First Edition: Jan. 20, 2022

KHN: Families Complain As States Require Covid Testing For Nursing Home Visits
As covid-19 cases rise again in nursing homes, a few states have begun requiring visitors to present proof that they’re not infected before entering facilities, stoking frustration and dismay among family members. Officials in California, New York, and Rhode Island say new covid testing requirements are necessary to protect residents — an enormously vulnerable population — from exposure to the highly contagious omicron variant. But many family members say they can’t secure tests amid enormous demand and scarce supplies, leaving them unable to see loved ones. And being shut out of facilities feels unbearable, like a nightmare recurring without end. (Graham, 1/20)

KHN: Wildfires And Omicron Prompt A Special Health Insurance Enrollment Period In Colorado
A wildfire displaced thousands of Coloradans just as the omicron surge began sweeping through the state, so health insurance was likely not on many people’s minds when the regular enrollment period for the state’s health insurance marketplace ended Jan. 15. But now, because of those twin emergencies, everyone in the state will get another chance to sign up. State officials on Wednesday launched a special marketplace enrollment period, through March 16, open to all uninsured Coloradans regardless of whether they’ve been directly affected by the fire or the covid-19 surge. (Hawryluk, 1/20)

KHN: ‘Heart’ Of Little Shell: Newest Federally Recognized Tribe To Open First Clinic
Louella Fredrickson has long created workarounds to fill gaps in the spotty medical care available to her as a member of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana. The 86-year-old uses dollar-store reading glasses to improve her blurry vision because she’s worried about the cost of an eye appointment. And when she needed hearing aids, she was told it would cost her more than $1,300. So Fredrickson asked a doctor to tweak her husband’s old pair to fit her smaller ears. “My husband had only used them for a few months before he died, so they work OK,” Fredrickson said. (Houghton, 1/20)

CBS News: Biden Takes Defiant Tone In Press Conference Marking First Year In Office And Says He Didn't Overpromise
President Biden was adamant he hadn't "overpromised" in his first year in office as he held his first press conference of 2022 on Wednesday, but he acknowledged that one of his signature pieces of legislation, Build Back Better, must be downsized  in order to get parts of it through Congress. "It's pretty clear to me that we will need to break it up," Mr. Biden said.  (Linton, Brewster and Watson, 1/19)

USA Today: Biden Says US Moving To Time When Virus Won't Disrupt
President Joe Biden highlighted the progress his administration has made in the fight against COVID-19 and assured Americans the pandemic would come under control as it approaches two full years of upending daily life. At a lengthy White House news conference Wednesday, a day before the one-year anniversary of his inauguration, Biden recognized the public’s frustration and high level of pandemic fatigue and assured that, “It will get better.’’ But he didn't say when. “We’re moving toward a time when COVID-19 won’t disrupt our daily life, when COVID-19 won’t be a crisis, but something to protect against and a threat,’’ Biden said. “Look, we’re not there yet, but we will get there.’’ (Ortiz, Bacon and Tebor, 1/19)

Politico: Biden Defends School Policies, Downplays Recent Shutdowns 
President Joe Biden touted his administration’s efforts to keep schools open during the pandemic on Wednesday as some schools are returning to remote instruction because of the Omicron variant. Biden said that while some school buildings have temporarily shut down, the vast majority have continued to conduct in-person instruction. He credited billions in funding passed as part of last year’s American Rescue Plan, as well as his administration’s vaccination initiatives, for helping students and educators stay in school and minimize learning disruption. (Niedzwiadek, 1/19)

AP: AP FACT CHECK: Biden Puffs Up Claims Of Virus, Job Gains 
In a self-appraisal that didn’t always fit with the facts, President Joe Biden on Wednesday made the dubious assertion that he’s outperformed all expectations on the pandemic in his first year and inflated his contribution to COVID-era economic growth. A look at some of Biden’s comments in a news conference that stretched for nearly two hours. (Seitz and Rugaber, 1/20)

Stat: A Defiant Biden Defends The CDC Amid Mounting Criticism 
President Biden on Wednesday defended the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, amid mounting criticism of the agency’s repeated struggles to communicate basic public health guidance. But instead of conceding that the agency is fundamentally flawed, or that his top health officials have underperformed, Biden attributed the communications issues to the ever-changing nature of the Covid-19 pandemic, and of science itself. “The messages, to the extent they’ve been confusing — it’s because the scientists, they’re learning more,” Biden said during a nearly two-hour press conference. (Facher, 1/19)

