First Edition: March 23, 2022
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
KHN:
Training Options Narrow For Medical Students Who Want To Learn Abortion Procedures
A barrage of abortion restrictions rippling across the country, from Florida to Texas to Idaho, is shrinking the already limited training options for U.S. medical students and residents who want to learn how to perform abortion procedures. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends standardized training on abortion care during medical residency, the training period after medical school that provides future physicians on-the-job experience in a particular specialty. But the number of residency programs located in states where hospital employees are prohibited from performing or teaching about abortion — or at Catholic-owned hospitals with similar bans — has skyrocketed in recent years, an overlooked byproduct of anti-abortion legislation taking root in the American South, Midwest, and Mountain states. (Varney, 3/23)
KHN:
Black Therapists Fight To Be Seen On TikTok. When They Are, They Find Solidarity.
From a well-lighted room, the plants blurred in the background, their face framed by closed captioning, Shahem Mclaurin speaks directly into the camera. The lesson: “Ten ways to start healing.” But this is not a classroom, nor is it a therapist’s office. This is TikTok. “We all have our own things to carry, and those burdens shouldn’t be carried with us for the rest of our lives,” says Mclaurin, a licensed social worker. (Norman, 3/23)
The Wall Street Journal:
Biden Administration To Stop Reimbursing Hospitals For Covid-19 Care For Uninsured
Some people without health insurance will begin getting bills for Covid-19 treatments and testing after the Biden administration on Tuesday starts winding down a federal program that reimburses providers for virus-related care for the uninsured and that officials say is running out of funds. The White House says it will end the reimbursement program, which started under the Trump administration and also pays hospitals and other healthcare providers for things such as administering Covid-19 vaccines to uninsured people, by the end of April because it is running out of money. The administration and hospitals are urging lawmakers to approve more funding for the program. (Armour and Siddiqui, 3/22)
The Washington Post:
White House Officials Warn U.S. Has Exhausted Funds To Buy Potential Fourth Vaccine Dose For All Americans
The Biden administration lacks the funds to purchase a potential fourth coronavirus vaccine dose for everyone, even as other countries place their own orders and potentially move ahead of the United States in line, administration officials said Monday. Federal officials have secured enough doses to cover a fourth shot for Americans age 65 and older as well as the initial regimen for children under 5, should regulators determine those shots are necessary, said three officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to detail funding decisions. But the officials say they cannot place advance orders for additional vaccine doses for those in other age groups, unless Congress passes a stalled $15 billion funding package. (Diamond, Roubein and Abutaleb, 3/22)
AP:
COVID Budget Impasse Halts Aid To Test And Treat Uninsured
The Uninsured Program is an early casualty of the budget impasse between Congress and the White House over the Biden administration’s request for an additional $22.5 billion for ongoing COVID response. In operation since the Trump administration, the program reimburses hospitals, clinics, doctors and other service providers for COVID care for uninsured people, whose numbers total about 28 million. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 3/22)
The Washington Post:
Latest Version Of Omicron Accounts For Most New Infections In Many Parts Of The U.S., Genomics Testing Shows
The recently emerged version of the coronavirus called BA.2 that has driven a wave of cases in Europe now accounts for as much as 70 percent of new infections in many parts of the United States, according to an estimate from the genomics company Helix that could signal a new chapter in the third year of the pandemic. The estimate from Helix, which conducts genomic sequencing on virus samples, comes amid concerns that Europe’s surge in infections will be replicated in coming weeks in the United States, where caseloads have often trailed those in Europe by roughly a month. (Achenbach, 3/22)
