First Edition: Nov. 11, 2020

KHN: Biden Plan To Lower Medicare Eligibility Age To 60 Faces Hostility From Hospitals
Of his many plans to expand insurance coverage, President-elect Joe Biden’s simplest strategy is lowering the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 60.But the plan is sure to face long odds, even if the Democrats can snag control of the Senate in January by winning two runoff elections in Georgia. (Galewitz, 11/11)

KHN: Five Important Questions About Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine 
Pfizer’s announcement on Monday that its COVID-19 shot appears to keep nine in 10 people from getting the disease sent its stock price rocketing. Many news reports described the vaccine as if it were our deliverance from the pandemic, even though few details were released. There was certainly something to crow about: Pfizer’s vaccine consists of genetic material called mRNA encased in tiny particles that shuttle it into our cells. From there, it stimulates the immune system to make antibodies that protect against the virus. A similar strategy is employed in other leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates. If mRNA vaccines can protect against COVID-19 and, presumably, other infectious diseases, it will be a momentous piece of news. (Allen, 11/11)

KHN: California Stands To Lose Big If US Supreme Court Cancels Obamacare
Of any state, California has the most to lose if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the Affordable Care Act. Health care coverage for millions of people is at stake, as are billions in federal dollars. Yet Democratic California leaders don’t have a plan to preserve the broad range of health care programs the state has adopted since it aggressively implemented Obamacare — including initiatives that go far beyond the federal health care law. (Hart, 11/11)

KHN: Listen: The ACA In Court Again
Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent for KHN, participated in a discussion on KQED’s “Forum” about the arguments before the Supreme Court on Tuesday in a case that is challenging whether the Affordable Care Act is constitutional. (11/10)

AP: Texas Becomes 1st State To Surpass 1 Million Covid-19 Cases
Texas health officials say new cases of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 have hit a new peak. According to the Johns Hopkins website, the state recorded 1,010,364 cases early Wednesday with 19,337 deaths since the pandemic began in early March. Texas recorded 10,865 coronavirus cases on Tuesday, setting a new daily record that surpassed by 74 cases an old mark set July 15, state officials said. (11/11)

AP: US Hits Record COVID-19 Hospitalizations Amid Virus Surge
The U.S. hit a record number of coronavirus hospitalizations Tuesday and surpassed 1 million new confirmed cases in just the first 10 days of November amid a nationwide surge of infections that shows no signs of slowing. The new wave appears bigger and more widespread than the surges that happened in the spring and summer — and threatens to be worse. But experts say there are also reasons to think the nation is better able to deal with the virus this time around. “We’re definitely in a better place” when it comes to improved medical tools and knowledge, said William Hanage, a Harvard University infectious-disease researcher. (Stobbe, 11/11)

The New York Times: U.S. Hospitalizations Top 61,000, A Record 
Covid-19 hospitalizations in the United States hit an all-time high of 61,964 on Tuesday, and new daily cases passed 139,000 for the first time, as the raging pandemic continued to shatter record after record and strain medical facilities. The number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus, tallied by the Covid Tracking Project, has more than doubled since September, and now exceeds the peak reached early in the pandemic, when 59,940 hospitalized patients were reported on April 15. A second peak in the summer fell just short of matching that record. (11/11)

The Washington Post: With Coronavirus Cases Spiking Nationwide, All Signs Point To A Harrowing Autumn 
This is the dismal reality America faces as the coronavirus continues its unchecked surge around the country: In North Dakota, health-care workers with asymptomatic cases of the coronavirus will be allowed to keep working as the number of infected patients outstrips the staff members needed to care for them, the governor said this week. In multiple states, hospital leaders warned that the current spike is straining resources and sidelining the very staffers needed to face growing numbers of sick people. From Maryland to Iowa, local officials have pleaded for tighter restrictions that might help slow the virus’s accelerating spread. (Dennis, Dupree and Iati, 11/10)

USA Today: COVID-19 Cases Are Rising And This Winter Will Be Worse, Experts Say
Between the cold weather, lax behaviors and the holidays, December and January will be the worst months the United States has seen so far in the COVID-19 pandemic, public health experts said this week.  ... Assistant Secretary for Health Adm. Brett Giroir warned Americans on Monday to remain vigilant in the coming weeks. "Our nation is in a critical phase of the pandemic," Giroir said. (Weintraub and Alltucker, 11/10)