Roll Call: CDC Has Backlog Of Applications From Manufacturers Of N95 Masks
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention oversees a backlog of 142 applications from manufacturers of air-filtering masks such as N95s, which the agency was criticized as being slow to recommend over cloth masks before updating its guidance Friday. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, a part of CDC, has yet to review dozens of applications from manufacturers seeking regulatory approval to sell N95s, according to its website. Some of these applications have sat at CDC for months. One application submitted to the center in April was not completed until late December. (Kopp, 1/19)

Modern Healthcare: CMS Vaccine Policy Now Enforceable In All 50 States
The federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers can officially go into effect nationwide after a judge tossed out a challenge to the mandate from Texas on Wednesday. A judge in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas granted a temporary block of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services requirement that employees at Medicare and Medicaid-certified facilities be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in Texas. But Texas moved to dismiss the case on Tuesday following the Supreme Court's decision to let the CMS enforce the mandate while appeals are considered at lower courts. (Goldman, 1/19)

Politico: How Many Health Care Workers Are Vaccinated? It’s Anyone’s Guess
U.S. officials still don’t know exactly how many hospital workers remain unvaccinated, a blind spot that makes it difficult for public health officials to predict and assess vulnerabilities at facilities already facing staffing crises. The lack of reliable immunization data, more than a year after vaccines were first made available to health care workers, could most immediately complicate Biden administration efforts to get ahead of a surge, or assess how many federal personnel might be needed in a region and prop up overwhelmed hospital systems. (Levy, 1/19)

AP: Starbucks Nixes Vaccine Mandate After Supreme Court Ruling 
Starbucks is no longer requiring its U.S. workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, reversing a plan it announced earlier this month. In a memo sent Tuesday to employees, the Seattle coffee giant said it was responding to last week’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. In a 6-3 vote, the court rejected the Biden administration’s plan to require vaccines or regular COVID testing at companies with more than 100 workers. (Durbin, 1/19)

AP: Ambulances Wait Hours With Patients At California Hospitals
Emergency health workers in California Wednesday blasted hours-long waits to transfer patients from ambulances to hospital emergency rooms in what they said were chronic delays worsened by the nearly two-year coronavirus pandemic. During a legislative hearing, first responders said taking more than the anticipated 20 minutes to receive a patient at a hospital emergency room isn’t good for the patient and impedes their ability to head out on new emergency calls. Often, they said, they wind up waiting hours at hospitals because no one is available to receive new patients — a problem that doctors and a hospital administrator said stems from delays in lab work, X-rays and insurance authorizations. (Taxin, 1/19)

Stat: Covid-19 Is No Longer The Biggest Issue Facing Hospitals. Staffing Is 
Health care providers have been the frontline of our nation’s battle against the Covid-19 pandemic, and they have responded heroically. That said, the initial set of seemingly insurmountable challenges that hospitals had to overcome in every community across the U.S. — like accessing sufficient personal protective equipment so they could safely provide care — have now been replaced with a new problem of epic proportions: a tsunami of staffing and labor challenges. These challenges were the number one issue that CEOs and CFOs from 20 of America’s most prominent health systems shared at this year’s recently concluded 40th Annual J.P. Morgan Health Care Conference. While nearly every industry is currently facing staffing problems, the issue in health care is especially acute due to the demands and burnout associated with being on the frontlines of care throughout the last two years. (Michelson, 1/19)

AP: Nevada Enlisting Nursing Students For Hospital Staff Crisis 
With Nevada hospitals reporting a staffing “crisis” and health officials reporting COVID-19 patient tallies at pandemic highs, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak highlighted a program Wednesday to enlist nursing students to help meet the demand for medical providers. (Ritter, 1/20)

AP: Illinois, Chicago Omicron Cases Have Peaked, Officials Say 
The state’s top officials in the battle against COVID-19 on Wednesday reported that the vicious surge in the disease fueled by the omicron variant is slowing statewide and in Chicago, the nation’s third-largest city. But even as record numbers of hospitalizations decline, authorities said health care resources are still stretched to the limit. “We are a long way from being out of the woods,” Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said at a news conference. (Tareen and O'Connor, 1/19)