Bay Area News Group:
Omicron BA.2 Subvariant Now One In Three U.S. COVID-19 Cases
The CDC data show that as of March 19, BA.2 — often referred to as “stealth omicron” — accounted for 34.9% of genetically sequenced samples across the U.S., up from 22.3% as of March 12 and 12.6% on March 5. In the Northeast, BA.2 accounts for as much as 55.4% of the virus, and in Western states including California, 41.3%. Dr. George Rutherford, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California-San Francisco, said the increase is “about what I expected” given the subvariant’s transmissibility. “It will continue to climb at 10 percentage points a week or so,” Rutherford said. (Woolfolk, 3/22)
Bloomberg:
BA.2 Variant Spreading In U.S., CDC Says, Especially In New York, Northeast
The fast-growing lineage of the coronavirus is most common in New England and in the New York region, where it accounted for more than half of all new infections, according to agency projections. While Covid cases have continued to drop nationally, New York City saw infections rise about 33% to 924 for the week ending March 19, according to a separate tally of cases from the agency — well below levels during the winter omicron surge. BA.2 isn't believed to be more dangerous than other strains, though there are indications that it is more infectious. (Muller, 3/22)
The Boston Globe:
Omicron Subvariant Now Accounts For Over Half Of All COVID-19 Cases In New England, CDC Says
A new Omicron subvariant, which is believed to be one of the drivers of a COVID-19 resurgence in Europe, now accounts for more than half the new cases in New England, according to estimates from the CDC. The subvariant, known as BA.2, accounted for 55.4 percent of cases in New England as of Saturday, continuing to elbow out other varieties of Omicron. Nationally, BA.2 has grown to account for 34.9 percent of cases, up from 1 percent as recently as early February, according to the CDC estimates. (Fincane, Fujiwara and Huddle, 3/22)
The Washington Post:
How Fast Omicron’s BA.2 Variant Is Spreading Around The World
In a pattern the world has seen twice over the past year, a new version of the coronavirus is sweeping across the globe. Omicron’s BA.2 subvariant is already by far the world’s dominant form of the coronavirus, as recorded in the GISAID international repository of coronavirus genetic sequences analyzed by The Washington Post. (Keating, Dong and Shin, 3/22)
The New York Times:
Preschoolers Can Shed Their Masks, Mayor Adams Says
In his first months as mayor, Eric Adams has been almost singularly focused on New York City’s recovery from the pandemic, urging workers to return to offices and ending mask mandates for school-age children and vaccine mandates for restaurants and gyms. Mr. Adams forged ahead with that effort on Tuesday, declaring an end to the city’s school mask mandate for children under 5 — his latest move to restore a sense of normalcy in a city battered by the coronavirus. (Fitzsimmons, 3/22)
The New York Times:
A Judge On New York State’s Highest Court Is Unvaccinated And Could Be Removed From The Bench
A judge on New York State’s highest court could face removal from the bench for failing to comply with the state’s Covid vaccination mandate, according to court guidelines and state officials. Jenny Rivera, an associate judge on the state Court of Appeals, has participated remotely in the court’s activities since the fall, when the state court system’s vaccination mandate took effect and unvaccinated employees were barred from court facilities. (O'Brien, 3/23)
Dallas Morning News:
Southwest Airlines Flight Attendants Ask Biden To Drop Face Mask Mandate
The union for flight attendants at Dallas-based Southwest Airlines is asking the White House and other aviation regulators to drop face mask mandates that have become a hallmark of flying during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The TWU Local 556 union that represents that carrier’s 16,000 flight attendants said in a letter to President Joe Biden and other regulators that “Serving onboard during these contentious times and enforcing mask compliance is one of the most difficult jobs we have ever faced as flight attendants.” (Arnold, 3/22)
The New York Times:
When Are Mask Mandates On Airplanes Ending?