Modern Healthcare: Supreme Court Justices Seem Unlikely To Strike Down Full ACA
Supreme Court justices on Tuesday during oral arguments appeared unlikely to strike down the Affordable Care Act in its entirety. The full nine-member court heard extended oral arguments from four attorneys representing parties in California v. Texas, a case brought by GOP attorneys general and supported by the Trump administration challenging the entire ACA. The justices focused on issues including whether challengers had legal standing and whether the entire law would have to fall if the zeroed-out individual mandate were found unconstitutional. (Cohrs, 11/10)

The New York Times: Key Justices Signal Support For Affordable Care Act 
Both Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh said striking down the so-called individual mandate did not require the rest of the law to be struck down as well. “Congress left the rest of the law intact when it lowered the penalty to zero,” Chief Justice Roberts said. (Liptak, 11/10)

The Wall Street Journal: Supreme Court Justices Question GOP States’ Case Against ACA 
California and a coalition of liberal-trending states, joined by the Democratic-controlled House, defended the law, arguing that a mandate without a penalty makes carrying insurance a personal choice rather than a legal command, but that even if the mandate is unconstitutional, the balance of the 1,000-page law, including provisions protecting Americans with pre-existing conditions, should stand. “It’s hard for you to argue that Congress intended the entire act to fall if the mandate were struck down when the same Congress that lowered the penalty to zero did not even try to repeal the rest of the act,” Chief Justice John Roberts told Texas’s lawyer, Kyle Hawkins, the state solicitor general. (Bravin, 11/10)

The Washington Post: Supreme Court Appears Ready To Uphold Affordable Care Act Over Latest Challenge From Trump, GOP
Two key members of the court — Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh — said plainly during two hours of teleconferenced arguments that Congress’s decision in 2017 to zero-out the penalty for not buying health insurance did not indicate a desire to kill the entire law. With that, the latest effort to derail President Barack Obama’s landmark domestic achievement seemed likely to meet the fate of past endeavors. President Trump and Republicans have never summoned the votes to repeal the measure — even when in control of Congress and the White House. And the court has been unwilling to do the work for them. (Barnes, Marimow, Goldstein and Winfield Cunningham, 11/10)

AP: 'Obamacare' Likely To Survive, High Court Arguments Indicate
Meeting remotely a week after the election and in the midst of a pandemic that has closed their majestic courtroom, the justices on Tuesday took on the latest Republican challenge to the Obama-era health care law, with three appointees of President Donald Trump, an avowed foe of the law, among them. But at least one of those Trump appointees, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, seemed likely to vote to leave the bulk of the law intact, even if he were to find the law’s now-toothless mandate that everyone obtain health insurance to be unconstitutional. “It does seem fairly clear that the proper remedy would be to sever the mandate provision and leave the rest of the act in place,” Kavanaugh said. (Sherman, 11/10)

Politico: 5 Key Moments From The Latest SCOTUS Obamacare Showdown 
Perhaps the most startling remarks at Tuesday’s arguments came from Chief Justice John Roberts, who seemed to be complaining that he was bamboozled by Obamacare advocates back in 2012 when they argued that the mandate that individuals buy health insurance was critical to the functioning of the law. Roberts drew the ire of conservatives in that closely watched, politically sensitive case by aligning with the court’s liberal wing, which then stood at four justices, to preserve the provision. “Eight years ago, those defending the mandate emphasized that it was the key to the whole act,” Roberts recalled. “Everything turned on getting money from people forced to buy insurance to cover all the other shortfalls in the expansion of healthcare.” “But now the representation is that, oh, no, everything’s fine without it. Why the bait and switch?” the chief said. (Gerstein, 11/10)