Philadelphia Inquirer: COVID Cases In Pa. And N.J. Declining, Omicron Peak May Be Over In Philly Area
COVID-19 cases and deaths are declining in Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs, prompting health officials in the region to express cautious optimism that the worst of the omicron surge may be over. In Philadelphia and its four neighboring Pennsylvania counties, hospitalizations are declining too, and city hospitals are beginning to feel relief from the press of COVID-19 patients that has swamped them in recent weeks. (Laughlin, McCarthy and McDaniel, 1/19)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Reports A Decrease In COVID-19 Hospitalizations
The Wisconsin Hospital Association reported a decrease in COVID-19 hospitalizations Wednesday. The latest peak and record high of 2,278 patients was on Jan. 12. Since then, the number of people hospitalized has declined to 2,163 patients. In addition, since the peak and record high of 488 intensive care patients, the number of patients in the intensive care unit decreased to 459 patients. Also on Wednesday, the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene reported that the omicron variant was found in 100% of tests sequenced during the week starting Jan. 10. (Bentley, 1/19)

The New York Times: In Sewage, Clues To Omicron’s Surge 
The sewage data reveal an Omicron wave that is cresting at different times in different places. According to Biobot Analytics, a company tracking the coronavirus in wastewater in 183 communities across 25 states, viral levels have already begun to decline in many big cities but are still rising in smaller communities. (Anthes and Imbler, 1/19)

USA Today: Walgreens COVID-19 Index: Pharmacy Unveils Own Pandemic Tracking Tool
Walgreens has a new prescription for improving COVID-19 reconnaissance and tracking of the dominant omicron variant: its own Walgreens COVID-19 Index. The new tracking tool, which the pharmacy chain launches Wednesday, will reflect results at 5,000 Walgreens locations across the U.S. and provide national and state-by-state updates of the spread of omicron and other variants. In addition to tracking confirmed COVID cases by state, the COVID-19 Index will also reflect the presumed percentage of omicron cases by state, in near real-time. A fraction of the PCR tests taken at Walgreens locations and processed by Aegis Sciences Corp., will check for a specific genetic marker associated with omicron and have that data updated into the index within 24 to 48 hours. (Snider, 1/19)

AP: Prior Infection, Vaccines Provide Best Protection From COVID
A new study in two states that compares coronavirus protection from prior infection and vaccination concludes getting the shots is still the safest way to prevent COVID-19. The study examined infections in New York and California last summer and fall and found people who were both vaccinated and had survived a prior bout of COVID-19 had the most protection. (Stobbe, 1/19)

Stat: Those Who Recovered From Covid Less Likely Than Vaccinated To Get Infected During Delta
New data released Wednesday showed that both vaccination and prior infection offered strong protection against infection and hospitalization from Covid-19 during the Delta wave — and that case and hospitalization rates were actually lower among people who had recovered from Covid-19 than among those who had been vaccinated. The data, released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and health agencies in California and New York, are sure to inflame arguments from those who insist they don’t need to be vaccinated if they can show they’ve recovered from Covid-19. But the data contain many caveats that health officials stressed pointed to the value of vaccination, even on top of prior infection. (Joseph, 1/19)

Bloomberg: Omicron Is A Bigger Risk For The Young, Medical Data Shows
The omicron variant may be more dangerous for children than earlier coronavirus strains, a study of hospitalization data from one of South Africa’s biggest medical insurance programs showed. Data from the 56,164 Covid-19-related hospital admissions among the more than 2 million beneficiaries of the Government Employees Medical Scheme found that the admission rate for children under the age of four was 49% higher during the omicron wave than for delta. It was also higher than during the infection surges driven by the original virus and the beta variant, according to the data analyzed by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases. (Sguazzin, 1/19)

The New York Times: Can Omicron Cause Long Covid? 
Many public health officials have taken heart in early evidence that suggests infections from the Omicron variant tend to cause less severe illness than other versions of the coronavirus. But another important question looms: whether infection with Omicron, including breakthrough cases in vaccinated people, can result in long Covid — the constellation of physical, neurological and cognitive symptoms that can last for months and impair people’s daily lives. It is too early for scientists to know much about the relationship between Omicron, vaccination and long Covid. (Belluck, 1/19)