Air travel has been one of the last holdouts for strict pandemic mask requirements. In the United States, for example, the mask mandate — which was recently extended to April 18, when it comes up for review again — is still enforced. Over the last year, 922 of those who didn’t wear masks received fines from the Transportation Security Administration, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office. But there are hints that the tide may be turning: Within the past few weeks, Danish airports and London’s Heathrow Airport have lifted their mask requirements, as have several major British airlines. (Murphy, 3/22)
CIDRAP:
Study Shows Efficient Deer-To-Deer SARS-CoV-2 Transmission
A US study shows that white-tailed deer (WTD) inoculated with COVID-19–causing SARS-CoV-2 shed infectious virus for up to 5 days, resulting in efficient deer-to-deer transmission on day 3, findings the authors say highlight the potential for deer to become a reservoir for the virus. ... "Understanding the infection and transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in WTD is critical to prevent future zoonotic transmission to humans, (at the human-WTD interface during hunting or venison farming), and for implementation of effective disease control measures," the study said. (3/22)
CIDRAP:
Study: Referrals For Partner Violence Increased During Pandemic
A study today in Pediatrics from researchers at Boston Children's Hospital suggests that, even during a shift away from face-to-face care, there was an increase in referrals for intimate partner violence (IPV) after the start of the pandemic. Face-to-face consults dropped from 28% to 2% when referrals were compared from the 11 months prior to the start of the pandemic to April 2020 through February 2021. But during that period, there was a significant jump in consults (240 to 295), primarily for emotional abuse (195 to 264). (3/22)
Stat:
Before His Death, He Warned Of Pandemic's Toll On Nurses
In early 2020, Michael Odell sensed that Covid-19 would hit hard. A young intensive care nurse who traveled to hospitals needing an extra hand, he told his family that demand for people like him was surging. By April 2, just a few weeks into what had become an atmosphere of fear and mass death, he was worried about the toll on health care workers. He had been standing in for families barred from the bedside, watching repeated scenes of patient after patient deteriorating. “I am already feeling the emotional burnout of caring for patients who, despite some being the sickest they’ve ever been, are unable to have their loved ones by them,” Odell wrote on Facebook that day. “What do you say to someone who is facing death and can’t have their loved ones with them?” ... [I]n January of this year, amid another Covid-19 wave, Odell walked out of his shift early one morning while working at Stanford Health Care. He died in an apparent suicide. He was 27. (Joseph, 3/23)
AP:
FDA Details Problems At Plant Behind Recalled Baby Formula
Baby formula maker Abbott failed to maintain sanitary conditions and procedures at the Michigan manufacturing plant recently linked to a cluster of infant illnesses, according to findings released Tuesday by federal safety inspectors. The Food and Drug Administration posted its initial inspection findings from the Abbott plant that’s been tied to several infant hospitalizations, including two deaths, due to a rare bacterial infection. Abbott recalled various lots of three popular powdered infant formulas in mid-February. FDA inspectors have been on-site inspecting the Sturgis, Michigan, facility since late January. (Perrone, 3/22)
Bloomberg:
Abbott Infant Formula Plant Found Unsanitary Before Recall
Food and Drug Administration inspectors found unsanitary conditions at an Abbott Laboratories plant in Michigan that makes infant formula in September, five months before the company conducted a recall of products associated with the deaths of two babies. The FDA’s inspection started on Sept. 20, according to a report posted on the regulator’s website on Tuesday. The same day, Minnesota health officials told the agency about the case of an infant who fell ill with a dangerous bacteria called chronobacter after consuming infant formula. (Edney, 3/22)
NPR:
Pfizer Launches A Recall Of Blood Pressure Drugs Due To A Potential Carcinogen
Pfizer Inc. is recalling a blood pressure drug due to elevated levels of a potential cancer-causing impurity. The company warned consumers on Monday of several tainted lots of Accuretic and two other versions of the drug – Quinapril and hydrochlorothiazide tablets – because of the presence of a nitrosamine above the Acceptable Daily Intake level. "Nitrosamines are common in water and foods, including cured and grilled meats, dairy products and vegetables. Everyone is exposed to some level of nitrosamines," according to the Food and Drug Administration. (Romo, 3/22)
USA Today:
Pfizer Recall 2022: Blood Pressure Medicine Recalled For Nitrosamine
The company said it is recalling six lots of Accuretic tablets that it distributed, one lot of quinapril and hydrochlorothiazide tablets and four lots of quinapril HCl/ hydrochlorothiazide tablets because the level of nitrosamine was above the acceptable daily intake. Nitrosamines are common in water and foods, including cured and grilled meats, dairy products and vegetables, Pfizer said in its recall notice. Last September, Pfizer recalled all lots Chantix smoking cessation drug for high levels of nitrosamine. (Tyko, 3/22)
