Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Confidence In Travel Still Weak
AP: 5 Recent Alaska Ferry Passengers Test Positive For COVID-19
Five people who traveled together on a state ferry in southeast Alaska have tested positive for COVID-19, a system spokesperson said Friday. The individuals boarded the ferry Matanuska in Kake Monday morning, with the vessel arriving in Juneau late that night after passing through Sitka, according to a release from the state transportation department. The state health department believes the individuals were “likely infectious” while on the ship, the release states, and the ferry system is notifying the public “out of an abundance of caution.” (8/15)
AP: 1st Mediterranean Cruise Sets Sail After Virus Tests
Cruise ship passengers had their temperatures checked and took COVID-19 tests Sunday so they could set sail on what is being billed as the first Mediterranean cruise after Italy’s pandemic lockdown. The cruise ship company MSC has made the procedures, for crew as well as passengers, part of its new health and safety protocols. The MSC Grandiosa, which was christened last year, set sail from the northern Italian port of Genoa on Sunday evening for a seven-night cruise in the western Mediterranean. (D'Emilio, 8/16)
AP: Virus Pandemic Reshaping Air Travel As Carriers Struggle
In a bid to survive, airlines are desperately trying to convince a wary public that measures like mandatory face masks and hospital-grade air filters make sitting in a plane safer than many other indoor settings during the coronavirus pandemic. It isn’t working. Surveys indicate that instead of growing comfortable with air travel, more people are becoming skeptical about it. In the United States, airline bookings have stalled in the past month after slowly rising — a reaction to a new surge of reported virus infections. (Koenig and McHugh, 8/17)
In other public health news —
AP: NASCAR Driver Austin Dillon Tests Positive
NASCAR driver Austin Dillon has tested positive for COVID-19 and will not compete in Sunday’s Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway’s road course. Richard Childress Racing says Dillon tested positive Saturday morning. He is now self-quarantining away from the team. His wife and son remain healthy and symptom-free, the team added. (8/15)
AP: Guard Shoots Man After He Was Beaten In A Mask Confrontation
A St. Louis security guard who was beaten in a confrontation over face masks opened fire early Saturday and wounded one of his attackers. St. Louis Police said the shooting happened around 2:30 a.m. after the guard told three men they couldn’t be inside a Shell gas station because they weren’t wearing masks. The city is requiring masks to slow the spread of the coronavirus. (8/15)
AP: Popular Tourist Sites On The Navajo Nation Can Reopen Soon
Popular tourist destinations on the Navajo Nation, including Canyon de Chelly, can welcome back tourists Monday under the tribe’s reopening plan. Much of the Navajo Nation has been closed since March as the coronavirus swept through the reservation that extends into New Mexico, Utah and Arizona. The tribe released a plan this week that allows hair salons and barber shops to open by appointment only, businesses to operate at 25% of maximum capacity, and the reopening of marinas and parks with safeguards. (Fonseca, 8/15)
In news about gatherings —
The Washington Post: D.C. Restaurant Reopening: On Patrol With Inspectors Enforcing Social Distancing
Patrons sipped cocktails on the patio of the Dupont Circle restaurant from tables just a few feet apart. None appeared to have masks nearby. Servers and busboys wove through tight spaces, some with their mouths covered, but not their noses. D.C. city inspector Jason Peru furrowed his brow as he approached. Little had changed since he visited Residents Cafe and Bar in June, bringing with him guidance on reopening safely and a warning that the tables were too close together. Now it was time to turn up the heat. (Nirappil, 8/15)
ABC News: Owner Of Jersey Shore's Popular Flip Flopz Bar Charged With Violating Social Distancing Laws
The owner of a popular Jersey Shore bar has been charged with violating Gov. Phil Murphy's coronavirus social distancing laws after police officers allegedly found patrons crowded into the business' rooftop patio, officials said. Joseph Mahoney Jr., 34, owner of the Flip Flopz Bar & Grill in North Wildwood, New Jersey, was charged by the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office with a disorderly persons offense for allegedly being in violation of Murphy's executive order, "specifically related to failure to adhere to social distancing regulations," according to a statement released by the North Wildwood Police Department. (Hutchinson, 8/16)
NBC News: Coronavirus Lockdowns Could Make A Comeback As U.S. Struggles
It can seem to public health officials that giving an inch means people will take a mile. In the months since most U.S. states emerged from coronavirus lockdowns, wearing a mask has become a matter of politics more than safety, “pandemic parties” have been broken up in California, New York and Florida, and many states that forged ahead with reopening plans in May have been forced to pause or reverse the orders. (Chow, 8/14)
CNN: Pandemic Denial: Why Some People Can't Accept Covid-19's Realities
With so much information available about the severity of the coronavirus and the need to follow guidelines, some people still refuse to accept reality. The denial manifests itself in many ways, whether that be refusing to wear a mask or attending large gatherings. Using denial as a coping mechanism is not always a bad choice. Short-term, it gives someone the time to adjust to a situation. When it becomes a long-term crutch and puts others in harm's way, it can be dangerous. (Marples, 8/16)