Politico: Biden Pledges Americans Won't Lose Health Coverage During Pandemic 
President-elect Joe Biden said Tuesday that his advisers are making contingencies so Americans don't have to worry about losing health coverage or protections for preexisting conditions during the pandemic, but did not specify what his administration would do if the Supreme Court strikes down Obamacare. Speaking just hours after the Court heard oral arguments on a Republican-backed challenge to the Affordable Care Act, Biden called the attempt to scrap the law "cruel," and said that his incoming administration will make sure millions of people don’t have to spend the months between now and when the Court issues its ruling in limbo, not knowing the status of their coverage. (Miranda Ollstein, 11/10)

The Washington Post: Biden Presses To Expand Health Insurance On Uncertain Congressional Terrain 
President-elect Joe Biden intends to make the case that the coronavirus pandemic and the Affordable Care Act’s uncertain future drive home the importance of helping more Americans gain health insurance and the care they need. The likelihood that the incoming president can persuade Congress to build upon the ACA — a core pledge during his campaign — depends in large part on whether Republicans or Democrats end up controlling a narrowly divided Senate. (Goldstein and Werner, 11/10)

The Washington Post: These Are The Experts Who Will Lead Biden’s Transition At Federal Agencies
Even as the Trump administration blocks his access to the government, President-elect Joe Biden forged ahead Tuesday with a key milestone in the transition of power, naming teams that will begin gathering information about federal operations. These are some officials who will have prominent roles in the effort and the agency they will work with. (Rein, 11/10)

Bloomberg: Biden Draws Sharp Trump Contrast With Trio Atop His Virus Panel
Joe Biden’s panel of coronavirus advisers will be led by two veterans of fierce political fights in the past, and one seen as a rising star in addressing the inequities of the health-care system. All three -- David Kessler, Vivek Murthy, and Marcella Nunez-Smith -- are physicians with well-established resumes. Kessler, a former Food and Drug Administration chief, and Murthy, a former surgeon general, together have served under four presidents. And while Nunez-Smith is less known in political circles, her role in creating a leading program to promote health equity will hearten those concerned about Covid’s impact on communities of color. (Tozzi and Fay Cortez, 11/10)

AP: 28 Election Employees In 1 Missouri County Have Coronavirus
Twenty-eight employees of the election board in one of Missouri’s largest counties have tested positive for the coronavirus in recent weeks, and a director believes they most likely got infected from voters, though local health officials aren’t convinced. The Jackson County Election Board’s Republican director, Tammy Brown, said Tuesday that eight full-time and 20 part-time employees tested positive for the COVID-19 virus in the past 2 1/2 weeks. Most are doing well and recovering at home, but two part-time workers are hospitalized, including one in intensive care, Brown said. (Salter, 11/10)

Politico: Postal Service Continues To Receive Thousands Of Ballots 
Thousands of ballots continued to stream into U.S. Postal Service facilities Monday, according to newly filed court documents, too late in many states to be counted, even if postmarked by Election Day. According to the new data, compiled as part of a lawsuit to monitor mail voting, ballots arriving Monday included hundreds meant for closely fought contests in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Arizona, where President-elect Joe Biden has held small but significant leads. Those ballots include: 121 in Atlanta, 293 in Philadelphia, 109 in Central Pennsylvania, 171 in Central Arizona and 83 in Detroit. (Cheney, 11/10)

The Washington Post: Postal Worker Admits Fabricating Pennsylvania Ballot Tampering Claims, Officials Say
A Pennsylvania postal worker whose claims have been cited by top Republicans as potential evidence of widespread voting irregularities admitted to U.S. Postal Service investigators that he fabricated the allegations, according to three officials briefed on the investigation and a statement from a House congressional committee. (Boburg and Bogage, 11/10)

Lexington Herald Leader: Scam Targets Phones With Bogus COVID-19 Research Texts: BBB 
Beware of bogus messages about clinical trials during the coronavirus pandemic, officials warn. The fake messages sent through text, email or social media claim recipients may be eligible to help researchers study COVID-19, the Better Business Bureau said last week in a news release. (Jasper, 11/9)

The Washington Post: As Hope Fades For A Second Stimulus Payment This Year, Scammers Target People Still Waiting For Financial Relief
Yes, the IRS is still trying to distribute pandemic relief money to millions of Americans. But, no, that text about a second stimulus payment is not real. As if the federal stimulus effort in response to the covid-19 pandemic weren’t tumultuous enough, scammers are trying to steal people’s money or financial information by sending fraudulent text messages. (Singletary, 11/10)