USA Today: COVID-19 Worries, Social Distancing Up As Omicron Surges: Gallup Poll
A new poll shows Americans' fears about COVID-19 are up as cases skyrocketed in January, prompting most Americans to avoid large crowds even as masking and vaccine rates remain mostly stagnant. Gallup, a global analytics and advice firm well known for its polling, released the results of its latest poll Thursday morning. The firm has regularly polled Americans on their level of concern related to the coronavirus pandemic. The latest poll of 1,569 U.S. adults, conducted online Jan. 3 through 14, found a steep rise in the percentage of Americans who said the pandemic is "getting worse," as compared to fall 2021 data. (Thornton, 1/20)

The New York Times: I Had Breakthrough Covid. Can I Start Living Like It’s 2019?
Like many New Yorkers, Domenica D’Ottavio contracted Covid-19 over the Christmas holidays. Her head clogged with congestion, her body ached; she coughed and spiked a fever. But she also had another surprising symptom: relief. “It was just a different feeling,” said Ms. D’Ottavio, who had been fully vaccinated and boosted before getting infected. “You don’t realize until it’s over that you’ve been walking around with a tiny bit of fear in the back of your mind.” (Blum, 1/19)

CIDRAP: Study Finds No Evidence Of Live Virus In Breast Milk Of Moms With COVID-19
A small University of California study finds no evidence that breast milk from mothers infected with SARS-CoV-2 transmits the virus to their babies. The study, published today in Pediatrics Research, involved polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing of 285 samples and viral culture of 160 samples of breast milk from 110 women with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. (1/19)

CIDRAP: Study: Remdesivir Reduces Mechanical Ventilation In COVID-19 Patients
A randomized control trial published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) shows that the antiviral drug remdesivir reduces the use of mechanical ventilation by almost half for patients hospitalized with COVID-19. (1/19)

Bloomberg: Drugmakers Sign Pacts To Widen Access To Merck’s Covid Pill
More than two dozen generic-drug manufacturers have agreed to produce low-cost versions of Merck & Co.’s Covid-19 pill, a key step in bringing virus-fighting tools to lower-income countries that have struggled to get vaccines. Companies in Bangladesh, China, India, Kenya, South Africa, Vietnam and other countries signed pacts to supply more than 100 low- and middle-income nations, the United Nations-backed Medicines Patent Pool said Thursday. (Paton, 1/20)

Indianapolis Star: Ivermectin For COVID Would Be Promoted Under Indiana Bill
An Indiana lawmaker has proposed a bill that would open the door for the use of a controversial medicine to prevent and treat cases of COVID-19. Under House Bill 1372, a doctor or advanced practice registered nurse could write a standing order for ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug, that would allow pharmacists to dispense the drug. The legislation also stipulates that the pharmacist must not provide information that discourages using ivermectin to treat COVID-19. (Rudavsky, 1/20)

San Francisco Chronicle: Kaiser Permanente May Have Given Wrong COVID-19 Vaccine Dose To Nearly 4,000 People
Nearly 4,000 people who got their COVID-19 vaccine at Kaiser Permanente’s Walnut Creek Medical Center late last year may have received a slightly smaller dose than is recommended, according to the health care provider. In a statement this week, Kaiser said it was contacting 3,900 people who received a Pfizer vaccine at the East Bay hospital between Oct. 25 and Dec. 10. Those individuals may have received between 0.01 and 0.04 milliliters less of vaccine than the recommended 0.30 milliliters. (Picon, 1/19)

NPR: How Long Does A COVID Booster Shot Offer Protection Against Omicron?
We've known for about a month now that a third shot of the vaccine is critical for protecting against infection with the omicron variant — and for keeping people out of the hospital. Now researchers in the U.K. have the first estimates for how long a third shot of the Pfizer vaccine will last. And the findings are mixed. Protection against infection is likely short-term, lasting less than six months, but protection against severe disease appears more robust, researchers with the U.K. Health Security Agency reported Friday. (Doucleff, 1/19)

AP: Lamont: Nursing Home Visitors Must Be Vaccinated Or Tested 
Beginning Saturday, visitors to nursing homes in Connecticut must show proof they’ve been vaccinated for COVID-19 or they’ve recently tested negative in order to enter the long-term care facilities. Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont signed an executive order Wednesday that imposes the new requirement. It comes as amid concerns the super-contagious omicron variant is leading to more positive COVID-19 cases among nursing home residents across the U.S. (1/19)

