First Edition: Nov. 6, 2020

KHN: How Escalating COVID Cases Forced One State To Change Its Masking Strategy
In Montana’s conservative Flathead County, prosecutors and local leaders were turning a blind eye to businesses that flouted state mask and social distancing mandates, even as the area’s COVID infections climbed to their highest levels. When asked during an Oct. 7 press call from Montana’s capital city whether the state would step in, Gov. Steve Bullock said it was up to the locals to enforce the directives. (Houghton, 11/6)

KHN: VA Joins Pentagon In Recruiting Volunteers For COVID Vaccine Trials 
The Department of Veterans Affairs is recruiting 8,000 volunteers for the Phase 3 clinical trials of at least four COVID-19 vaccine candidates at 20 federal medical facilities across the U.S., according to officials with the VA and Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s initiative to fast-track a coronavirus vaccine. The largely unpublicized effort follows a Department of Defense announcement in September that it has partnered with AstraZeneca to recruit volunteers at five of its medical facilities, which are separate from the VA system. (Kime, 11/6)

KHN: KHN On The Air This Week
Columnist and California Healthline senior correspondent Bernard J. Wolfson discussed the start of open enrollment for health care plans in California with KPCC’s “Take Two” on Monday. (11/6)

The Atlantic: A Dreadful New Peak for the American Pandemic
The record officially marks what was already clear: As winter nears, the country’s third surge of infection is dangerously accelerating in almost every region of the country. This is the reality that the United States is facing, regardless of who will become its next chief executive: A deadly respiratory pandemic is spiraling out of control, and the number of hospitalized people—and deaths—is certain to rise over the next several months. (Meyer and Madrigal, 11/4)

The New York Times: One Day In America: More Than 121,000 Virus Cases 
The coronavirus is surging out of control across the country, and more than 121,000 cases were reported on Thursday, more new cases than on any other day of the pandemic. In 43 states, new infections are climbing steadily higher. To many Americans, the pandemic’s march feels inexorable. (Bosman, Burch and Mervosh, 11/5)

The Hill: US Again Breaks Daily Coronavirus Record With 118K New Cases 
The U.S. broke another record of daily coronavirus cases Thursday, topping 118,000 new infections in the second straight day with more than 100,000 new cases. Health officials have warned that the cold and flu season would spur alarming six-digit figures of cases, though the numbers have spiked sooner than expected, CNN reported. (Deese, 11/5)

CNN: US Coronavirus: More State Officials Announce Restrictions As US Tops 100,000 New Covid-19 Infections For Second Day In A Row 
The US reported more than 121,000 infections Thursday, beating a daily case record it set just 24 hours ago. The grim tally comes after Wednesday's record of more than 100,000 cases, which was the first time the US hit a six-figure number of infections. That means in just two days, the country reported more than 220,000 positive tests, bringing the past week's total to more than 660,000 new cases of the virus. (Maxouris, 11/6)

The New York Times: As U.S. Sets Yet Another Daily Record, Colleges Cases Soar 
A quarter of a million coronavirus infections have been reported at colleges and universities across the United States, according to a New York Times survey, as schools across the nation struggle to keep outbreaks in check. The bulk of the cases have occurred since students returned for the fall semester, with more than 38,000 new cases reported in the last two weeks alone. And the numbers are almost certainly an undercount. (11/5)

Associated Press: Counties With Worst Virus Surges Overwhelmingly Voted Trump
U.S. voters went to the polls starkly divided on how they see President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. But in places where the virus is most rampant now, Trump enjoyed enormous support. An Associated Press analysis reveals that in 376 counties with the highest number of new cases per capita, the overwhelming majority — 93% of those counties — went for Trump, a rate above other less severely hit areas. (Johnson, Fingerhut and Deshpande, 11/6)

NPR: Many Places Hard Hit By COVID-19 Leaned More Toward Trump In 2020 Than 2016
Support for President Trump increased in 2020 in many of the U.S. counties that lost lives at the highest rate to COVID-19, according to an NPR analysis. Of the 100 counties with the highest COVID-19 death rates per capita, 68 had a higher proportion of votes cast for Trump this cycle than they did in 2016. This includes both Republican-leaning counties and counties that supported Joe Biden. (McMinn and Stein, 11/6)

The Hill: Election Results Underscore Different Views On Coronavirus 
Heading into Election Day, Democrats hoped for an overwhelming victory that would serve as a repudiation of President Trump, and with it his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, while Democratic nominee Joe Biden leads the Electoral College and looks like the favorite to get to 270, a victory will not be in such a sweeping fashion. (Sullivan, 11/6)

The Washington Post: USPS Processed 150,000 Ballots After Election Day, Jeopardizing Thousands Of Votes 
More than 150,000 ballots were caught in U.S. Postal Service processing facilities and not delivered by Election Day, agency data shows, including more than 12,000 in five of the states that have yet to be called for either President Trump or Democratic challenger, Joe Biden. Despite assurances from Postal Service leaders that agency officials were conducting daily sweeps for misplaced ballots, the mail service acknowledged in a court filing Thursday that thousands of ballots had not been processed in time, and that more ballots were processed Wednesday than on Election Day. (Bogage and Ingraham, 11/5)

