CDC Issues New Guidelines For Contact Tracers; Minnesota Urges App Use

Politico: CDC Urges Overwhelmed Contact Tracers To Prioritize Efforts As Cases Soar
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is advising overwhelmed local health officials to triage their coronavirus contact tracing efforts, writing that the latest infection surge is making it difficult to reach every close contact of Covid-positive patients in time to help contain the disease’s spread. “As the burden of COVID-19 worsens in an area, and the capacity to investigate new cases in a timely manner becomes more difficult or is not feasible, health departments should prioritize which cases to investigate and which contacts to trace,” reads new guidance from the CDC. (Ollstein, 11/23)

AP: Minnesota Launches Smartphone App To Slow Spread Of COVID-19
Gov. Tim Walz and other Minnesota officials urged residents Monday to download a free app for their smartphones that will notify them if someone who’s been near them later tests positive for the coronavirus and will allow them to warn others anonymously if they test positive themselves. Walz also said he plans to call a special legislative session to pass a relief package to help small businesses cope with the impacts of his moves last week to tighten restrictions to slow the spread of the virus, which included a four-week closure of restaurants and bars, except for takeout and delivery, and a similar shutdown of gyms and amateur sporting events. (Karnowski, 11/23)

In updates about PPE —

NPR: PPE Production Issues Means U.S. Can't Meet Goals Of Filling Strategic Stockpile 
The Strategic National Stockpile, which the U.S. has traditionally depended on for emergencies, still lacks critical supplies, nine months into one of the worst public health care crises this country has ever seen, an NPR investigation has learned. A combination of long-standing budget shortfalls, lack of domestic manufacturing, snags in the global supply chain, and overwhelming demand has meant that the stockpile is short of the gloves, masks, and other supplies needed to weather this winter's surge in COVID-19 cases. (Evstatieva, 11/23)

Bloomberg: Clorox Is Shipping Nearly 1 Million Packs Of Wipes Every Day
Clorox Co. is shipping out its disinfecting wipes as fast as the company can make them. It’s not fast enough. While the bleach maker planned to have inventories replenished at major retailers by this summer, unprecedented demand throughout the pandemic dashed any hope of that. To cope, Clorox has added 10 additional third-party manufacturers and is running its own facilities 24 hours a day. (Porter Jr., 11/23)

: World's Top Latex Glove Maker Shuts Factories
Malaysia's Top Glove will close down 28 plants in phases as it seeks to control the outbreak, authorities said. The company has seen a huge surge in demand for its personal protective gear since the start of the pandemic. However, there have been concerns about the working conditions of the low-paid migrant workers it relies upon. (11/24)

In updates on COVID testing —

AP: Maine Company Contracted To Produce Million Of Testing Swabs
A Maine medical supplies manufacturer has been awarded more than $11 million from the federal government to produce millions more testing swabs. Puritan Medical Products of Guilford received the money through the federal Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, said Republican Sen. Susan Collins on Monday. The company will increase its production of swabs by three million per month, Collins said. (11/24)

San Francisco Chronicle: S.F. Study Could Bring U.S. Closer To Fast, Reliable Coronavirus Tests That Report Results In Minutes
A small study by San Francisco researchers could bring the U.S. a step closer to having reliable and fast coronavirus diagnostic tests that generate results in minutes, instead of hours or days. The study found that a new, rapid antigen test performed almost as well as state-of-the-art tests, commonly referred to as PCR tests, at detecting positives among people who had high levels of the virus and were thus likely infectious. And the results come back to users much quicker, which could improve the coronavirus testing landscape. (Ho, 11/23)

Boston Globe: COVID-19 Testing In Mass. Is ‘Far Short’ Of Levels Needed To Stop The Spread
Members of the state’s high-tech business community on Monday urged the state and the rest of the nation to step up the amount of COVID-19 testing, saying the number of tests is still falling far short of what is needed to win the fight against the coronavirus. A virtual panel discussion hosted by the Massachusetts High Technology Council made the case for a broader and more methodical approach to testing the population than what’s being done now. (Chesto, 11/23)

Modern Healthcare: Older Adults At 'Ground Zero' During COVID-19 Pandemic
As the numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths in long-term care settings continue to climb, post-acute care leaders are calling for more funding, testing, staffing and PPE. "Older adults are living at Ground Zero in the worst pandemic in a century," Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO of LeadingAge, a national association of aging services providers, said Monday during a press conference. "How many of the most vulnerable Americans must die before we see meaningful relief?" (Christ, 11/23)