Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
FEMA Ends Funding For Face Masks For Schools
NPR: FEMA Says It Will Stop Paying For Cloth Face Masks For Schools
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it is changing the policy on the personal protective equipment that it will pay for. Federal officials announced the changes during a call Tuesday with state and tribal emergency managers, many of whom expressed concerns about the new policy. The changes mean that in most cases, FEMA will no longer reimburse states for the cost of cloth face coverings at nonemergency settings, including schools, public housing and courthouses. The policy goes into effect on Sept. 15. (Wamsley, 9/1)
The Hill: FEMA To End Funding For Cloth Face Masks For Schools
FEMA's stance appears to be that masks are necessary to the basic operation of schools in the fall and should not therefore fall under the category of emergency equipment. A request for further comment from The Hill was not immediately returned. (Bowden, 9/1)
In other mask news —
The New York Times: Trump's New Adviser Has Questioned Mask Use
Dr. Scott W. Atlas has argued that the science of mask wearing is uncertain, that children cannot pass on the coronavirus and that the role of the government is not to stamp out the virus but to protect its most vulnerable citizens as Covid-19 takes its course. Ideas like these, both ideologically freighted and scientifically disputed, have propelled Dr. Atlas, a radiologist and senior fellow at Stanford University’s conservative Hoover Institution, into President Trump’s White House, where he is pushing to reshape the administration’s response to the pandemic. (9/2)
The New York Times: Valved Face Masks And Face Shields Offer More Comfort But Less Protection
Face shields and valved masks — two options many people find more comfortable than cloth face coverings — appear to be less effective at blocking viral particles than regular masks, a new study shows.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had already stated that clear plastic face shields and masks equipped with vents or valves are not recommended, because of concerns that they don’t adequately block viral particles. But the new research, which uses lasers to illuminate the path of coughs, offers a striking visual demonstration of how large plumes of particles can escape from behind a face shield or vented mask. (Parker-Pope, 9/1)
Also —
CIDRAP: US Government Has Spent Trillions On COVID-19 Health, Economic Relief
In response to COVID-19, the US government sold $1.5 trillion in obligations such as bonds and spent $1.3 trillion on public health, homeland security, and economic relief by Jun 30, according to an update yesterday from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). As of Jul 31, the government had allocated roughly $2.6 trillion for coronavirus relief efforts, of which about $2.2 trillion (85%) was earmarked for Business Loan Programs, Economic Stabilization and Assistance to Distressed Sectors programs, unemployment benefits, Economic Impact Payments, the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund, and the Coronavirus Relief Fund. These six spending areas reported selling debt securities worth $1.4 trillion and spending the same amount. (9/1)