Reuters: U.S. Postal Service Says 1,700 Ballots Found In Pennsylvania Facilities
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) said about 1,700 ballots had been identified in Pennsylvania at processing facilities during two sweeps Thursday and were being delivered to election officials. In a court filing early Friday, USPS said 1,076 ballots, had been found at the USPS Philadelphia Processing and Distribution Center. About 300 were found at the Pittsburgh processing center, 266 at a Lehigh Valley facility and others found at other Pennsylvania processing centers. (Shepardson, 11/6)

CNN: Missouri Election Judge Supervisor Dies After Testing Positive For Covid-19
A Missouri election judge supervisor has died after testing positive for Covid-19 and then working at a polling site on Election Day, local health officials said Thursday. While the cause of death has not been given, the St. Charles County Department of Public Health said in a news release, the person received a positive test result on October 30. (Jones and Harlan, 11/5)

AP: Election Judge Worked Despite COVID-19 Diagnosis, Then Died
Contact tracing has started and county health officials have contacted the other nine election workers at the site, who were advised to be tested for the virus, St. Charles County, Missouri, spokeswoman Mary Enger said. The infected poll worker’s duties did not “typically” include handling iPads, or having close contact with the 1,858 voters such as taking voter identification, Enger said. (Salter, 11/5)

Politico: Facebook Curtails Misleading Posts, Live Video As Election Misinformation Spreads 
Facebook tightened its policies on election-related disinformation Thursday, limiting the reach of live videos and misleading posts in the latest effort by the world's largest social network to tamp down an onslaught of baseless claims about vote-rigging and premature victory claims. The move comes as Facebook and other social networks face mounting criticism from the left that they are not doing enough to stop the spread of false claims that could undermine faith in the election and results when they're declared. (Overly, 11/5)

Reuters: Climate Activist Thunberg Hits Back At Trump Over Anger Management Taunt 
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg hit back at Donald Trump on Twitter late on Thursday saying the U.S. president should “chill” about the election, a repost to his tweet last year mocking the teenager over what he called her anger management issues. Commenting on Trump tweeting "STOP THE COUNT!" on Thursday, as the election race in the United States went to the wire, 17-year-old Thunberg tweeted: "So ridiculous. Donald must work on his Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Donald, Chill!" (11/6)

Politico: Pelosi Announces Big Expansion Of Covid Testing For Lawmakers 
House Democratic leaders will dramatically expand Covid testing for lawmakers as the coronavirus pandemic enters its possibly deadliest phase this fall. Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the testing expansion on a private Democratic leadership call Thursday. (Bresnahan and Caygle, 11/5)

The Wall Street Journal: Fed Says Virus Poses Considerable Risks, Maintains Low-Rate Pledges
The Federal Reserve said the coronavirus pandemic poses considerable risks for the U.S. economy despite recent gains, and officials made no changes on Thursday to their commitment to provide sustained stimulus. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said they were monitoring two prominent risks to the recent rebound in economic activity: one from rising infection rates and another from households exhausting savings after earlier fiscal relief measures had dissipated. (Timiraos, 11/5)

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Unemployment Claims Held Nearly Steady Last Week 
The pace of the labor market recovery showed fresh signs of cooling last week, with new applications for unemployment benefits holding nearly steady as virus cases surged in several states. Weekly initial claims for jobless benefits fell by 7,000 to a seasonally adjusted 751,000 in the week ended Oct. 31, the Labor Department said Thursday. That was the lowest level since mid-March, but was well above the 217,000 claims filed in late February, before economic shutdowns to control the spread of the new coronavirus began. (Mackrael, 11/5)

Modern Healthcare: Veterans Health Administration Takes Steps To 3D Print Medical Devices
The Veterans Health Administration is building up processes to 3D print its own medical devices, striking a new contract with a 3D printing company. Under the contract, the Veterans Health Administration will purchase 3D printers, software and other printing materials from company 3D Systems. 3D Systems will also work with the Veterans Health Administration to set up a manufacturing program that complies with regulations from the Food and Drug Administration. (Cohen, 11/5)

NPR: First COVID-19 Vaccine Doses To Go To Health Workers, Say CDC Advisers
Health care workers will almost certainly get the first doses of COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. when one is approved, according to Dr. José Romero, head of the committee that develops evidence-based immunization guidelines for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's a decision based on the science of what will quell the pandemic fastest. "It's not just the doctors and nurses that are interacting with patients, but also the support personnel that help," Romero said in an interview Thursday with NPR. "It could include those persons that are delivering food, or maintenance people that could come in contact with them," so they can protect themselves and patients from the virus, and stay healthy to keep the U.S. health care system running. (Huang, 11/5)

The New York Times: Nasal Spray Prevents Covid Infection In Ferrets, Study Finds 
A nasal spray that blocks the absorption of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has completely protected ferrets it was tested on, according to a small study released on Thursday by an international team of scientists. The study, which was limited to animals and has not yet been peer-reviewed, was assessed by several health experts at the request of The New York Times. If the spray, which the scientists described as nontoxic and stable, is proved to work in humans, it could provide a new way of fighting the pandemic. A daily spritz up the nose would act like a vaccine. (McNeil Jr., 11/5)

