Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
China Ignored Global Norms To Halt Outbreak. Now Other Countries Are Considering Doing The Same.
The Wall Street Journal: How China Slowed Coronavirus: Lockdowns, Surveillance, Enforcers
When China’s Communist Party locked down an entire city to fight the outbreak of a new coronavirus there, some global public-health officials warned that the iron-fisted approach ignored world-wide norms for responding to epidemics and could make things worse. Now, with the number of new cases across China dwindling—and rising outside its borders—the nation’s hard-line response to the pathogen is challenging decades of conventional wisdom about how best to handle infectious diseases. (Lin, 3/10)
Reuters: As New Cases Of Coronavirus Subside In China, Wuhan Told To Go Back To Work
Some key industries in Wuhan, the Chinese city at the epicenter of the coronavirus epidemic, were told they can resume work on Wednesday, a day after President Xi Jinping visited the city for the first time since the outbreak began. The city of 11 million has been in lockdown since late January, but Xi's visit signaled the tide was turning in the government's favor as it fights to contain a virus that as of Tuesday had infected 80,778 people in China and killed 3,158. (3/11)
Reuters: 'Whatever It Takes': EU In Show Of Unity On Virus, But With Scarce Resources
European leaders sought to present a united front on Tuesday as the coronavirus cast a lengthening shadow across their continent, but fell short of agreeing radical measures to tackle an exceptional crisis. The leaders of the European Union's 27 member states, used to meeting in person at Brussels summits, joined a video conference after days of criticism that they had failed to close ranks on the crisis and were bickering over how to respond. (3/10)
Reuters: UK Health Minister Dorries Diagnosed With Coronavirus
British junior health minister Nadine Dorries has tested positive for coronavirus and is self-isolating, she said on Tuesday. Dorries said she took "all the advised precautions" as soon as she was told of her diagnosis. "Public Health England has started detailed contact tracing and the department and my parliamentary office are closely following their advice," she said in a statement issued through the UK's health department. (3/10)
The Associated Press: Virus Cluster Around Seoul Call Center Raises S. Korea Alarm
A coronavirus cluster connected to a call center in one of the busiest areas of Seoul has raised alarms that South Korea’s outbreak — thought to have been waning — has gained a foothold in the more populated capital region. More than half of South Korea’s 51 million people live in the Seoul metropolitan area. (Tong-Hyung, 3/11)
The Associated Press: Virus Could Test Latin America’s Already Ailing Economy
For years, Dionisio Romero has relied for his livelihood on a magenta-colored dragon fruit that is wildly popular in Asia, planting dozens of the spindly trees at his farm near Ecuador’s Pacific coast. But as the coronavirus wreaks economic havoc worldwide, the 72-year-old farmer has watched demand for his fruit plummet and prices drop to astonishing lows, wiping away much of the profit he might normally expect. (Armario and Mendez, 3/11)
The Washington Post: The Eerie Emptiness In A World Facing The Coronavirus
As the coronavirus has spread, the familiar rhythms of life have retreated. The crisis has become a global tableau of what is missing: deserted streets, empty campuses, quiet where there should be bustle. (Coleman and Murphy, 3/10)
