First Edition: Aug. 17, 2021

KHN: ‘Tainted’ Blood: Covid Skeptics Request Blood Transfusions From Unvaccinated Donors
The nation’s roiling tensions over vaccination against covid-19 have spilled into an unexpected arena: lifesaving blood transfusions. With nearly 60% of the eligible U.S. population fully vaccinated, most of the nation’s blood supply is now coming from donors who have been inoculated, experts said. That’s led some patients who are skeptical of the shots to demand transfusions only from the unvaccinated, an option blood centers insist is neither medically sound nor operationally feasible. (Aleccia, 8/17)

KHN: Have Vaccines, Will Travel: On The Road With A Covid Entrepreneur
While many businesses in this southwestern Montana “ghost town” reel in tourists with its mining and Wild West vigilante past, one businessman arrived offering a modern product: covid-19 vaccines. Kyle Austin, a traveling pharmacist, set up his mobile clinic in Virginia City on a recent Saturday, the latest stop on his circuit of Montana’s vaccine deserts. “In any business, going to the people is better than waiting for the people to come to you,” the 38-year-old pharmacist said. (Houghton, 8/17)

AP: Sources: US To Recommend COVID Vaccine Boosters At 8 Months
U.S. experts are expected to recommend COVID-19 vaccine boosters for all Americans, regardless of age, eight months after they received their second dose of the shot, to ensure lasting protection against the coronavirus as the delta variant spreads across the country. Federal health officials have been actively looking at whether extra shots for the vaccinated would be needed as early as this fall, reviewing case numbers in the U.S. as well as the situation in other countries such as Israel, where preliminary studies suggest the vaccine’s protection against serious illness dropped among those vaccinated in January. (Miller, 8/17)

The New York Times: U.S. To Advise Boosters For Most Americans 8 Months After Vaccination 
Officials said they expect that recipients of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which was authorized as a one-dose regimen, will also require an additional dose. But they are waiting for the results of that firm’s two-dose clinical trial, expected later this month. (LaFraniere, 8/16)

Modern Healthcare: Hospitals Prepare Rollout Of COVID-19 Booster Shots
Healthcare providers plan to incorporate the distribution of an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine to immunocompromised individuals with their existing vaccination campaigns—and as preparation for future efforts to get extra doses to a larger share of Americans. Providers such as New York-based Mount Sinai Health System and Maywood, Illinois-based Loyola Medicine are getting ready to start providing extra doses to vaccinated patients, but key questions remain unanswered for hospitals. (Ross Johnson, 8/16)

The New York Times: The Prospect Of Booster Shots Is Igniting A Global Health Debate
As the Delta variant rages around the world, a heated debate has arisen over whether public health officials should recommend booster shots. On one side are global health officials who contend that available vaccines would be better used to inoculate high-risk people in poor nations where few have gotten the shots. On the other are leaders and health officials in wealthier countries, who are setting aside doses for more vulnerable people who may need additional doses to protect them from the virus. (Slotnik and Weiland, 8/16)

CIDRAP: US COVID-19 Cases Back To Pre-Vaccination Levels
For the first time since February, the United States reported more than 900,000 COVID-19 cases last week—with the country represented 20% of global cases—a sign the pandemic surge caused by the Delta (B1617.2) variant has stalled the progress made by an aggressive vaccine rollout that dampened cases this spring and summer. Cases are on the rise in 46 states, according to USA Today. Hot spots continue in Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Oregon, Hawaii, and Mississippi. Oregon reported 11,564 cases in the week ending Friday, the paper said, topping its December pandemic peak by more than 7.2%. (Soucheray, 8/16)

CNBC: 'We Are On Fire': Five U.S. States Set New Records For Covid Cases As Hospitalizations Rise
Five states broke records for the average number of daily new Covid cases over the weekend as the delta variant strains hospital systems across the U.S. and forces many states to reinstate public health restrictions. Florida, Louisiana, Hawaii, Oregon and Mississippi all reached new peaks in their seven-day average of new cases per day as of Sunday, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. On a per capita basis, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida are suffering from the three worst outbreaks in the country. (Mendez, Towey and Rattner, 8/16)

