas and other states.