Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Big Reason To Halt Shipments Of Big Screens: Amazon Prioritizes Groceries, Necessities, Limits Some Orders
The New York Times: To Focus On Necessities, Amazon Stops Accepting Some Items In Warehouses
Amazon is moving to meet a surge in demand for household staples and medical supplies by pulling back on stocking items like consumer electronics and toys. In emails early Tuesday, Amazon told the sellers and vendors that supply the products on its website that it would not accept some shipments into its warehouses for three weeks. That includes halting purchase orders from brands that sell directly to the company and stopping shipments from the third-party sellers that offer goods on its marketplace. (Weise, 3/17)
Politico: Amazon Expedites Grocery, Health Shipments At Expense Of Other Products
The company said it would place the highest priority on products in six broad categories: baby products; health and household goods; beauty and personal care; groceries; industrial and scientific products; and pet supplies. Amazon announced Monday it would hire an additional 100,000 workers in its U.S. warehouses to help handle increased demand.The news comes as several U.S. states and European countries have closed bars, restaurants, movie theaters, gyms and other businesses where people come into close contact in an effort to stem the spread of coronavirus. (Nylen, 3/17)
The Associated Press: More Wipes, No Jeans: Amazon Limits Shipments To Warehouses
Among the products that can be shipped to Amazon include canned beans, diapers, dog food, disinfecting wipes, medical supplies and various household goods. Items like jeans, phone cases and other non-essentials will not be allowed. “It’s pretty disruptive,” says Greg Mercer, the CEO of Jungle Scout, a software platform for Amazon sellers that predicts sales data. (Pisani, 3/17)
The New York Times: Food, A Basic Pleasure, Is Suddenly Fraught
The white-tablecloth restaurants and the dive bars are closed. The ample buffets that feed America’s tech work force and Las Vegas gamblers have been shut down, along with millions of school cafeterias. On Monday, McDonald’s joined other fast-food companies and closed its restaurants except for delivery and drive-through. Almost overnight, Americans have had to rethink one of the most elemental parts of their daily lives: food. (Severson and Moskin, 3/17)
The Washington Post: José Andres Says ‘People Have To Eat,’ So His Shuttered Restaurants Are Now Community Kitchens
Workers were affixing small black-and-white signs to the stone patio outside Zaytinya on Tuesday morning, each one exactly six feet from the next. The signs indicated where customers for one of ThinkFoodGroup’s new community kitchens should stand while waiting for meals outside a restaurant that would be, under normal circumstances, packed with lunchtime diners. But Zaytinya was closed, one of hundreds of restaurants and bars across the city affected by the D.C. government’s order on Monday to stop all dine-in service. (Carman, 3/17)