The New York Times: Hospitalizations Of Americans Under 50 Have Reached New Pandemic Highs
A lagging vaccination campaign and the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant are driving a surge in Covid-19 hospitalizations in the United States. Among Americans under age 50, average daily hospital admissions have hit a pandemic high, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Anthes, 8/17)

Mississippi Clarion Ledger: A Second Field Hospital Built As COVID-19 Surges In Mississippi
A second field hospital for treating COVID-19-infected patients has been staged in a University of Mississippi Medical Center garage as a last-ditch effort to bolster Mississippi's beleaguered health care systems. Samaritan's Purse, a non-denominational evangelical Christian organization deployed the additional field hospital on Sunday in collaboration with UMMC, the governor's office, the Mississippi State Department of Health and Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. The mobile unit is in UMMC's garage C near the Children's of Mississippi Hospital's Sanderson Tower. (Haselhorst, 8/16)

AP: ICUs Nearly At Capacity In Alabama Amid Coronavirus Surge
Alabama’s intensive care units were near capacity Monday amid the state’s ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases. The state has 1,562 intensive care unit beds but had 1,560 hospitalized patients needing intensive care Monday, according to Dr. Don Williamson, the former state health officer who now heads the Alabama Hospital Association. “This is the greatest demand on the ICU system we’ve ever had,” Williamson said. (8/16)

Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky COVID Hospitalizations: ICUs Filling Up, Delta Variant Rises
Gov. Andy Beshear's administration has predicted the week of Aug. 22 could see the highest number of hospitalizations of the entire pandemic, and some hospitals are already full. During a Thursday press briefing, U of L Health Chief Nurse Executive Cindy Lucchese said the system has four times as many COVID-19 patients than it did in July. "I wish I could share a more positive message and tell you we're winning the war against this virus," she said. "That is just not true." (Ladd, 8/16)

The New York Times: Delta Surge Drives Home Painful Truth: Covid Isn’t Going Away 
As alarm mounted over the coronavirus ripping through the country, Mayor Lori Lightfoot of Chicago was barraged with warnings: Lollapalooza was looking increasingly risky. The annual four-day music festival would draw hundreds of thousands of people downtown, unmasked, crowded into mosh pits, city parks, restaurants and L trains, setting up the threat of a superspreader coronavirus event in the Midwest. The mayor insisted that the festival go on. The decision to host the event, which injected a dormant downtown with energy and freely spending tourists at the end of last month, reflected a shifting response to the continuing pandemic. (Bosman and Smith, 8/16)

Houston Chronicle: 'A World Of Trouble': NIH Director Collins Addresses COVID Threat In Texas Schools
With students heading back to school as the delta variant spreads rapidly through Texas, National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins calls it “heartbreaking” that school districts would be prevented from requiring masks in classes, as Gov. Greg Abbott has done in Texas. Collins says half-masked classrooms make little sense and won’t stop outbreaks, leaving parents with difficult decisions. Meanwhile, it’s unclear how long the latest COVID wave — which Collins predicted could soon see the U.S. posting 200,000 new cases a day — will last. (Wermund, 8/16)

Capital & Main: COVID And Kids: Rising Hospitalizations A Growing Concern
From the earliest stages of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, the evidence pointed to one silver lining: Kids were thought to be in a safe harbor. They didn’t infect easily, the initial research indicated, and often their cases were so mild that neither they nor their families knew they were experiencing COVID-19. But the dark progression of the highly transmissible Delta variant has obliterated much of last year’s confidence regarding kids and COVID, both in California and across the country. The rate of infection among children is skyrocketing, according to data compiled by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the hospitalization rate is eclipsing peak levels recorded in January. (Kreidler, 8/16)

The Wall Street Journal: As More Children Get Infected By Delta Variant, Parents Open Up To Vaccinations 
When her 12-year-old son became eligible to receive a Covid-19 vaccination in June, Stephanie Martin hesitated. She wanted to see more long-term data on the vaccine’s safety for children. Hearing about friends’ children who experienced some side effects reinforced her desire to wait. In recent weeks she has started to reconsider. She has seen news reports about the rapid spread of the Delta variant and children being hospitalized. And her son’s half-brother got infected with Covid-19 at summer camp, she says. (Reddy, 8/16)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Possible COVID Exposure Has 3,000 Students, Staff At New Orleans Public Schools In Quarantine
More than 3,000 students and staff at NOLA Public Schools are quarantining due to possible exposure to COVID, the Orleans Parish school district said Monday afternoon. The district, which updates its COVID tracker each Monday, said it was tracking 299 "active cases" and 370 cumulative cases. A week ago, the district said there were 116 active cases and 638 students and staff quarantining due to possible exposure. (8/16)

