Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Moves Down All Countries From Its Highest Covid Risk Rank
The Washington Post: CDC Drops All Countries From Its Highest-Risk Covid Category
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its international covid-19 travel advisory system Monday, designating its highest-risk category for extreme scenarios. As of Monday, the CDC dropped all countries from its “Level 4” category, now labeled “Special Circumstances/Do Not Travel.” About 120 destinations now have a Level 3 advisory — including Australia, the United Kingdom, Italy and many other popular European destinations — for “high” levels of the coronavirus, while 12 destinations sit at Level 2. Another 55 are designated Level 1, its lowest-risk level. (Diller, 4/18)
And more global covid news —
Bloomberg: China Covid: Shanghai Reports Seven More Deaths In Current Omicron Outbreak
Shanghai reported another seven Covid-19 deaths as the financial hub grapples with a record outbreak that’s brought unprecedented disruptions to residents and threatens the country’s economic growth. The people who died were aged between 60 and 101 and had severe underlying health conditions, and follow three deaths announced on Monday. Shanghai reported 20,416 new infections, a decline from a recent peak though still elevated as the coronavirus continues to spread through the city. (Shanghai, 4/19)
CIDRAP: Worldwide COVID-19 Deaths Increased 6% On Weekends Amid Pandemic
A global analysis of nearly 6 million COVID-19 deaths over 2 years reveals that 6% more occurred on weekends than on weekdays in all countries except Germany, according to data to be presented at the annual congress of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Apr 23 to 26 in Portugal. ... The study authors said the higher weekend death rate may have been due to lower hospital efficiency, uneven staffing levels, a different mix of personnel expertise, variable hours, reduced capacity, or delays in reporting. (4/18)
In other developments —
Iowa Public Radio: Importers Are Banning Poultry From Only Some Parts Of The U.S. During This Bird Flu Outbreak
More than 80 countries have put restrictions on imports of U.S. poultry products out of fear of bird flu spreading from American farms to their shores. During the bird flu outbreak of 2014-2015, roughly half as many countries barred U.S. poultry. But those bans applied to any American poultry. This time, more nuanced trade policies parse their import restrictions to poultry from specific counties or regions in the U.S. where a highly contagious form of bird flu has been detected. “There is a large reduction in the size of restricted zones from past outbreaks,” Mike Stepien, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, wrote in an email to Harvest Public Media. “Previously, several countries restricted the entire United States, and many countries implemented state-wide restrictions.” (Peikes, 4/18)
