Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Drowning Worries Cause Amazon Baby Bath Seat Recall
ABC News: Baby Bath Seat Sold On Amazon Recalled Due To Drowning Hazard
A baby bath seat sold exclusively on Amazon has been recalled due to drowning concerns. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said about 5,000 BATTOP Foldable Infant Bath Seats are being recalled after the product failed to meet the federal safety standard for baby bath seats. (Pelletiere, 4/6)
Axios: Black Eyed Peas Frontman Will.I.Am Launches High-Tech Face Covering
Will.i.am, founder of the Black Eyed Peas, is launching a $299 mask — complete with noise cancellation headphones — with help from N95 manufacturer Honeywell. The rapper and entrepreneur is betting people will splurge on a souped-up face covering as a fashion statement and for its wearable tech element, even as the pandemic eases and the pace of vaccinations pick up. (Brown, 4/6)
Stateline: Health Officials Split On Rapid COVID Tests As Admission Tickets
Epidemiologists and other public health experts are debating whether to use rapid COVID-19 tests as admission tickets to schools, businesses and entertainment and sports venues. Even with the quickening pace of vaccinations, it will be months before all Americans who want COVID-19 vaccines receive them. As a result, testing could become ubiquitous as a requirement for students, office workers, spectators and visitors seeking to gather indoors. Many enterprises have been doing such testing for months, from colleges and universities to Hollywood movie productions to professional sports teams. In New York, Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said he wants to use extensive testing to enable Broadway to reopen. (Ollove, 4/6)
Boston Globe: Opening Of Baseball Season Showcases How Those In Red States And Blue States Are Living Different Realities
The Texas Rangers held their season-opening game on Monday night. It was a sold-out evening with over 38,000 in the stands. It appeared a majority of the fans didn’t wear masks, which is in full compliance with the state law. Texas Governor Greg Abbott did away with a mask mandate weeks ago, proudly the first governor to do so. Fans and players alike were quoted in news stories about how the game felt like a return to normal for them, especially after last season when no fans were allowed in the stadium. Meanwhile, in New York, Yankee Stadium was only allowed to operate at 20 percent capacity. And every person in attendance 2 years old or older needed proof of a negative COVID-19 test. Without proof, they weren’t allowed in the stadium. (Pindell, 4/6)
Also —
AP: Lawmakers Call YouTube Kids A 'Wasteland Of Vapid' Content
A House subcommittee is investigating YouTube Kids, saying the Google-owned video service feeds children inappropriate material in “a wasteland of vapid, consumerist content" so it can serve them ads. The inquiry comes despite Google agreeing to pay $170 million in 2019 to settle allegations that YouTube collected personal data on children without their parents’ consent. (Ortutay, 4/6)