CNN: Lancaster County, South Carolina, Student Covid Death: 16-Year-Old Dies From Covid-19 Complications As School District Struggles With Infections 
As students return for the first day of school in Lancaster County, South Carolina, the district's leadership has confirmed that a 16-year-old student has died of complications from Covid-19. "We are saddened to learn of the passing of a 16-year-old Andrew Jackson High student from Covid complications," Lancaster County School District Superintendent Jonathan Phipps said in a statement. Chief Deputy Coroner Jennifer Collins confirmed the student died August 12. The 16-year-old's name is not being released because the student was a minor, the coroner said. (Lemos and Spells, 8/16)

AP: Kentucky School District Cancels Classes Due To COVID Cases
A Kentucky school district canceled classes amid a COVID-19 outbreak Monday while the governor warned that virus-related hospitalizations appear headed toward a pandemic high as the fast-spreading delta variant causes a growing surge of infections. Gov. Andy Beshear reported more than 6,770 new statewide coronavirus cases in the past three days and 25 more virus-related deaths — including 11 people 55 or younger. (Schreiner, 8/16)

Los Angeles Times: LAUSD’s Health Screening System Fails On First Day But Can’t Snuff Out Excitement
Hundreds of thousands of Los Angeles-area students started school Monday, a massive return to in-person education that was marked by pandemic-driven anxiety, a sense of excitement and early-morning frustration over the failure of the district’s health screening system, which caused long waits to enter campuses. The scenes from the nation’s second-largest school district included the familiar: Yellow buses hit the street on 1,500 routes; the youngest children and their parents exchanged tearful hugs and goodbyes; friends enjoyed happy reunions; teachers felt the jitters of standing before students after the long absence. (Blume, Gomez and Shalby, 8/16)

Bloomberg: Florida’s DeSantis Says Parents Can’t Sue Over Mask Rule Ban
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis asked a judge to throw out a lawsuit by parents challenging his ban on strict mask mandates in schools, arguing the court lacks jurisdiction over the issue. Disgruntled parents who “fear being around unvaccinated, non-masked people” don’t have a right to sue because the executive order raises political rather than legal questions, DeSantis argued in a motion to dismiss filed Monday in state court in Tallahassee, Florida. (Larson, 8/16)

AP: Tennessee Gov Allows Opt-Out Of Student Mask Requirements
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed an executive order Monday letting parents opt their children out of coronavirus-related mask mandates in K-12 schools, after a few school districts issued mask requirements for students and others. With the move, Lee also said he will not call the broad special legislative session requested by Republican House lawmakers to limit the authority of local officials to make rules aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19, which has seen a resurgence in Tennessee via the delta variant. (Mattise and Sainz, 8/17)

AP: More South Carolina Schools Set To Flout Mask Mandate Ban
With hundreds of South Carolina students already quarantined for COVID-19 at the start of the fall semester, the state’s second-largest public school district will require masks in schools despite a state budget proviso that bans districts from doing so without risking funding. Charleston County School District’s board voted 8-1 Monday evening to approve an emergency ordinance to require masks for anyone who enters school buildings through mid-October. Board Chair Eric Mack said the ordinance was proposed for the safety of students and staff given the rapid spread of the delta variant. (Liu, 8/17)

The Hill: Indiana Governor Breaks With GOP Peers, Allows Local Mask Mandates
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) broke with some of his Republican peers on Monday, telling reporters that schools implementing mask mandates are “making a wise decision when the facts warrant it.” A number of Republican governors have issued orders in recent weeks barring schools from enforcing mask mandates despite the surge of COVID-19 cases throughout the U.S., which is being driven largely by the highly infectious delta variant. (Schnell, 8/16)

Iowa City Press-Citizen: University Of Iowa Won't Require COVID-19 Vaccines, Face Masks In Fall
In a short-notice back-to-school news conference Monday, University of Iowa President Barbara Wilson said the upcoming academic year's COVID-19 guidance "isn't a political issue, it's a health issue," while maintaining that masks and vaccines will be strongly encouraged. May 20 guidance from the state's Board of Regents says masks and vaccines aren't required this fall at UI, Iowa State University or the University of Northern Iowa. (Krejci and Ojeda, 8/16)

