Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Even As States Begin To Draw Up Plans To Reopen, Governors Warn That Life Won't Return Back To 'Normal'
The Associated Press: US Governors Grapple With Relaxing Virus Restrictions
After a month of draconian steps to minimize deaths and prevent hospital overload from the coronavirus pandemic, governors now face a new challenge: Deciding when and how to begin easing restrictions on businesses and social gatherings. Many of the states’ chief executives say they don’t want to move too quickly and risk a public health crisis, despite pressure from Republican lawmakers, business leaders, professional sports leagues and some parents. (Smyth, 4/15)
The Associated Press: California Governor Provides Complex Outline For Reopening
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday outlined a complex set of circumstances for the state to lift coronavirus restrictions and then described a possible startling new normal: temperature checks for restaurant customers, staggered start times for public schools to keep students separated and no crowds at sporting events, fairs or concerts. It was a reality check for the state’s 40 million residents after days of encouraging reports about the slow growth in new cases that had many hopeful for a reset of public life following a depressing early spring spent mainly indoors. (Beam, 4/15)
The Wall Street Journal: Governors Assert Authority Over Reopening States’ Economies
The indicators include expanding testing, meeting the needs of hospitals in case of additional surges and offering guidelines for businesses and schools to practice physical distancing. Restaurants may have fewer tables, and classrooms could be reconfigured to separate students, he said. “There is no light switch here,” said Mr. Newsom, a Democrat. “It’s more like a dimmer.” (Calfas, Parti and Restuccia, 4/14)
San Francisco Chronicle: California’s Coronavirus Reopening: Gavin Newsom’s Six-Point Plan Will Alter Daily Life
But even when the lockdown measures are modified, Newsom warned, life will be “anything but” normal. People might need to wear face coverings in public for months, he said, and mass gatherings could be canceled for the foreseeable future, until the state reaches “herd immunity” — the point at which enough people have been exposed to the virus to prevent its transmission — and scientists develop a vaccine. (Koseff and Allday, 4/14)
Los Angeles Times: Newsom Names Goals To Lift California Coronavirus Order
Despite his attempts to quell uncertainty, Newsom has not yet provided a timeline for when the state’s nearly 40 million people can expect to return to work — or move about freely. And to those struggling to make ends meet, that’s the question they want answered most. “When are the restrictions going to be lifted?” asked Miguel Tot, who last worked at his job managing a downtown Los Angeles restaurant on March 16. “There’s no timetable on that, so I have no idea, you know, when normality is going to come back.” (Luna, 4/14)
CNN: California Governor Says Science, Not Political Will, Dictates When State Can Reopen
The governor of California, the first state to put a coronavirus stay-at-home order in place, told his 40 million residents that the key to going back to work and play depends on six factors -- but it's still too early to tell how soon that will be. "Science, not politics must be the guide," Gov. Gavin Newsom said, joining a growing number of states that are taking it upon themselves to figure out how to get back to normal. "We can't get ahead of ourselves .... I don't want to make a political decision. That puts people's lives at risk." (Almasy, Hanna, Maxouris and Mossburg, 4/14)
The New York Times: U.S. Governors, At Center Of Virus Response, Weigh What It Will Take To Reopen States
In Oregon, Gov. Kate Brown said the move toward reopening her state would be a cautious and incremental one, guided by data on transmission of the coronavirus, availability of personal protective equipment and testing capacity, among other factors. Gov. J. B. Pritzker of Illinois said he has begun reaching out to leaders of other Midwestern states to form a regional coalition to help make decisions on opening businesses and schools when the time comes. (Bosman, 4/14)
Stateline: Coronavirus And The States: Governors Coalesce To Reopen On Their Terms; Budgets Look Increasingly Bleak
The governors of Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island — all Democrats except Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker — formed a working group to consider how and when to reopen the regional economy. Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who spearheaded the effort, said decisions will be based on both economic and health concerns. (Povich, 4/14)
The Associated Press: Would You Give Up Health Or Location Data To Return To Work?
Cameron Karosis usually strives to protect his personal information. But a scary bout of COVID-19 that began last month with headaches and fevers, progressed to breathing problems and led to a hospital visit has now left him eager to disclose as much as possible to help halt the virus’ spread. Karosis has already shared personal details with Massachusetts health investigators. And if he was asked to comply with a disease-tracking phone app that monitored his whereabouts but didn’t publicly reveal his name and Cambridge street address, he said he’d do that, too. (Larson and O'Brien, 4/15)
Meanwhile, most plans to reopen rely on wide-spread testing, but the country has yet to be able to meet the demand —
Los Angeles Times: Reopening The Economy Requires Coronavirus Testing; U.S. Still Isn't Close
Effective testing is considered essential before state and local governments can lift restrictions on Americans’ movements, reopening schools and businesses and allowing the nation’s faltering economy to recover. But multiple, persistent problems continue to sharply limit the number of tests that can be done. Labs remain short of supplies, ranging from simple cotton swabs used to take samples from patients to complex chemicals, known as reagents, needed to carry out the tests. Some laboratories report shortages of trained workers. Little coordination exists to shift samples from busier labs, which have backlogs, to others that have surplus capacity. (Levey, 4/14)
ABC News: Trump Touts Saliva Coronavirus Tests After FDA Emergency Authorization
In a Rose Garden briefing Tuesday President Donald Trump touted a potential new way of testing for the novel coronavirus could be safer for suspected coronavirus patients and health care workers and help alleviate the backlog in hard-hit cities -- spit. The Food and Drug Administration gave emergency authorization Friday for a testing method developed by a Rutgers University lab that, instead of relying on swabs that reach deep into the nasal cavity, is designed to check for evidence of the virus in a patient's saliva. (Mosk and Bhatt, 4/15)
ABC News: COVID-19 Tests Still In Severely Short Supply, Volunteers Scramble To Fill The Gap
More than five weeks after President Donald Trump promised “anybody that needs a test gets a test,” widespread rapid testing for the coronavirus remains patchwork at best. With over 328 million people living in the United States, less than three million have been tested for COVID-19. (Riegle, Lefferman, Rios and Yang, 4/14)
CNN: FBI Warns Companies Of Employees Faking Coronavirus Test Results
As US companies face record losses amid the coronavirus pandemic, the FBI is warning that American businesses now have something else to worry about: fraud by employees seeking to take advantage of the pandemic. In a report disseminated Monday to companies across the nation, and obtained by CNN, the FBI's Office of Private Sector notified members of private industry they should be on the lookout for fake doctors notes and falsified documentation from employees claiming positive Covid-19 test results. (Campbell, 4/14)