Crain's Detroit Business:
Henry Ford Health Drops 'System' From Name, Launches New Brand
Henry Ford Health System announced Tuesday that it would drop "System" from its name and rebrand as Henry Ford Health. The name change is designed to reflect the Detroit-based healthcare system's "devotion to partnering with patients, communities and workforce ..." "Given the collective challenges of the past two years, there has never been a more important time for Henry Ford Health to renew our promise to our communities," Wright Lassiter III, president and CEO of Henry Ford Health, said in a statement. "We want every life we touch — whether it's a member of our team, a patient, member, or a community partner or neighbor — to know that we will be the dynamic partner and relentless advocate they need." (Walsh, 3/22)
Stat:
TeamHealth Hit With Alleged Overbilling Lawsuit, This Time From An Employer
A Louisiana employer filed a class-action lawsuit against TeamHealth, alleging the private-equity-backed physician staffing firm “used a fraudulent and intentionally obfuscated scheme” to overcharge employers for care their workers got in hospital emergency rooms. It’s the first time employers — specifically those that are self-funded and therefore pay their own medical claims — have taken legal action against TeamHealth, which has repeatedly faced lawsuits with similar allegations from health insurance companies and patients. (Herman, 3/22)
ProPublica:
St. Jude Fights Donors’ Families In Court For Share Of Estates
Most Americans know St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through television advertisements featuring Hollywood celebrities asking for contributions or the millions of fundraising appeals that regularly arrive in mailboxes across the country. But a select group of potential donors is targeted in a more intimate way. Representatives of the hospital’s fundraising arm visit their homes; dine with them at local restaurants; send them personal notes and birthday cards; and schedule them for “love calls.” (Armstrong and Gabrielson, 3/22)
The New York Times:
Another Theranos Trial Begins, This Time Without the Fanfare
A small group with cameras milled around on the sidewalk. Inside, a smattering of reporters stared into their phones. And when the defendant walked in, flanked by lawyers, barely anyone noticed. So began the federal trial on Tuesday of Ramesh Balwani, the tech executive who is accused of defrauding patients and investors about Theranos, the blood testing start-up he helped build. Mr. Balwani, who goes by Sunny, has pleaded not guilty to a dozen charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. (Woo and Griffith, 3/22)
NPR:
Frustrated Nurses Waiting Months To Get Licensed
More than half of the 12,000 nurses who were issued licenses to work in Pennsylvania in 2021 waited for three months or longer to get them, according to an NPR data analysis. That's one of the longest waits in the 32 states where data is available, NPR's Austin Fast found in an investigation that revealed license applications of newly graduated or relocating nurses often get tangled in red tape for months, waiting for state approval to treat patients. The delays came during a year when as many as 1 in 4 Pennsylvania nurse positions went unfilled, according to a survey from the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania. Nurses and health care groups say the failure to promptly certify nurses added to the critical staffing shortage during some of the worst months of the coronavirus pandemic. (Sholtis, 3/23)
Fox News:
Identical Twin Brothers Each Receive Heart Transplants: 'Quite Unique'
Identical twins Donald and Ronald Crigler have been through just about everything together — including life-saving heart transplants. The 48-year-old twins from the St. Louis area of Missouri were both diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, Donald in 2011 and Ronald in 2014. Donald Crigler received his heart transplant in 2017, while Ronald Crigler received his six months ago, in September 2021. Both men underwent their procedures at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Missouri. (Schmidt, 3/23)
The New York Times:
Brain Implant Allows Fully Paralyzed Patient To Communicate
In 2020 Ujwal Chaudhary, a biomedical engineer then at the University of Tübingen and the Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering in Geneva, watched his computer with amazement as an experiment that he had spent years on revealed itself. A 34-year-old paralyzed man lay on his back in the laboratory, his head connected by a cable to a computer. A synthetic voice pronounced letters in German: “E, A, D…”The patient had been diagnosed a few years earlier with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which leads to the progressive degeneration of brain cells involved in motion. The man had lost the ability to move even his eyeballs and was entirely unable to communicate; in medical terms, he was in a completely locked-in state. (Moens, 3/22)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Newsom Signs Bill To Prevent Health Insurance Companies, Plans From Charging Abortion Co-Pays, Fees