The Washington Post: D.C. Announces Vaccine Requirement For Health-Care Workers 
All health-care employees in D.C. must get at least the first dose of a coronavirus vaccine by Sept. 30, city officials announced Monday — the latest step in the District’s drive to push workers to get vaccinated as cases continue to climb. D.C. Health Director LaQuandra Nesbitt said the requirement applies to licensed and unlicensed health professionals and EMS providers working in the city, and workers can, for now, opt out in favor of regular testing if their employer offers that alternative. Once one of the vaccines gets full federal approval, however, workers can opt out only if they have a religious or medical exemption. (Brice-Saddler and Stein, 8/16)

AP: California Assembly To Require Vaccine For Its Employees
Everyone who works in the California Assembly must receive the coronavirus vaccine or risk losing their job, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon said. Rendon, a Democrat from Los Angeles, announced the policy on Monday following multiple cases among employees last month, including people who have already been fully vaccinated and wear masks while in the building. (Beam, 8/17)

The New York Times: New York City Mandates Vaccines For Museum Visitors And Staff 
New York City plans to require visitors and staff members at museums and other cultural institutions to be vaccinated, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday. “Defeating the Delta variant is the best way to support cultural institutions, because it brings us all back,” Mr. de Blasio said at a news conference at which he outlined the new requirements. He said that “we believe, if we take these aggressive measure, this is going to encourage a lot of people — audience members and staff alike — to get vaccinated.” (Pogrebin, 8/16)

Axios: New Job Postings Are Asking Workers To Get Vaccinated 
Companies are acting where government is not and pushing workers to get the jab to get the job. The share of job postings on Indeed requiring vaccination has jumped 90% in just the last month. Vaccination rates in the U.S. are climbing, but hesitancy remains high in certain places. And the Delta variant is foiling companies' return-to-work plans. (Pandey, 8/17)

NBC News: Las Vegas Raiders Will Require All Fans To Get Vaccinated If They Want To Attend 2021 Games
The Las Vegas Raiders became pro football's first team to require fans to be vaccinated to attend home games this season, the club announced Monday night. Starting with Las Vegas' regular-season opener, a Sept. 13 Monday night contest against the Baltimore Ravens, fans entering Allegiant Stadium will need to show proof of full Covid-19 vaccination through the Clear app. (8/17)

Fox News: Atlanta Falcons Become The First NFL Team To Be 100% Vaccinated Against COVID
The Atlanta Falcons announced Monday that all of their players are vaccinated against COVID-19, making them the first NFL team to reach that milestone. The Falcons reached a 92% vaccination rate on July 23, and now have every player on the roster inoculated against the virus. "Each player will now enjoy the benefits of being able to work out and eat together. They won't have to test daily, won't have to wear masks around the facility, and won't have to quarantine following a close contact with someone who tests positive," the team's website stated. (Aaro, 8/17)

The Wall Street Journal: Baseball Has A High Vaccination Rate. It Still Hasn’t Been Able To Shut Down Outbreaks.
Epidemiologists who closely follow MLB say that what is happening in the league is a reflection of the situation across America, where about 72% of the adult population has now had at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. An earlier wave of restrictions has been lifted, and Covid cases are surging again amid a significantly more contagious variant, threatening chiefly the health of the unvaccinated. There’s one key difference between baseball and America—MLB’s continued mass testing of its employees. (Diamond and Radnofsky, 8/16)

The Hill: Former NFL Player Who Opposed School Mask Mandates Looking At Running For School Board 
Former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler has signaled a potential bid for a local school board seat in Tennessee on the heels of its new policy mandating masks to curb the spread of the coronavirus amid the ongoing pandemic. Cutler, who retired years ago after playing for the Miami Dolphins and the Chicago Bears, has indicated a possible run for a spot on the Williamson County Board of Education in a number of tweets recently after members of the body drew heat from parents for backing a mask mandate. (Folley, 8/16)