AP: Wisconsin Bill Makes New Crime For Vaccine Tampering 
Intentionally damaging vaccines would be a felony in Wisconsin under a bill with bipartisan support that the state Assembly is scheduled to approve Thursday. The measure comes in response to a pharmacist in a Milwaukee suburb spoiling more than 500 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in January 2021. He pleaded guilty to the federal charges and was sentenced to three years in prison. (1/20)

AP: Minnesota Attorney General Sues 2 Companies Over COVID Tests 
Minnesota’s top law enforcement official filed suit against two Illinois-based companies Wednesday over the results of COVID-19 tests he said were often slow to arrive and not accurate. Attorney General Keith Ellison is seeking an injunction and financial penalties, including restitution for affected residents, against Center for Covid Control and Doctors Clinical Laboratory. Their tests were offered at eight sites in Minnesota. The complaint alleges people failed to get timely results or any at all. Others said they received results for tests they didn’t take. (1/20)

NBC News: Federal Inspectors Allege Covid Testing Firm Didn't Put Patients' Names On Specimens
Federal documents obtained by NBC News allege that a Covid testing company with 300 pop-up locations nationwide and its associated lab lacked adequate refrigeration and failed to put patients’ names on specimens or report test results to state officials. The Chicago-based company, Center for Covid Control, is already under investigation by multiple states and the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS. The attorney general of Minnesota sued the company Wednesday alleging that it “either failed to deliver test results, or delivered test results that were falsified or inaccurate.” (Strickler, 1/19)

AP: New Mexico Will Send COVID Tests To Low-Income Neighborhoods
New Mexico is sending free COVID-19 home tests to low-income and underserved neighborhoods, but some school officials say a nationwide shortage of tests is putting them in a bind as they work to meet state requirements aimed at keeping students and staff in the classroom. The state Health Department announced this week that more than 400,000 tests have been secured so far. (Bryan, 1/19)

AP: Attorney General Ken Paxton Tests Positive For COVID-19 
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has tested positive for COVID-19, the Republican’s office confirmed Wednesday. In a statement, Paxton’s staff confirmed reports that he had tested positive for the coronavirus and has been isolated at home, where he continues to work. ... Social media posts showed Paxton attended a weekend Donald Trump #Save America rally in Arizona. (1/19)

CBS News: $10 Million Lawsuit Claims Southwest Booted A Passenger Whose Disability Prevented Mask Wearing 
A Southwest Airlines passenger is suing the carrier for $10 million, claiming that employees yelled at her and pulled her off a flight because she repeatedly took off her mask to drink water. Medora Clay Reading, 68, tried to fly from Washington, D.C., to Palm Beach, Florida, on January 7, according to her lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in New York district court. Reading said she has a heart condition, severe hypoglycemia, claustrophobia and fainting spells — "disabilities that are triggered by wearing a face covering," the complaint states. (Ivanova, 1/19)

Modern Healthcare: OSHA Fines Montefiore For Workplace Violence Violations
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Montefiore Medical Center for failing to keep workers safe in several incidents, as violence against healthcare workers continues to increase during the COVID-19 pandemic. Montefiore will pay $17,555 over its handling of an attack on staff members. In early 2021, a psychiatric patient assaulted multiple workers during observation and during an attempted escape. OSHA said Montefiore had not developed and implemented adequate measures to protect employees from recurring serious hazards, and for not recording injuries properly. (Gillespie, 1/19)

Stat: Study: Negative Terms Are More Likely To Appear In Black Patients' Records
Doctors’ notes are meant to be an objective record of their interactions with patients. Among other uses, the notes provide important context for any other providers who treat those patients in the future. But these notes aren’t as objective as doctors might think. For example, a doctor might write that a patient was “agitated” at an appointment, or “nonadherent” with the treatment plan they discussed the last time. These words are negative descriptors, and according to a new study, they are applied unequally across racial lines: Black patients had 2.54 times the odds of white patients of having at least one negative term in their notes. (Preston, 1/19)

Stat: Analysis Of JAMA And NEJM Finds Most Authors Failed To Disclose Conflicts
Amid ongoing concerns over conflicts of interest that may affect medical practice, a new analysis finds that 81% of authors whose work appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine and Journal of the American Medical Association — two of the most influential medical journals — failed to disclose payments as required. The analysis examined 31 original research articles that were published in each journal in 2017 and then identified 118 authors who received a total of $7.48 million, according to OpenPayments, a U.S. government database to which drug and device makers must report payments to physicians and other health care providers. The payments were for speaking, consulting, travel and food, among other things. (Silverman, 1/19)