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Tuesday that officials said will reduce barriers to reproductive health care in California, namely by eliminating out-of-pocket costs for people seeking abortions and related services through health plans. The Abortion Accessibility Act, SB245, prevents health insurance companies from requiring co-pays, deductibles and other charges for abortions, and it prohibits them from imposing utilization management practices on covered reproductive health services, Newsom’s office said in a statement. (Picon, 3/22)
Bloomberg:
California's Newsom Signs Abortion Law Removing Out-Of-Pocket Costs
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation Tuesday to eliminate out-of-pocket expenses for abortions, making the procedure more accessible as a growing number of states tighten similar laws. Called the Abortion Accessibility Act, the legislation will stop health insurers from imposing co-pays and deductibles for abortions, making California one of six states that require coverage of such services, according to a statement from Newsom’s office. (Chua, 3/23)
Houston Chronicle:
In Austin, Nancy Pelosi Decries ‘Heinous’ Investigations Of Texas Transgender Kids’ Families
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday called Texas child abuse investigations into the families of transgender children one of the most “heinous” policies she has encountered in 35 years in public office. During an evening event at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library, Pelosi also took aim at Texas’ new voting restrictions and near-total abortion ban. But her harshest words came for Gov. Greg Abbott’s order to investigate parents for abuse if they provide their children with gender-affirming health care. “Families embrace their child, and what is the right of the governor of this state ... to intervene in that?” Pelosi said. (Harris, 3/22)
The Wall Street Journal:
Disney Workers Walk Out To Protest Company’s Response To Florida Bill
Small groups of Walt Disney Co. employees across the U.S. took Tuesday off from work and gathered to protest what they described as the company’s continued failure to support LGBT employees. The walkouts mark the beginning of a third week of turmoil inside the entertainment giant as its leadership struggles to contain fallout from its bungled response to a Republican-led education bill in Florida, which many employees said targeted the LGBT community. (Whelan and Sayre, 3/22)
NBC News:
DeSantis Slams NCAA And Lia Thomas, Declares Florida Swimmer 'Rightful Winner'
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an official proclamation Tuesday declaring a Florida resident the “rightful winner” of an NCAA women’s swimming championship race over transgender swimmer Lia Thomas. Thomas — the University of Pennsylvania swimmer whose record-breaking season has sparked national debate over whether trans women should compete on female sports teams — became the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA championship last week, placing first in the 500-yard freestyle race at the Division I finals in Atlanta on Thursday. (Lavietes, 3/22)
Indianapolis Star:
Indiana GOP Lawmakers Vow To Override Transgender Sports Ban Veto
Gov. Eric Holcomb opposed lawmakers from his own party Monday when he vetoed legislation that would ban transgender girls from playing on girls sports teams at school. Within hours, fellow Republicans began calling on the Indiana General Assembly to override the veto. Republicans hold a supermajority in both chambers of the Statehouse but only need a simple majority to override a veto. Several have already said they'll vote for the override, which could be acted on as early as May when lawmakers return for a one-day special session to handle technical corrections. (Herron, 3/22)
NBC News:
Utah Governor Cites Suicide Rates For Transgender Youth In Vetoing Sports Ban Bill: ‘I Want Them To Live’
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox made an emotional plea for compassion toward transgender youth Tuesday in explaining his decision to veto a bill banning transgender students from playing girls' sports. In a letter to the state's Senate president and House speaker, Cox told his fellow Republicans that he was moved by data showing that among 75,000 kids playing high school sports in Utah, only four were transgender, with just one involved in girls sports. ... Cox also cited research on how a sense of belonging could reduce suicide rates among transgender youth, adding that while he struggled to understand "conflicting" science, he sought to employ kindness. (Richards, 3/22)
The Boston Globe:
Salem To Receive $1.3 Million In Opioid Settlement
Salem will receive $1.3 million over the next 16 years as part of the recent national settlement of lawsuits brought against a pharmaceutical company and drug distributors relating to the opioid crisis. The $26 billion agreement settled civil claims brought by states and localities against Janssen, Johnson & Johnson, and the distributors, McKesson, Cardinal Health, and AmerisourceBergen. Salem will receive $60,000 to $150,000 annually through 2038. All the funds will be directed toward opioid overdose prevention, education, and treatment. (Laidler, 3/22)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Doctors Studied More Than 2 Decades Of Golden Gate Bridge Jumps. Their Research Shows Why Some Manage To Survive