The Washington Post: Jay Cutler Dropped From Uber Eats Campaign Because He Opposes Mask Mandates
Jay Cutler, the former NFL quarterback and former reality TV star, was dropped from an advertising campaign, and he says Uber Eats’ decision is because of his opposition to mask mandates for schoolchildren during the coronavirus pandemic. “Lost a commercial with Uber Eats partnering with the NFL,” Cutler tweeted Friday. “Was going to film in LA, ‘views aren’t aligned.’ Guess they don’t like future School board members. Frees up my weekend.” Uber Eats confirmed Cutler’s views are at odds with those of the company. (Boren, 8/16)

CNN: Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, A Covid-19 Vaccination Critic, Is Hospitalized And On A Ventilator 
Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke has been hospitalized with Covid-19 and placed on a ventilator, according to a tweet over the weekend from his official account. In a tweet on August 10, Burke, a Covid-19 vaccination critic, announced he had tested positive for coronavirus, and said, "Thanks be to God, I am resting comfortably and receiving excellent medical care. "It is unclear whether Cardinal Burke, who is in his early 70s, has been vaccinated against Covid-19. (Henderson and Sandoval, 8/16)

San Francisco Chronicle: San Francisco To Reopen Mass Coronavirus Testing Site Amid Delta Surge
San Francisco will reopen a mass coronavirus testing site in SoMa on Wednesday amid a troubling rise in cases — mostly among the unvaccinated — and a surge in demand for tests. The site at Seventh and Brannan streets will be able to administer 500 tests per day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week by appointment only. That brings San Francisco’s total test capacity to about 5,000 a day, as schools reopen and people continue mingling indoors despite the surge in cases. (Thadani, 8/16)

CIDRAP: COVID-19 Saliva Testing Appears Less Sensitive Each Week Post-Infection
COVID-19 diagnosis via saliva samples was most sensitive during the first week of infection and was never higher than 60% in asymptomatic people, according to a research letter published late last week in JAMA. The researchers looked at nasopharyngeal and saliva samples collected every 3 to 7 days up to 4 weeks from people exposed to household members who had COVID-19. Of the 889 paired samples from 404 participants, 58.9% of nasopharyngeal swabs were positive for COVID-19, whereas 35.7% of saliva samples were. Both types of samples in the pair were positive 29.0% of the time. (8/16)

Bloomberg: Covid Treatment: Antibody Cocktails Take Off As Delta Surges
Outside, in letters a foot tall, the wall of the trailer reads: “GET TESTED. GET TREATED. CRUSH COVID.” Inside, leathery recliners cradle patients as a freshly mixed concoction drips into their veins: a combination of two monoclonal antibodies once used so rarely that when President Donald Trump got it last October, it ignited accusations of special treatment. Now, amid the delta variant surge, the cocktail is rapidly becoming a more common, even routine medical response to a positive coronavirus test in a high-risk patient. Federal and state officials are promoting it, particularly in hard-hit areas, and demand has exploded from a trickle to more than 120,000 doses a week by the latest count from its maker, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Goldberg, 8/16)

The New York Times: Babies And Toddlers Spread Coronavirus In Homes More Easily Than Teens, Study Finds 
Babies and toddlers are less likely to bring the coronavirus into their homes than teenagers are, but once they are infected, they are more likely to spread the virus to others in their households, according to a large new study by a Canadian public health agency. The findings can be explained, at least in part, by behavioral factors, experts said, including the fact that very young children require lots of hands-on care and cannot be isolated when they are sick. (Anbthes, 8/16)

Modern Healthcare: UnitedHealth-Change Merger May Be Delayed, But Not Over
UnitedHealth Group and Change Healthcare may not wrap up their merger until at least next year under a new agreement with the Justice Department, as the Biden administration ramps up antitrust scrutiny and federal regulators experience a surge of merger filings across industries. UnitedHealth's Optum data analytics and health services subsidiary in January unveiled plans to buy revenue cycle management company Change Healthcare for $8 billion, in a move company officials said would drive greater connectivity among its healthcare delivery systems—but that critics said could reduce competition in health IT services. (Kim Cohen, 8/16)

Modern Healthcare: New Medicare Hospitals Get Paid 3 Times More For Capital Costs Than Older Facilities, Watchdog Finds
Medicare pays new hospitals three times more for capital costs than it pays established hospitals, costing taxpayers an extra $1.3 million per hospital each year, according to a report the HHS Office of Inspector General published Monday. Under the program's inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) rule, CMS pays new hospitals for Medicare-related capital costs during their first two years in the program based on their expenses. All other hospitals must cover their capital costs with money from their inpatient payments, no matter their costs. (Brady, 8/16)