Stat: Senate Finance Chair Investigates Bristol Myers Overseas Tax Shelter
The head of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee is seeking details from Bristol Myers Squibb about a decade-old deal in which the company used offshore subsidiaries in Ireland allegedly to avoid paying as much as $1.4 billion in U.S. taxes on prescription drug sales. The query is part of an ongoing investigation into tax practices by multi-national pharmaceutical companies and how tax loopholes allow these drug makers to avoid paying U.S. taxes. Last June, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), who chairs the committee, accused AbbVie of shifting profits offshore and registering patents in low-tax jurisdictions to consistently avoid paying U.S. corporate income taxes. (Silverman, 1/19)

Modern Healthcare: Most 2021 Breaches Stemmed From Hacking, IT Incidents
Nearly three-quarters of healthcare data breaches reported to the federal government last year were attributed to hacking or information-technology incidents, according to a review of the latest data from the Health and Human Services Department's Office for Civil Rights. As of Wednesday, the agency lists 712 breach reports that healthcare providers, insurers and their business associates submitted to the agency in 2021. These incidents affected more than 45 million patients. Last year's tally was the highest since the Office for Civil Rights debuted its breach portal in 2010; the previous record was 663 in 2020. (Kim Cohen, 1/19)

Bloomberg: Drug-Resistant Infections Were More Deadly Than HIV In 2019
Resistance to antibiotics killed more people than HIV or malaria in 2019, as common infections that could previously be treated become impervious to existing cures. Drug-resistant bacterial infections directly led to the death of 1.27 million people and played a part in almost 5 million fatalities in 2019, according to a global analysis published in The Lancet medical journal on Thursday. (Anghel, 1/20)

The New York Times: Survey Of Americans Who Attempted Suicide Finds Many Aren’t Getting Care 
Suicide attempts in the United States showed a “substantial and alarming increase” over the last decade, but one number remained the same, a new study has found: Year in and year out, about 40 percent of people who had recently tried suicide said they were not receiving mental health services. The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry on Wednesday, traces a rise in the incidence of suicide attempts, defined as “self-reported attempts to kill one’s self in the last 12 months,” from 2008 to 2019. During that period, the incidence rose to 564 in every 100,000 adults from 481. (Barry, 1/19)

AP: Planned Parenthood Sues To Stop South Dakota Abortion Rule
A federal lawsuit filed Wednesday by Planned Parenthood aims to prevent the state of South Dakota from implementing a new rule for medical abortions that would make the state one of the hardest places in the nation to get abortion pills. The rule approved by lawmakers earlier this month requires women to return to a doctor to receive the second of two drugs used to carry out a medication abortion. Usually women receive both drugs in one visit, taking the second medication at home. The regulation is expected to go into effect later this month. (1/20)

Houston Chronicle: New Law On Helping Texans With Disabilities During Emergencies Could Still Leave Many At Risk
After the freeze, lawmakers passed SB 968, which required municipalities to check on their disabled residents in times of emergencies. The law requires cities and counties to check on certain residents — suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or debilitating chronic illnesses, dialysis patients, those dependent on oxygen treatment or who have medical conditions that require 24-hour medical supervision — who register on the State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry. State Rep. John Bucy III, D-Austin, proposed the legislation after learning a constituent who lived a few streets over from him died, alone, because he failed to get critical dialysis treatment during the storm. (Barned-Smith, 1/20)

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Complaint Filed On Behalf Of Deaf Inmates At County Jail
The American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada has filed a complaint with the Department of Justice requesting an investigation into the Clark County Detention Center’s treatment of deaf inmates. According to the complaint, the Metropolitan Police Department, which operates the jail in downtown Las Vegas, has violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by denying deaf inmates access to American Sign Language interpreters and up-to-date technology to make calls. (Newberg, 1/19)

AP: Assisted Suicide Bill Narrowly Clears Delaware House Panel 
A bill allowing doctor-assisted suicide in Delaware cleared a Democrat-led House committee by a single vote Wednesday, paving the way for possible consideration by the full House. Committee members voted 8-7 to release the measure, with Wilmington Democrat Rep. Nnamdi Chukwuocha joining all Republicans in voting against it. (1/20)

