Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Correction Officers In NYC Cite Lack Of COVID Protection, Infecting Loved Ones; Shops Along Rodeo Drive Slowly Reopen With Curbside Sales
The New York Times: Virus Raged At City Jails, Leaving 1,259 Guards Infected And 6 Dead
For one Rikers Island correction officer, the low point came when he and his wife were both extremely sick with the coronavirus. She could hardly breathe and begged him to make sure she was not buried in a mass grave, he recalled. He was sure he had contracted the disease working in the jailhouse, where supervisors had discouraged him from wearing a mask. “I’m looking at the person I care most about possibly dying from this thing I brought home,” he said, choking back tears. “That to me is the scariest thing I ever faced.” Another officer at the Rikers jail said he worked for nearly two weeks while feeling ill but received no help from the jail’s administrators in getting a test. (Ransom, 5/20)
The Associated Press: Tourists, High-End Shoppers Slowly Returning To Rodeo Drive
The Maseratis, the Rolls-Royces and the Mercedes-Benzes were back on Rodeo Drive on Tuesday — along with a few high-end buyers — as America’s most fashionable shopping street slowly got back to business. Just a few days after Beverly Hills officials announced the high-end boutiques lining its most exclusive street could reopen for curbside pickup, shoppers began tentatively making their way onto its wide sidewalks and narrow roadway. (Rogers and Landis, 5/20)
The New York Times: How A Queens Pastor Tends To His Flock From Six Feet Away
The Rev. Peter Purpura walked slowly down the middle of a street lined with brick rowhouses in Middle Village, Queens. He wore a black cassock, white vestments and a light blue surgical mask as he led a procession. Every few houses a family waited outside in their compact front yard, many standing next to makeshift altars adorned with flowers, candles and religious statues. Father Purpura stopped at each house, saying blessings and offering prayers. (Estrin, 5/20)
NPR: As Illinois Moves More Children To Managed Care, Parents Worry
Rebecca and Bruce Austin in central Illinois have six kids ranging in age from 4 to 22. Five kids still live at home, and all of them came to the Austins through the foster care system. All told, they see 14 doctors. When parents agree to foster or adopt children from the foster care system, many states promise to provide health care for the children, usually through Medicaid. But recently, thousands of children in Illinois temporarily lost coverage when the state switched their health plans to managed care. (Herman, 5/20)
KQED: What Lawmakers Learned From The Last Budget Crisis
As the state Legislature takes up Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget — the one with $19 billion less than before the coronavirus pandemic struck — some legislators say they're hoping to put to use lessons learned from the last state budget crisis in hopes of avoiding some of the same mistakes. Mark Leno was elected to the state Senate in 2008, just as the economy was in free fall. What he remembers are the lines of people who came to the state Capitol to plead for their favorite programs before the Health and Human Services budget subcommittee. (Shafer, 5/19)
San Francisco Chronicle: State Approves Napa County To Reopen Dine-In Restaurants, Schools
Dine-in restaurants, schools and other businesses in Napa County can resume operations after state officials on Tuesday approved the county’s petition to push ahead the next phase of reopening. The California Department of Public Health gave Napa County the green light to move further into phase two of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s post-shutdown reopening plan, county officials said, marking the first Bay Area county to take this step during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. (Bauman, 5/19)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Plans For Federal CARES Act As Coronavirus Cases Near 13,000
As coronavirus cases in Wisconsin neared 13,000 on Tuesday, Gov. Tony Evers laid out a plan that calls for the state to spend $1 billion in federal aid to ramp up testing and contact tracing and support local health departments. The money is part of a grant to the state through the federal CARES Act, which was approved by Congress to help states deal with the coronavirus crisis. (Hauer and Heim, 5/19)
Detroit Free Press: Local Governments, Small Businesses To Receive Some Of CARES Act Money
Metro Detroit government leaders have started to reveal how they plan to allocate nearly $700 million in federal stimulus money to help deal with the impacts of the coronavirus. County executives in Macomb and Oakland counties announced Tuesday they plan to allocate portions of their counties' allotments to local governments and small businesses. (Hall, 5/19)
Houston Chronicle: Harris County Doubles COVID-19 Relief Fund To $30 Million
Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday doubled, to $30 million, the size of a COVID-19 relief fund aimed at helping the most vulnerable residents pay for housing, utilities, food and health care. The fund will provide $1,200 for households with one to four residents, and $1,500 for larger families. Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis, who proposed the program, estimated the program will help at least 20,000 households. (Despart, 5/19)
Burlington Free Press: Vermont Tourist Season: What To Know If Traveling During Coronavirus Pandemic
Vermont prides itself on being a tourist destination during the warmer months of the year. But, in light of the new coronavirus pandemic, and the need to reopen the state slowly, annual tourism and recreation activities may either be put on hold or canceled completely. (Murray, 5/19)
Boston Globe: Maine Delays Full Reopenings Of Gyms, Nail Salons; Officials Report 2 Deaths, 28 New Coronavirus Cases
Maine Governor Janet Mills announced Tuesday afternoon that full reopenings of gyms, fitness centers, and nail salons across the state will be delayed “in light of emerging research and experiences in other states" regarding coronavirus transmission at the businesses. The businesses were slated to reopen on June 1 under Stage 2 of Mills’ four-stage plan to reopen the state’s economy, which has been in place for nearly three weeks. (Berg, 5/19)
Bangor Daily News: Maine Inmates Say Their Rights Were Violated When State Didn’t Release Them From Prison
Two prisoners with medical conditions that make them vulnerable to the coronavirus are suing Maine’s Department of Corrections for not granting them furlough or providing them with the means to protect themselves during the pandemic, actions they say violate their constitutional rights and federal disability laws. (Andrews, 5/19)