The Washington Post: Trump Officials Promise Fair Distribution Of New Covid-19 Antibody Drug, But Limited Supply And Logistical Problems Loom 
Trump administration officials Tuesday promised to fairly and swiftly distribute the first covid-19 treatment that helps to protect people with mild illness from developing severe symptoms. But the drug’s extremely limited supply and logistical difficulties in administering it could restrict how many people get access to it. The Eli Lilly & Co. drug is similar to an experimental treatment President Trump received when he was infected with the novel coronavirus. It is a laboratory-brewed antibody that imitates the immune system’s attack on the virus. (Wan, 11/10)

The Hill: Health Officials To Begin Distribution Of Eli Lilly Antibody Drug This Week
The federal government will begin distributing Eli Lilly's coronavirus antibody treatment this week, but supplies will be limited and getting the drug into infected patients will be a challenge, officials said. The drug itself is administered through an IV infusion that takes more than an hour and requires another hour of observation afterward, officials said. (Weixel, 11/10)

Stat: FDA Requires Lilly To Address Quality Control At Plant Making Covid-19 Drug
The Food and Drug Administration is requiring Eli Lilly (LLY) to hire consultants to test batches and vet quality-testing data at a manufacturing plant where its Covid-19 antibody treatment is being made, a mandate that comes after the agency found quality control problems during two separate inspections over the past year. (Silverman, 11/10)

Stat: For Eli Lilly's Covid-19 Treatment, A Dosing Discrepancy Causes Confusion
Some clinicians are confused about the best dosing for Eli Lilly’s new Covid-19 treatment, which the Food and Drug Administration approved for emergency use on Monday. The drug is a monoclonal antibody, a lab-concocted version of what our bodies produce to fight off the new coronavirus. (Boodman, 11/10)

Boston Globe: Dr. Fauci Says COVID-19 Vaccine Could Be Widely Available By April
The nation’s top infectious disease expert said Tuesday the Pfizer vaccine, which is reportedly more than 90% effective, could be available to everyone by April 2021. Dr. Anthony Fauci explained in an interview with Jake Tapper on CNN that vaccinations have to go through a “tried and true” process of prioritization. (Bowker, 11/10)

NPR: 'The Vaccine Is On Its Way, Folks,' Fauci Says As Brooklyn Names Him A COVID-19 Hero 
Dr. Anthony Fauci was recognized as a hero on Tuesday by the New York City borough of Brooklyn, where he was born and raised. As he accepted the honor, Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease expert, shared his optimism that a COVID-19 vaccine is close. "The vaccine is on its way, folks, so hang in there, hang tough. We're going to get over this together," Fauci said via video link, speaking to a crowd gathered outside Brooklyn Borough Hall. (Chappell, 11/10)

The Hill: Fauci Says He Trusts Pfizer, Will Take Vaccine If FDA Approves It 
Anthony Fauci said Tuesday that he has confidence in Pfizer's work on a coronavirus vaccine and would not hesitate to take it if it is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, hailed as “impressive” Pfizer’s results announced Monday that its vaccine is over 90 percent effective. (Sullivan, 11/10)

Bloomberg: Deep-Freeze Hurdle Makes Pfizer’s Vaccine One For The Rich
When Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE’s Covid-19 vaccine rolls off production lines, Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co. will be waiting to distribute it through a complex and costly system of deep-freeze airport warehouses, refrigerated vehicles and inoculation points across China. After they reach vaccination centers, the shots must be thawed from -70 degrees celsius and injected within five days, if not they go bad. (11/10)

Stat: Rural Hospitals Can't Afford Freezers To Store A Covid-19 Vaccine 
Large urban hospitals across the U.S. are rushing to buy expensive ultra-cold freezers to store what’s likely to be the first approved Covid-19 vaccine. But most rural hospitals can’t afford these high-end units, meaning health workers and residents in those communities may have difficulty getting the shots. (Goldhill, 11/11)