Politico: She Took On Trump, Juul And The Sacklers. Now She Wants To Run Massachusetts
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, a progressive lawyer known for taking on former President Donald Trump and Purdue Pharma, will launch her campaign for governor on Thursday, according to two people familiar with her planning. Healey’s entrance could maximize Democrats’ chances of retaking the office the party has so rarely held in recent decades. (Kashinsky, 1/19)

The New York Times: Most ‘Havana Syndrome’ Cases Unlikely Caused By Foreign Power, C.I.A. Says 
The C.I.A. has found that most cases of the mysterious ailments known as Havana syndrome are unlikely to have been caused by Russia or another foreign adversary, agency officials said, a conclusion that angered victims. A majority of the 1,000 cases reported to the government can be explained by environmental causes, undiagnosed medical conditions or stress, rather than a sustained global campaign by a foreign power, C.I.A. officials said, describing the interim findings of a comprehensive study. (Barnes, 1/20)

CBS News: England Is About To Drop Virtually All Anti-COVID Restrictions 
Most legal restrictions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in England will be dropped next week, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the British Parliament on Wednesday. From Monday, face masks will no longer be mandatory anywhere in England. (Ott, 1/19)

AP: New Zealand Says It Won't Use Lockdowns When Omicron Spreads
New Zealand is among the few remaining countries to have avoided any outbreaks of the omicron variant — but Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Thursday an outbreak was inevitable and the nation would tighten restrictions as soon as one was detected. But she also said that New Zealand would not impose the lockdowns that it has used previously, including for the delta variant. (Perry, 1/20)

The Washington Post: Czech Singer Hanka Horká Dies After Intentionally Getting Infected By The Coronavirus
A popular Czech folk singer has died after deliberately getting infected with the coronavirus, in an apparent move to skirt restrictions limiting access to some venues to people who have been immunized or recently recovered from infection, her family said. Two days before she died, 57-year-old Hanka Horká, who was reportedly unvaccinated, wrote on social media that she had “survived” the virus and was looking forward to trips to the theater, the sauna, concerts and the sea. “I’ll tell you my secret, yes, I endured, and I survived … however, it was very colorful,” she said. “Life is here for me and for you too.” (Pannett, 1/20)

Bloomberg: Mexico Covid Cases Rise By Record That Doubles Previous Wave
Mexico registered a record number of new Covid-19 cases Wednesday -- more than double the amount seen in previous waves -- as the omicron variant extends its spread through the country. The country recorded 60,552 new coronavirus cases, pushing total cases up to 4,495,310, according to data from the Health Ministry. Deaths increased 323, the highest amount since November, to put the cumulative toll at 302,112. (Quinn, 1/20)

Bloomberg: A Million Covid Shots Thrown Out Before Indonesia Can Use Them
More than a million Covid-19 vaccine shots expired in Indonesia before they could be given out, as most of them were donated with a short shelf life. Of the 1.1 million doses that were thrown out, about 98% were donated just one to three months away from expiry, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said in parliament on Wednesday. (Aditya, 1/20)

AP: Global Vaccine Program COVAX Low On Funds, Seeks $5.2B 
The global initiative to share coronavirus vaccines equally between rich and poor countries asked Wednesday for $5.2 billion in funds to be able to keep buying doses in coming months. The UN-backed program known as COVAX has delivered just over 1 billion doses since shipments started nearly a year ago. (1/19)

Bloomberg: China Widens Testing Blitz After Mail Suspected For Covid
China is ramping up its coronavirus testing regime after linking at least two omicron cases at opposite ends of the country to international parcels. Residents in southern city of Guangzhou who received overseas mail between Jan. 16 and 19 were told Wednesday to take a coronavirus test within three days. Additionally, local authorities are rolling out a free program from Thursday that will see anyone who has accepted an international package tested within three to seven days. (1/20)

NPR: Winter Olympics: NBC Won't Send Sports Announcers To Beijing Due To COVID-19
With the 2022 winter Olympics taking place in Beijing in less than two weeks, NBC Sports announced Wednesday that it will not be sending any announcing teams to this year's Olympics games — citing "COVID concerns." "The announce teams for these Olympics, including figure skating, will be calling events from our Stamford (Connecticut) facility due to COVID concerns," an NBC Sports spokesperson said in an email to NPR. The spokesperson confirmed that the network will still have a large presence on the ground in Beijing, saying its coverage of everything related to the games will be "first-rate as usual." (Franklin, 1/19)