As engineers gradually expand a suicide net beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, trauma surgeons in Marin are wrapping up what they hope will be the last report on people who survive a brutal 220-foot fall from the structure. Their research, which is undergoing peer review, offers a glimpse into the grim but intricate triage system used to pull people from the water and keep them alive. Few can withstand a crash at freeway speeds into the frigid waters of the bay, but doctors and emergency responders have managed to boost the odds of survival — from 2% historically to 3% since 2010. (Swan, 3/22)
The New York Times:
MacKenzie Scott Gives $436 Million To Habitat For Humanity
MacKenzie Scott, who promised in 2019 that she would give away her fortune “until the safe is empty,” has donated $436 million to Habitat for Humanity International and its 84 affiliates, the organization said Tuesday. The gift is designed to help alleviate the global housing shortage and promote “equitable access to affordable housing,” Habitat for Humanity said in a statement. (Cramer, 3/22)
AP:
Research Finds More Lyme-Carrying Ticks In Maine Forest
New research shows ticks that can transmit Lyme disease have been increasing in abundance in a forest in the state’s mid-coast region over the last three decades, according to researchers with a Maine university and hospital. Lyme disease is spread by infected deer ticks and can cause damage to joints and the nervous system if not treated. Researchers from the University of Maine and Maine Medical Center Research Institute’s Lyme & Vector-Borne Disease Laboratory collected ticks from small mammals in Holt Research Forest in Arrowsic to track prevalence. (3/22)
Memphis Commercial Appeal:
St. Jude Welcomes First Ukrainian Children With Cancer To US Amid War
With millions of Ukrainians fleeing war in their homeland since Russia invaded almost a month ago, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital helped hundreds of children with cancer find treatment elsewhere. As the first hospital in the U.S. to do so, St. Jude on Tuesday welcomed four Ukrainian children with cancer and their families, a hospital news release said. “Our ability to quickly help so many children and their families in Ukraine is the work of many partners – individuals and institutions – dedicated to the shared vision of improving the quality of health care delivery and increasing survival rates of children with cancer and blood disorders worldwide,” said Dr. Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, director of St. Jude Global, an initiative with about 160 hospitals in 60 countries to help facilitate the treatment of childhood cancer. (Amro 3/22)
CBS News:
Ukrainians Cope With Devastation As Government Says 10 Hospitals Have Been Completely Destroyed In Invasion
Ukraine's government said 10 hospitals have been completely destroyed in Russia's invasion, including one that was decimated by a Russian missile strike on Monday. "I want to cry, because we had a connection between Ukraine and Russia," doctor Anatoli Pavlov said. "Russian cruelty is so brutal." he U.S. has evidence that Russia is deliberately and intentionally targeting civilians, including hospitals and places of shelter, a senior Defense Department official told CBS News. The U.S. said it has seen clear evidence the Russians are committing war crimes as civilians are killed in their homes and on the street. (Williams, 3/22)
Politico:
Get Ready For ‘Hell,’ UN Food Chief Warns Amid Ukraine Shockwaves
The head of the world’s biggest food aid agency has a stark warning for European leaders: Pay more now to stave off global hunger or suffer a migration crisis later. Russia's war in Ukraine has sent a shockwave through international food markets, worsening the already dire problem of global hunger by disrupting supply and inflating prices. That risks tipping the poorest, most famine-ravaged regions of the planet into political chaos and creating an unprecedented migration crisis, according to David Beasley, the World Food Programme’s executive director. In an interview with POLITICO, Beasley warned that Europe must donate more funding urgently or it will bear the brunt of the fallout. (Wax, 3/22)
The Washington Post:
Forest Fires Near Russian-Held Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Raise Radiation Fears, Ukraine Says
Forest fires have broken out around the Chernobyl nuclear site, Ukraine’s parliament said Monday, raising fears that radiation could spread from the defunct facility. At least seven fires within the closed-down plant’s exclusion zone were observed on satellite imagery from the European Space Agency, the parliament said in a statement. The lawmakers blamed the blazes on Russian forces that captured the site in February. (Suliman, Stern and Mufson, 3/22)
The New York Times:
South Africa Begins To Lift Covid Restrictions But Leaves Its Indoor Mask Mandate.
