Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
As Mainland China Coronavirus Cases Continue To Climb, One City Offers $1,400 Reward For Patients Who Self-Report
Reuters: China City Offers $1,400 Reward For Virus Patients Who Report To Authorities
A city in China's Hubei province, the epicenter of the global coronavirus epidemic, will pay residents as much as 10,000 yuan ($1,425.96) if they proactively report symptoms of the illness and it is confirmed after testing. Qianjiang, a city of around one million people located about 150 km (90 miles) from the stricken provincial capital of Wuhan, has reported a total of 197 cases so far and is stepping up efforts to ensure its infected people are confined and treated. (2/27)
Reuters: Mainland China Reports 433 New Coronavirus Cases, 29 Deaths
Mainland China reported 433 new cases of coronavirus infections on Feb. 26, the National Health Commission said on Thursday, up from 406 on the previous day. The total number of confirmed cases on mainland China has now reached 78,497, the health authority said. (2/27)
Reuters: China Aims To Bar Those Infected With Virus From Crossing Borders - Health Official
China will focus on preventing those infected with coronavirus from crossing borders and work to strengthen international cooperation, a spokesman for the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Thursday. The comments by Mi Feng at a news conference come after the number of new infections overseas exceeded those in China for the first time this week, with Italy and Iran emerging as new epicentres. (2/27)
The Washington Post: Coronavirus: China Not Sharing Data On Medical Personnel Cases, WHO Says
Timely information about the health of medical workers is key to understanding transmission patterns and developing strategies aimed at containing outbreaks. But it was not until Feb. 14 — more than a month into the crisis — that China disclosed that about 1,700 front-line medical workers were infected at the time. The figure, which has since grown, was published in a research paper, not reported directly to the World Health Organization. (Rauhala, 2/26)
The New York Times: As Coronavirus Slams Small Business, A Noodle Shop Fights For Life
The stone counters where customers normally crowd at Pang Mei’s Noodle Shop in Beijing have been turned into an assembly line of workers folding dumplings or measuring out noodles, sauces and other ingredients into plastic containers. The restaurant has been closed to the public for more than a month. Its customers, like all Beijingers, have been all but ordered to stay at home and avoid any public gatherings. Its owners are trying to make up for the loss in business with an improvised delivery menu of boil-it-yourself noodles — with only a little success. (Myers, 2/27)
PBS NewsHour: Chinese Activists Confront Censorship, Violence To Expose Truth About Outbreak
The spread of novel coronavirus in China has stabilized, but a battle between the country’s people and its government over information continues. In fact, several Chinese activists who raised alarm over the outbreak and the official response to it are now missing. Critics say the Communist Party is seeking to contain not just the virus, but also the details surrounding it. (Schifrin, 2/26)
