Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Covid Infections Climb Across The US
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: Active Virus Cases Climb In State's Public Schools
Active covid-19 cases in public schools increased about 15% statewide over the seven-day period that ended Monday, according to state Department of Health data. The time period included the first week back to school after spring break, with cases rising to 170 from a previous count of 148. The Health Department report before spring break, dated March 18, listed 302 active covid-19 cases among students and staff members in public school districts. Several of the state's largest school districts have said they are keeping face-covering requirements in place for students and staffs after Gov. Asa Hutchinson last week announced an end to a statewide mask mandate that aimed to mitigate the spread of covid-19. (Adame, 4/6)
CNN: In Michigan's Latest Coronavirus Surge, There's A New Kind Of Patient
Michigan is in another coronavirus surge and hospitals are again on the front line, but this time they have a new type of patient: younger and healthier. Fred Romankewiz was on his way to get vaccinated, but he didn't feel well so he canceled the appointment and got a Covid-19 test instead. Though he'd been inches from the coronavirus finish line, the 54-year-old construction materials salesman from Lansing now tested positive. "What really is frustrating to me is it's been a year and what -- three months now, and I played it right to the tee. I mean, I did everything correct," said Romankewiz. "And then to have this happen." (Marquez, 4/5)
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Nevada COVID Positivity Rate Rises For First Time In Nearly 3 Months
Nevada’s COVID-19 test positivity rate on Monday increased for the first time in nearly three months, according to state data. The uptick in the two-week daily positivity rate to 4.3 percent came after a week where the rate remained unchanged at 4.2 percent. It is first time the positivity rate has increased since Jan. 13, when it peaked at 21.6 percent, according to state data. The metric essentially tracks the percentage of people tested for COVID-19 who are found to be infected. The increase comes on the first day of expanded vaccine eligibility for Nevadans 16 and older. (Dylan, 4/5)
CIDRAP: Studies Detail Large COVID Outbreaks At US Prisons, Jails
Four new studies highlight the dangers of COVID-19 in cramped prisons with inmates transferred among facilities, scarce testing resources and personal protective equipment (PPE), and high vaccine hesitancy at US prisons and jails. (Van Beusekom, 4/5)
San Francisco Chronicle: Coronavirus Infections On The Rise In The Bay Area, Following National Trend
Coronavirus infections trended up in the Bay Area for the week ending Friday, with the average number of daily new cases at 475, up 8.7% from the prior week ending March 26. The data could indicate that California is beginning to fall in line with the rest of the United States, where coronavirus infections have steadily plateaued or increased due to more infectious variants. “On the West Coast, we see a leveling off,” which is not a bad thing, said Dr. George Rutherford, an infectious disease expert at UCSF. “We may go back up a little bit. We may hit bottom and bounce up a little bit.” (Vaziri and Allday, 4/5)
ABC News: Illinois Bar Linked To 46 COVID-19 Cases, School Closure: CDC
An indoor opening event at a bar in rural Illinois in February led to 46 COVID-19 infections, one school closure and a hospitalization of a resident of a long-term care facility, according to a report issued Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency took a look at the incident at the unidentified business, which had a max capacity of 100 people. Illinois began reopening indoor bars and restaurants to customers at the end of January, with strict capacity limits and other health protocols. (Pereira and Salzman, 4/5)
In related news —
AP: Montana Governor Tests Positive For COVID-19
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte has tested positive for COVID-19 a few days after receiving his first dose of a coronavirus vaccine. The governor’s office released a statement Monday evening saying that after experiencing mild symptoms a day earlier, Gianforte was tested “out of an abundance of caution.” (4/6)
The Hill: Study: Around 40,000 US Children Lost A Parent To COVID-19
According to a study published in the American Medical Association's JAMA Pediatrics journal on Monday, an estimated 37,300 to 43,000 U.S. children experienced the loss of at least one parent due to COVID-19 in the past year. A closer look at the data found that the burden, which authors of the study acknowledge will likely "grow heavier" amid the ongoing pandemic, has landed disproportionately on Black children. (Folley, 4/5)