The Hill: CDC Report Says Masks Now Protect Wearer As Well As The Public 
A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said masks not only protect the general public from COVID-19, but also protect the mask wearer. In its strongest endorsement to date about the effectiveness of masks, the CDC said "adopting universal masking policies can help avert future lockdowns, especially if combined with other non-pharmaceutical interventions such as social distancing, hand hygiene, and adequate ventilation." (Weixel, 11/10)

USA Today: CDC Offers New Mask Guidance
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued new guidance on the use of face masks: They not only protect the wearer but everybody else, too. "Experimental and epidemiological data support community masking to reduce the spread" of the virus, the CDC says. "Individual benefit increases with increasing community mask use." The CDC had previously encouraged mask use as a way to help prevent infected people from spreading the coronavirus to others. (Flores, 11/11)

AP: Do Masks With Antiviral Coating Offer More Protection?
Do masks with antiviral coating offer more protection? It’s an intriguing idea, but there haven’t been enough rigorous independent studies to establish whether antiviral masks are better at protecting wearers or preventing the spread of the virus. Their specifics vary, but many antiviral masks are supposed to be made or coated with materials that have extra virus-fighting properties, such as copper. (11/10)

Modern Healthcare: Many Surgical Gowns From Foreign, Nontraditional Suppliers Fail U.S. Standards
The patient safety organization ECRI found half of the disposable gowns health systems purchased from international or non-traditional suppliers during the COVID-19 pandemic don't meet standards of protection. (Castellucci, 11/10)

Stat: Restaurants And Gyms Were Spring ‘Superspreader’ Sites 
Using cellphone data from 1 in 3 Americans, researchers have identified the indoor public places most responsible for the spread of Covid-19 in the spring, and they argue that sharply limiting the occupancy of these locales — chiefly restaurants, gyms, cafes, hotels, and houses of worship — could control the raging pandemic without resorting to lockdowns. (Cooney, 11/10)

The Washington Post: Tourists Are Buying Fake Covid-19 Test Results On The Black Market To Travel 
With global coronavirus cases rising, many countries are now requiring negative coronavirus test results for entry, but getting a test in time can be difficult for travelers. So it may have been only a matter of time before a black-market option emerged: counterfeit test results. The practice of forging or purchasing fake results has surfaced in destinations around the world, with instances of manipulated negatives in Brazil, France and the United Kingdom. (McMahon, 11/10)

The New York Times: New Type Of Test May Better Discern Immunity To The Coronavirus 
A new type of test can detect a person’s immune response to the coronavirus better than a widely used antibody test, according to research released on Tuesday. The test, if authorized by the Food and Drug Administration, would be the first commercial product to detect the response of a T cell — a type of immune cell — to the virus. Antibodies have dominated the conversation on immunity since the start of the pandemic, but scientists believe that T cells may be just as important in preventing reinfection. (Mandavilli, 11/10)

The New York Times: Travel And Coronavirus Testing: Your Questions Answered 
For those who must travel, or those who are itching to do so, airlines and airports are increasingly offering ways to get tested for the coronavirus ahead of a trip. Taking a test can assure you and others that you aren’t spreading the virus from one place to another. In recent weeks, some destinations, like Hawaii, New York, Washington, D.C., and some Caribbean countries began allowing people who have tested negative for the virus and can show test results to skip mandatory 14-day quarantines, a process that some view as risky because it is possible that people can take a test, receive a negative result and then contract the virus later. (Mzezewa, 11/10)

CIDRAP: Preemie Tests Negative After Drinking COVID-19–Infected Breast Milk
A preterm baby girl delivered via emergency cesarean delivery at 32 weeks remained healthy despite drinking SARS-CoV-2–infected breast milk from her mother, a case report today in Pediatrics notes. The infant was born at 1.6 kilograms (3 pounds, 9 ounces). During her first 3 days of life, she was largely on noninvasive mechanical ventilation and given donor human or expressed breast milk. The mother occasionally visited the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) wearing a facemask and gown. (11/10)

The Hill: One In Five Coronavirus Patients Develop Mental Illness Within 90 Days 
New research suggests that people who have survived COVID-19 infections are at a greater risk of developing mental illness. This data, published in The Lancet Psychiatry Journal, indicates that 20 percent of observed COVID-19 patients are diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder such as anxiety, depression, or insomnia within 90 days after being diagnosed. (Kelley, 11/10)

