Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC: Thanksgiving Gatherings Need To Be Small And Outside
The Hill: CDC Issues New Guidance For Thanksgiving Gatherings
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week released updated recommendations for Thanksgiving as many Americans weigh how they will celebrate the family-focused holiday amid the coronavirus pandemic. In guidance published Monday, the CDC said virtual gatherings or enjoying the holiday with members of your own household are the safest options this year. In-person gatherings with individuals from other households, including college students returning home from campus, are higher-risk options. (Choi, 11/10)
The Washington Post: No Live Audience For National Christmas Tree Lighting, Park Service Says
No live audience will be invited this year to watch the lighting of the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse, the National Park Service said this week, citing public health concerns over covid-19. However, as with may other events that have been closed to live audiences this year, the ceremony will be available virtually, the park service said. It invited viewing Dec. 3 at thenationaltree.org. (Weil, 11/11)
In other public health news —
ABC News: COVID 'Super-Spreader' Wedding That Infected 34 Costs Country Club Its Liquor License
On its website, the North Fork Country Club boasts about being the setting of "peace and relaxation, tranquility and togetherness." But New York state health officials said it was also the backdrop of a COVID-19 "super-spreader" wedding, at which dozens were infected and more than 100 others were forced to quarantine. (Hutchinson, 11/10)
Stat: Restaurants And Gyms Were Spring ‘Superspreader’ Sites
Using cellphone data from 1 in 3 Americans, researchers have identified the indoor public places most responsible for the spread of Covid-19 in the spring, and they argue that sharply limiting the occupancy of these locales — chiefly restaurants, gyms, cafes, hotels, and houses of worship — could control the raging pandemic without resorting to lockdowns. (Cooney, 11/10)
AP: Star-Studded Benefit Concert To Honor Nurses On Thanksgiving
Stevie Wonder, Celine Dion, Gloria Estefan will be among the entertainers honoring nurses in a star-studded benefit virtual concert on Thanksgiving. Nurse Heroes announced Tuesday that the concert called Nurse Heroes Live will stream on the organization’s YouTube and Facebook along with LiveXLive on Nov. 26 at 7 p.m. EST. The benefit will provide money for a variety of programs including scholarships for nurses and their children. (11/10)
GMA: Grocery Stores To Implement Product Limits As New Buying Patterns Emerge Amid Pandemic Surge
As COVID-19 infections increase in the U.S. experts predict that shoppers will start to stock up on a variety of products that could prompt another round of shortages in stores in the coming months. "We absolutely are starting to see shortages again," Mike Brackett, founder and CEO of Centricity Incorporated, told "Good Morning America." (McCarthy, 11/10)
AP: No. 1 Alabama-LSU, No. 5 Texas A&M-Tennessee Postponed
No. 1 Alabama at LSU and No. 5 Texas A&M at Tennessee will not be played Saturday because of COVID-19 issues, raising the number of Southeastern Conference games postponed this week to three. The SEC said Tuesday that the Aggies and Volunteers will be rescheduled for Dec. 12, but the Crimson Tide’s game against the defending national champion Tigers is in danger of not being played at all after COVID-19 cases in LSU’s program. (Russo, 11/10)
Also —
AP: Mental Health Workers To Take Lead In Some NYC 911 Calls
Mental health workers will replace police officers in responding to some 911 calls next year in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday. The test program, to be rolled out in two neighborhoods, will give mental health professionals the lead role when someone calls 911 because a family member is in crisis, officials said. (11/10)
The New York Times: David Toole, Disabled Dancer With Grace In His Hands, Dies At 56
David Toole was 26 when he found relief from his postal work in Britain in an unexpected way: as a novice dancer at a workshop, where he showed intuitive grace and athleticism while performing on his hands. His legs had been amputated in childhood. “In warm-ups, he was shy, quite quiet,” Charlotte Darbyshire, who also danced at the workshop, said in a phone interview, recalling the workshop in Leeds, in northern England, in 1991. “But very quickly, he discarded his wheelchair, and was more comfortable on his hands. We were stunned, really. He was an incredible mover, with great balance and a natural gift for performance.” (Sandomir, 11/10)