Modern Healthcare: Health Systems Lose Most Physical Therapy Referrals To Outside Providers
More than half of patients referred to physical therapy offered within a health system end up going to outside providers, a new report finds. U.S. health systems lost an estimated $2.5 billion in potential revenue from so-called referral leakage around physical therapy alone across the 3.4 million commercially insured patients examined in the new report from Luna, a company that offers in-home physical therapy. Patient leakage has become an even bigger priority for health systems as they recover from COVID-19. The biggest reason patients stray? Convenience. (Bannow, 8/17)

The Wall Street Journal: At Issue In Theranos Trial: Whether Elizabeth Holmes, Witnesses Will Wear Face Masks 
Attorneys for Theranos Inc. founder Elizabeth Holmes told a federal judge on Monday that she plans to attend her criminal fraud trial with three family members or friends by her side and strongly prefers not to wear a face mask. Preventative measures against Covid-19 were on display in the courtroom here as Ms. Holmes and prosecutors prepared for the high stakes Silicon Valley trial. Plexiglass panels were erected in front of the judge, at the lecterns where attorneys speak and at the end of the jury box. U.S. District Judge Edward Davila said he would ask that jurors wear masks and they may be asked about their vaccination status. (Somerville, 8/16)

AP: Report Shows Big Spike In Mail Ballots During 2020 Election
Fewer than one-third of voters casting ballots in last year’s U.S. presidential election did so at a polling place on Election Day as the coronavirus pandemic led states to greatly expand mail-in balloting and early voting, according to a federal report released Monday. The report by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission captures just how much the electorate embraced non-traditional voting methods despite repeated attempts by former President Donald Trump to undermine mail voting. (Cassidy, 8/16)

NPR: FDA Expands Recall Of Frozen Shrimp Due To Salmonella Risks
It's time to check your freezer: A nationwide recall of frozen shrimp has been expanded due to salmonella risks. The FDA over the weekend widened an ongoing recall of frozen shrimp products from Avanti Frozen Foods. The affected products are cooked, peeled and deveined frozen shrimp sold in various packaging sizes, with or without cocktail sauce, at stores nationwide between November 2020 and May 2021, according to officials. (Pruitt-Young, 8/16)

Politico: Drought Forces First Water Cuts On The Colorado River. They're Just The Beginning
A two-decade-long megadrought along the Colorado River is pushing seven Western states and parts of Mexico into a formal shortage declaration, forcing water delivery cuts to the Southwest that are just the beginning of the pain climate change promises to bring to the region. Climate scientists and water managers have long seen this declaration coming, but what's alarming them is the speed with which the hot and dry conditions over the past four years have shrunk the river’s two main reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, to levels not seen since they were first filled. (Snider, 8/16)

Reuters: Billionaire Kraft's Paper Mill Causes Pollution Crisis In South Carolina 
A South Carolina paper mill, whose foul smell has triggered more than 30,000 complaints, has become one of the dirtiest polluters in the United States since being acquired by an investment group led by Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of the New England Patriots football team. The complaints over large releases of hydrogen sulfide, a gas that smells like rotten eggs and causes headaches and even death in concentrated doses, from the New-Indy paper mill in Catawba, South Carolina, have resulted in federal and state orders to reduce its emissions. Three federal civil lawsuits have been filed against the company, alleging the odor is harming families. (Mclaughlin, 8/17)

Bloomberg: New Zealand PM Ardern Puts Nation In Lockdown On Single Covid Case
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern put the nation into a three-day lockdown after the discovery of the first community case of Covid-19 since February. The snap lockdown will begin at midnight tonight as authorities rush to identify the source of a single infection in largest city Auckland, Ardern said at a news conference Tuesday in Wellington. While genome sequencing has yet to be completed, the case is assumed to be the highly infectious delta variant, she said. “Delta has been a game-changer, we’re responding to that,” Ardern said. “The best thing we can do to get out of this as quickly as we can is to go hard.” (Withers, 8/17)