Modern Healthcare: New Data Drills Down On Comorbidities With Highest COVID-19 Risks
Sanford Health's analysis of the around 44,000 COVID-19 patients it has treated revealed some patterns that have helped the health system get ahead of the virus. Many of the patients who have a harder time fending off COVID-19 also battle underlying chronic conditions, the Sioux Falls, S.D.-based system found. While that has been corroborated by other providers and researchers, new data from FAIR Health show which comorbidities present the most risk to COVID-19 patients. The findings could help risk-stratify patients—particularly as COVID-19 cases are on the rise—and prioritize interventions and vaccination distribution, providers said. (Kacik, 11/11)

The New York Times: Covid-19 Threatens People With Intellectual And Developmental Challenges
People with intellectual disabilities and developmental disorders are three times more likely to die if they have Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, compared with others with the diagnosis, according to a large analysis of insurance claims data. The finding raises complex questions about how to allocate new vaccines as they become available in limited supplies. The drug maker Pfizer announced this week that its experimental vaccine is performing well in clinical trials. (Rabin, 11/10)

Stat: Amgen, AstraZeneca Asthma Drug Achieves Main Goals In Clinical Trial
An experimental medicine from AstraZeneca and Amgen significantly reduced the frequency of asthma attacks when added to standard treatment, achieving the goals of a late-stage clinical trial involving patients with severe asthma, the companies announced Tuesday. (Feuerstein, 11/10)

Modern Healthcare: Delayed Care, Public Options And Lower Interest Rates Lead To A Mixed Insurer Outlook At Fitch
The unprecedented events of 2020 portend both good and not-so-good things for the future of the health insurance industry, a new Fitch Ratings report finds. First, the good. Fitch's authors wrote that the COVID-19 pandemic shined a spotlight on the importance of having health insurance for businesses, institutions and individuals alike. Going forward, that should solidify demand for basic and supplemental health coverage, Fitch said. (Bannow, 11/10)

The Washington Post: No Live Audience For National Christmas Tree Lighting, Park Service Says 
No live audience will be invited this year to watch the lighting of the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse, the National Park Service said this week, citing public health concerns over covid-19. However, as with may other events that have been closed to live audiences this year, the ceremony will be available virtually, the park service said. It invited viewing Dec. 3 at thenationaltree.org. (Weil, 11/11)

AP: Star-Studded Benefit Concert To Honor Nurses On Thanksgiving
Stevie Wonder, Celine Dion, Gloria Estefan will be among the entertainers honoring nurses in a star-studded benefit virtual concert on Thanksgiving. Nurse Heroes announced Tuesday that the concert called Nurse Heroes Live will stream on the organization’s YouTube and Facebook along with LiveXLive on Nov. 26 at 7 p.m. EST. The benefit will provide money for a variety of programs including scholarships for nurses and their children. (11/10)

AP: No. 1 Alabama-LSU, No. 5 Texas A&M-Tennessee Postponed
No. 1 Alabama at LSU and No. 5 Texas A&M at Tennessee will not be played Saturday because of COVID-19 issues, raising the number of Southeastern Conference games postponed this week to three. The SEC said Tuesday that the Aggies and Volunteers will be rescheduled for Dec. 12, but the Crimson Tide’s game against the defending national champion Tigers is in danger of not being played at all after COVID-19 cases in LSU’s program. (Russo, 11/10)

AP: South Dakota Including NICU Beds In Hospital Availability
South Dakota health officials acknowledged Tuesday that they include intensive care unit beds designed for infants in their total count of hospital beds available in the state — a key metric that the governor has used to defend her handling of the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19 hospitalizations reached 607 on Tuesday, marking a new high for the fifth day in a row. The Department of Health reported that about 37% of general-care hospital beds and 32% of ICU beds are available. (11/10)

