Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
China Expands Lockdowns After Boom In COVID-19 Cases; Singapore To Start Human Trials Of Vaccine In August
The New York Times: Coronavirus Outbreak In Beijing, China's Capital, Alarms Officials
The authorities in Beijing placed a swath of the city under lockdown on Monday and tested tens of thousands of people as they rushed to contain a new coronavirus outbreak that marked an unnerving breach in China’s capital. President Xi Jinping had said from the outset that Beijing, the seat of Communist Party power and a crowded metropolis, should be a fortress against the pandemic, and local officials have imposed strict measures to keep infections low. Until now, the efforts appeared to have protected the capital against the virus after it emerged late last year in Wuhan, a city in central China. (Buckley, 6/15)
The Associated Press: Beijing Expands Lockdowns As Cases Top 100 In New Outbreak
Chinese authorities locked down a third neighborhood in Beijing on Tuesday as they rushed to prevent the spread of a new coronavirus outbreak that has infected more than 100 people in a country that appeared to have largely contained the virus. The resurgence in China highlighted public health expert calls for vigilance as many nations move forward with easing virus restrictions to revive their economies. (Mortisugu, 6/16)
Reuters: China's New Virus Outbreak Needs Further Testing After 'Hypothesis' On Cause: WHO
The origins of a new cluster of coronavirus infections in Beijing are uncertain, World Health Organization officials said on Monday, but the claim that it might have been caused by imports or packaging of salmon was not the “primary hypothesis.” (Farge and Nebehay, 6/15)
Reuters: Global Coronavirus Cases Reach Over 8 Million As Outbreak Expands In Latin America
Global cases of the novel coronavirus reached over 8 million on Monday, as infections surge in Latin America and the United States and China grapple with fresh outbreaks. (Shumaker, 6/15)
The Washington Post: The Coronavirus Pandemic Continues To Grow. Here Are The Global Hot Spots.
Across continents, pandemic-weary communities are emerging from months of shutdowns and restrictions as politicians and businesses urge people to return to work. Lives have been upended, bank accounts have suffered, and many people are craving a return to old routines. But the novel coronavirus persists. Measured in terms of new confirmed cases — figures that experts agree are underestimated — it is surging rather than dwindling. (Berger, 6/15)
Reuters: Singapore Scientists To Start Human Trials Of COVID-19 Vaccine In August
Singapore scientists testing a COVID-19 vaccine from U.S. firm Arcturus Therapeutics (ARCT.O) plan to start human trials in August after promising initial responses in mice. More than 100 vaccines are being developed globally, including several already in human trials from the likes of AstraZeneca (AZN.L) and Pfizer (PFE.N), to try and control a disease that has infected more than 8 million people and killed over 430,000 worldwide. (6/16)
The Associated Press: Coronavirus Tracing App A Test For Privacy-Minded Germany
Germany launched a coronavirus tracing app Tuesday that officials say is so secure even government ministers can use it.Smartphone apps have been touted as a high-tech tool in the effort to track down potential COVID-19 infections. Experts say finding new cases quickly is key to clamping down on fresh clusters, especially as countries slowly emerge from lockdowns and try to avoid a second wave of infections and deaths. (Jordans, 6/16)
NPR: Greece Reopens To Tourists, But Some Coronavirus Restrictions Apply
Greece has reopened its airports to international travelers in the hopes of salvaging this year's tourism season and easing an anticipated recession caused by coronavirus lockdowns. Tourists arriving from countries with high infection rates must take a test for the coronavirus and be quarantined for up to two weeks. Travelers from countries with low infection rates will be subject to random testing but will avoid quarantine. (Kakissis, 6/15)
