Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Americans Flock To Beaches, Pools On Memorial Day Despite Pandemic
The Associated Press: Memorial Day Weekend Draws Crowds And Triggers Warnings
The Memorial Day weekend marking the unofficial start of summer in the U.S. meant big crowds at beaches and warnings from authorities Sunday about people disregarding the coronavirus social-distancing rules and risking a resurgence of the scourge that has killed nearly 100,000 Americans. ... Sheriff’s deputies and beach patrols tried to make sure people kept their distance from others as they soaked up the rays on the sand and at parks and other recreation sites around the country. (Anderson and Mahoney, 5/25)
The New York Times: Even On Memorial Day, ‘You Can’t Escape’ Coronavirus
On a holiday that usually mixes somber remembrance and blissful renewal, the nation marked an unusually grim Memorial Day in which losses from the past merged with ones from the present. Gray skies and rain in much of the United States on Monday provided a muted backdrop as crowds flocked to beaches, amusement parks, lakes and boardwalks on the first long weekend since the coronavirus began to tear through the country, taking almost 100,000 lives with it. For many people, the day was an attempt to turn the page from the lockdowns of the past two months to something more resembling the traditional beginning of summer. (Oppel and Burch, 5/25)
The Associated Press: Pandemic Brings Smaller, Subdued Memorial Day Observances
Americans settled for small processions and online tributes instead of parades Monday as they observed Memorial Day in the shadow of the pandemic, which forced communities to honor the nation’s military dead with modest, more subdued ceremonies that also remembered those lost to the coronavirus. (Forliti and Brown, 5/26)
Reuters: Americans Make Low-Key Memorial Day Tributes, Coronavirus Overshadowing Events
In some places, scaled-down ceremonies were broadcast over the internet, as shutdowns to curb the spread of the virus put a damper on what is usually a day of flag-waving parades and crowds celebrating the unofficial start of the U.S. summer. Spots that would be bustling on a normal Memorial holiday had noticeably thinner crowds. Perhaps half of those gathered at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington wore face coverings, recommended as one way to fight infection. Only about one in 10 did so on the boardwalk by the beach in Ocean City, New Jersey. (Allen, 5/25)
NPR: Americans Welcome Summer With A Somber And Surreal Memorial Day
Even in a typical year, Memorial Day in the U.S. can be a confusing mixture of joy and sadness — at once a hearty welcome to summertime, brimming with picnics and parties, and a somber remembrance of the service members who died in wars. But this has been no typical year. Into the holiday's characteristic contrast of opposites the coronavirus pandemic has tossed a rather large wrench, which has only served to rend that divide wider. (Dwyer, 5/25)
The Washington Post: Crowd Ignores Social Distancing In Missouri’s Lake Of The Ozarks
Vacationers flocked to the Lake of the Ozarks over the holiday weekend, flouting social distancing guidelines as they packed into yacht clubs, outdoor bars and resort pools in the Missouri tourist hot spot. Images of the revelry rippled across social media, showing people eating, drinking and swimming in close quarters. In one picture shared by the news station KSDK, dozens of people could be seen crammed on an outdoor patio underneath a sign reading, “Please practice social distancing.” (Hawkins, 5/24)
NBC News: Missouri Health Officials Call For Self-Quarantine Of Partiers At Lake Of The Ozarks
Images of a jampacked pool party at Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri over the Memorial Day weekend prompted St. Louis County to issue a travel advisory and the Kansas City health director to call for self-quarantine of the revelers. The advisory by the St. Louis County Public Health Department cited news reports of large crowds at Lake of the Ozarks, where hundreds of people were recorded squeezed closely together amid the coronavirus epidemic. (Helsel, 5/26)
The Washington Post: Memorial Day Offers Array Of Contrasts As Trump And Biden Honor War Dead, With And Without Masks
In Ocean City, Md., videos showed visitors thronging the boardwalk, only some wearing masks. From Newport Beach, Calif., to the Tampa area along Florida’s Gulf Coast, crowds were sometimes dense — in the latter case, forcing authorities to close jammed parking lots. In midtown Houston on Saturday, more than 100 partygoers packed into a swimming pool area at a club, flouting social distancing orders to maintain space or wear masks a day after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) eased restrictions on bars and restaurants. (Nakashima, 5/25)
CNN: Thousands Disregarded Health Guidance Over The Weekend Despite Rising Coronavirus Cases In More Than A Dozen States
Packing beaches, pool parties and outdoor gatherings all over the US, many Americans used the holiday weekend to mark the unofficial beginning of summer -- ditching the face masks and social distancing urged by health officials. Many people, undoubtedly, continued to abide by new restrictions set in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus -- staying in small groups, wearing masks and keeping a distance from others. But in some parts of the country, Memorial Day happenings looked not at all unlike any other year. (Maxouris, 5/26)
The Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus Caution Urged As Americans Venture Out For Holiday Weekend
The festivities played out as the number of U.S. deaths from Covid-19 approached 100,000. The U.S. death toll stood at more than 97,800 on Monday, which was close to 30% of the global total of about 345,000. The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases exceeded 5.4 million world-wide Monday, with more than 1.6 million of those in the U.S., according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The pandemic didn’t stop some of the traditional Memorial Day salutes. In Los Angeles, 18 vintage warplanes flew low and in formation Monday as a tribute to veterans and health-care workers. (Lazo, Berger and Michaels, 5/25)