The New York Times: As Hospitalizations Soar, El Paso Brings In New Mobile Morgues
Coronavirus patients filled beds on one floor. Then two. Then the University Medical Center, a teaching hospital in El Paso, set up tents to care for patients in a parking lot. A downtown convention center became a field hospital. To free up even more space, the state began airlifting dozens of intensive care patients to other cities. Local leaders clashed over what to do to quell the spiraling coronavirus crisis. The top county official ordered a lockdown and curfew. But the mayor disagreed, and the police said they would not enforce it. Then the state attorney general weighed in — a lockdown was unnecessary and illegal, he said. And the patients kept coming. (Goodman, 11/10)

NPR: Meat Manufacturer Sues New Mexico After Plant Ordered To Close Due To COVID-19 
A meat manufacturer is suing New Mexico, saying the state violated an executive order from President Trump by ordering a plant to temporarily close. Health officials ordered Stampede Meat to close its Sunland Park, N.M., plant last week after six employees tested positive for the coronavirus in a five-day period in late October. A state directive calls for businesses to be shut down for 14 days if four or more employees test positive within a 14-day period. (Oxner, 11/11)

AP: Gov. Evers Advises People To Stay Home As Coronavirus Surges
Gov. Tony Evers renewed his pleas Tuesday for people to stay home to avoid the coronavirus in an unusual prime-time speech hours after the state set new records for infections and deaths. The governor announced he was advising people to stay in their houses and businesses to allow people to work remotely, require masks and limit the number of people in stores and offices. He said projections show that if nothing changes deaths could double to 5,000 by January. (Richmond, 11/10)

AP: Governor-Elect Gianforte Names COVID-19 Task Force
A week after winning the race to become Montana’s next governor, Republican Greg Gianforte unveiled a 21-member coronavirus task force that will help him manage the COVID-19 crisis. The team includes healthcare experts, business owners, school administrators, law enforcement and local and tribal leaders. (11/10)

AP: Mental Health Workers To Take Lead In Some NYC 911 Calls
Mental health workers will replace police officers in responding to some 911 calls next year in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday. The test program, to be rolled out in two neighborhoods, will give mental health professionals the lead role when someone calls 911 because a family member is in crisis, officials said. (11/10)

NPR: How A Minneapolis Clinic Is Narrowing Racial Gaps In Health
North Minneapolis, one of the most racially diverse neighborhoods in Minnesota, was already dealing with high coronavirus infection and death rates when George Floyd was killed by police outside a corner store just 3 miles away. His death on May 25 sparked deeper conversations all across the U.S. about the ways racial inequality plays out, including when it comes to health. Nationally, Black people are at least twice as likely to die from heart disease, from COVID-19 or in childbirth, compared with white people, and north Minneapolis mirrors those trends. Nearly two-thirds of Latinos in the area who get tested for the coronavirus test positive — that's a rate nearly 10 times higher than the state's rate overall. (Noguchi, 11/11)

Reuters: Russia Says Its Sputnik V COVID-19 Vaccine Is 92% Effective 
Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine is 92% effective at protecting people from COVID-19 according to interim trial results, the country’s sovereign wealth fund said on Wednesday, as Moscow rushes to keep pace with Western drugmakers in the race for a shot. The initial results are only the second to be published from a late-stage human trial in the global effort to produce vaccines that could halt a pandemic that has killed more than 1.2 million people and ravaged the world economy. (Ivanova, 11/11)

The Wall Street Journal: Russian Coronavirus Vaccine Rollout Plans Hit Production Speed Bumps 
Russia’s plan to roll out its coronavirus vaccine to the wider population is progressing at a slower pace than expected as policy makers encounter challenges in ramping up production. Russia in August became the first country to approve a Covid-19 vaccine, called Sputnik V, despite skepticism in the West over the speed with which it was developed and the fact that trials were still ongoing. Moscow has since registered a second vaccine and authorities say a third could be approved next month. (Kantchev, 11/10)

Reuters: Turkey Interested In Producing Russia's Sputnik V Vaccine: Russian Health Ministry
Turkey is interested in producing Russia’s first coronavirus vaccine, Sputnik V, at domestic facilities, Russia’s health ministry said on Wednesday after a phone call between the countries’ health ministers. Russia is already testing two vaccines against the virus and is on the cusp of registering a third. It is rolling out its Sputnik V vaccine for domestic use despite the fact that late-stage trials have not yet finished. (11/11)