CNN: CDC Adds 4 Destinations To 'Very High' Covid-19 Travel Risk List, Including Turkey 
Turkey and Montenegro are now among the highest-risk destinations for travelers, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's regularly revised travel advisories list. Travel should be avoided to locations carrying the "Level 4: Covid-19 very high" notice, according to CDC guidance. Anyone who must travel should be fully vaccinated first, the agency advises. (Hunter, 8/16)

Bloomberg: Interpol Issues Global Alert Over Covid-19 Vaccine Sale Scams
Interpol said it’s issued a worldwide alert over organized crime groups attempting to defraud governments with fake offers to sell Covid-19 vaccines. The global law-enforcement agency said the warning follows some 60 cases in 40 countries around the world where individuals in health ministries and hospitals have received offers for vaccines approved for distribution in their country. (Chapman, 8/16)

The Washington Post: Federal Agents Seize Thousands Of Fake Covid Vaccination Cards Destined For Locations Across U.S. 
Bundles of counterfeit coronavirus vaccination cards printed with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention logo have been shipped from Shenzhen, China, to recipients all around the United States, as some unvaccinated people try to evade restrictions that require proof of the shot to enter certain bars, schools and public spaces. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said in a Friday statement that agents have seized thousands of fake vaccination cards passing through Memphis, a shipping hub. (Shepherd, 8/16)

The Washington Post: Study Warns Of Higher Risk Of Bell’s Palsy Linked To Sinovac Vaccine
A study published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal has shown a higher risk of Bell’s palsy — a type of facial paralysis — following Sinovac’s coronavirus vaccine, CoronaVac. The study, however, found that the benefits of the vaccine still “far outweigh the risk" and said further investigations were required into what exactly triggers it. “Bell’s palsy after vaccination is rare, and most symptoms were mild and got better on their own,” a Sinovac representative Liu Peicheng said in an written response to Reuters. The study says more than 90 percent of Bell’s palsy cases can be resolved within nine months following prompt corticosteroid treatment. (Suliman, 8/17)

Bloomberg: Singapore Teen With Cardiac Arrest After Vaccine Gets $166,000
Singapore is giving S$225,000 ($166,000) to a 16-year-old boy who is recovering from a cardiac arrest after having his first dose of Covid-19 vaccine, in order to help defray the costs of his medical care, the Ministry of Health said in a statement Monday. The patient, who had required intensive care, is recovering steadily and will likely be discharged in the coming weeks, according to the statement. However, he will likely require outpatient rehabilitation for some time before he can return to school and resume other activities. (Cang, 8/16)

The New York Times: While South Africa Waits For Vaccine Supplies, J.&Amp;J. Doses Made There Are Sent To Europe
While many African nations remain desperately short of vaccine supplies, Johnson & Johnson has been exporting to Europe millions of doses that were bottled and packaged in South Africa, according to executives at Johnson & Johnson and the South African manufacturer, Aspen Pharmacare, as well as South African government export records reviewed by The New York Times. South Africa has yet to receive the overwhelming majority of the 31 million vaccine doses it has ordered from Johnson & Johnson. The country has administered only about two million Johnson & Johnson shots so far. That is a major reason that fewer than 7 percent of South Africans are fully vaccinated — and that the country has been devastated by the Delta variant. (Robbins and Mueller, 8/17)

The Wall Street Journal: Forget Beating Covid-19. Europe Is Preparing To Live With It
The battle against Covid-19 is shifting into long-term, low-intensity mode in Europe, as countries including Germany, Italy and France go from seeking to end the pandemic to preparing to live with it. Governments are drawing up plans for campaigns of booster shots, mask wearing, frequent testing and limited social-distancing measures to keep the virus in check ahead of the region’s third pandemic winter. (Douglas and Sylvers, 8/16)

Bloomberg: Paralympics To Go Without Fans As Tokyo Battles Virus Surge
The Paralympics will be held without fans at venues in the Tokyo region as the Japanese capital battles its worst-yet surge of coronavirus. All events in Tokyo and neighboring prefectures of Saitama and Chiba, as well as in Shizuoka, will be held without spectators during the games running from Aug. 24 through Sept. 5, the Tokyo Organizing Committee said on Monday. Tokyo is scrambling to control ballooning virus cases, which have prompted the metropolitan and national governments to consider extending a state of emergency in the capital, currently set to be lifted at the end of August. (Tomisawa, 8/16)