South Africa will begin lifting Covid-19 restrictions on Wednesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Tuesday in an address that marked the start of what he called a “new era” in the country’s fight against the pandemic. Masks will no longer be required outdoors in South Africa but will continue to be required in public indoor spaces, including shops, offices and public transportation. (Patil, 3/23)
AP:
Idaho Dance Group Stuck In Ireland Because Of COVID-19
The Red Hot Mamas musical-comedy group from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, gave a well-received performance at the March 17 St. Patrick’s Festival Parade in Limerick, Ireland, but some members had to stay in the country longer than expected after testing positive for COVID-19. Trip leader Pam Ames says about half the group of 15 had to quarantine in Ireland this past week, although six participants who tested negative did fly home. (3/22)
Reuters:
S.Korea's Total COVID Cases Top 10 Million As Crematoria, Funeral Homes Overwhelmed
South Korea's total coronavirus infections topped 10 million, or nearly 20% of its population, authorities said on Wednesday, as surging severe cases and deaths increasingly put a strain on crematories and funeral homes nationwide. The country has been battling a record COVID-19 wave driven by the highly infectious Omicron variant even as it largely scrapped its once aggressive tracing and quarantine efforts and eased social distancing curbs. (Shin, 3/23)
Stat:
Pfizer Inks Deal With UNICEF To Supply Covid Pill To Poor Countries
As part of an effort to widen access to its Covid-19 pill, Pfizer has reached a deal with UNICEF to supply up to 4 million treatment courses to 95 low- and middle-income countries representing 53% of the global population. But consumer advocates have quickly argued the move falls short. The agreement follows a deal the company reached last November with the Medicines Patent Pool, a public health organization backed by the United Nations, to supply its Paxlovid pill to the same 95 countries. The arrangement calls for the MPP to sub-license production rights to generic companies to then manufacture and distribute their own versions at lower prices than the Pfizer pill. (Silverman, 3/22)
The Washington Post:
Why Covax, The Best Hope For Vaccinating The World, Was Doomed To Fall Short
It was, many experts thought, a noble and necessary effort. The goal: to combat a deadly coronavirus that in early 2020 was already spreading around the world. The idea: to coax wealthy and poor countries to pool their money to place advance orders for vaccine doses. Participating countries would then share doses equitably to protect their most vulnerable people first. But just months into the effort, it should have been clear it was doomed to fall short. (Taylor, 3/22)
Stat:
Aurobindo, Major Generic Drug Maker, Will Close A Key U.S. Production Plant
Aurobindo Pharma, which is based in India and is one of the largest global producers of generic medicines, is closing its U.S. manufacturing facility in New Jersey next month, according to a notice filed with the state Department of Labor. In its filing, the generic drug company disclosed it is terminating operations of its Aurolife Pharma unit in Dayton, N.J., and will eliminate a total of 99 jobs as of April 26. No further details were provided and calls to the facility were not returned. No one at Aurobindo headquarters in Hyderabad, India, could be reached for comment. (Silverman, 3/22)
AP:
9 Million Children To Be Vaccinated Against Polio In Africa
A drive to vaccinate more than 9 million children against polio has been launched this week in four countries in southern and eastern Africa after an outbreak was confirmed in Malawi. The urgent vaccination campaign has started in Malawi where drops of the inoculation are being placed in the mouths of children across the country, including in the capital, Lilongwe, and the country’s largest city, Blantyre. (3/22)