The New York Times: Children Produce Weaker Coronavirus Antibodies, Study Finds 
Children infected with the coronavirus produce weaker antibodies and fewer types of them than adults do, suggesting they clear their infection much faster, according to a new study published Thursday. Other studies have suggested that an overly strong immune response may be to blame in people who get severely ill or die from Covid-19. A weaker immune response in children may paradoxically indicate that they vanquish the virus before it has had a chance to wreak havoc in the body, and may help explain why children are mostly spared severe symptoms of Covid, the disease caused by the coronavirus. It may also show why they are less likely to spread the virus to others. (Mandavilli, 11/5)

The Washington Post: Smell Loss From Covid May Distort Odors And Taste 
Jennifer Spicer thought her days of feeling the effects of covid-19 were over. The fever, chills and severe fatigue that racked her body back in July had long dissipated. And much to the excitement of the self-described “foodie,” her senses of smell and taste were slowly returning. “I thought I had recovered,” said Spicer, 35, an infectious-disease physician at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, who was exposed to the novel coronavirus through a patient. Although her senses hadn’t fully come back, she was eating and drinking “completely normally” again. “I felt a lot of relief,” she said. But that relief lasted only until a Friday night in late October when she took a sip from a freshly poured glass of red wine. “It tasted like gasoline,” Spicer said. (Chiu, 11/5)

NPR: Clots, Strokes And Rashes. Is COVID-19 A Disease Of The Blood Vessels?
Whether it's strange rashes on the toes or blood clots in the brain, the widespread ravages of COVID-19 have increasingly led researchers to focus on how the novel coronavirus sabotages the body's blood vessels. As scientists have come to know the disease better, they have homed in on the vascular system — the body's network of arteries, veins and capillaries, stretching more than 60,000 miles — to understand this wide-ranging disease and to find treatments that can stymie its most pernicious effects. (Stone, 11/5)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Llama 'Nanobodies’ May Yield COVID-19 Treatment, Pitt Scientists Say
Could Wally the llama hold the key to COVID-19? The immune system of the black-coated animal, who lives on a farm in Massachusetts, was coaxed into producing “nanobodies” — smaller cousins of antibodies — that neutralized the coronavirus in laboratory experiments, University of Pittsburgh scientists reported Thursday. The potent proteins still are being tested in other animals to gauge their ability to ward off COVID-19, and the Pitt research team had no firm time frame on when they might be tested in humans. (Avril, 11/5)

Reuters: Experts Spar Over Ethical Question: Should We Be Paid To Get COVID-19 Shots? 
A suggestion by an ethics professor at a leading UK university that governments should pay citizens to get vaccinated against COVID-19 has sparked debate over whether such incentives are ethical, or dangerous, and would boost or limit uptake. Arguing that governments should consider a “pay for risk” approach to encourage their populations to have COVID-19 shots when they become available, Julian Savulescu, a professor at the Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics at Oxford University, said it would allow people to make an informed choice. (Kelland, 11/5)

AP: COVID-19 Vaccine Trials To Be Run At University Of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky along with two Kentucky hospitals will conduct a clinical trial for a potential COVID-19 vaccine. UK will partner with Baptist Health Lexington and Norton Healthcare in Louisville for Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson’s phase three clinical study. The study will evaluate Janssen’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate. (11/6)

Reuters: AstraZeneca's COVID-19 Vaccine To Begin Clinical Trials In China
AstraZeneca Plc plans to start early and mid-stage clinical trials of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate in China this year, a senior executive said on Friday, as it prepares a global rollout of the vaccine. The vaccine candidate is already in the final stage of clinical trials in other countries, and AstraZeneca and its partner on the project, the University of Oxford, expect data from the late-stage trials this year. (11/5)

The Wall Street Journal: Covid-19 Vaccine Safety Efforts To Feature App Tracking Of Vulnerable Groups 
Government health officials and drugmakers plan to roll out extra tools to detect whether Covid-19 vaccines cause any serious side effects once the shots are cleared for widespread use, aiming to fill gaps in existing safeguards given the expected speed and scope of the rollout. The measures include surveys tracked through a smartphone app developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and special monitoring for groups including pregnant women and the elderly, according to health officials and company executives involved in the plans. (Loftus, 11/5)

AP: Minnesota Hospitals Brace For Patient Growth As Virus Surges
Hospitals and healthcare systems across Minnesota are bracing for a wave of new patients as the state sees alarming growth in virus cases and hospitalizations are expected to follow. The state’s health department reported 3,956 new coronavirus cases and 25 deaths on Thursday, breaking the single-day record for new cases for the third straight day. (Ibrahim, 11/5)

The New York Times: Opioid Epidemic Settlement Offer, Worth $26 Billion, Gains Support 
If the deal is finalized, four of the most prominent defendants in the behemoth, nationwide litigation — McKesson, Cardinal Health, AmerisourceBergen and Johnson & Johnson — would no longer be at risk from future opioid lawsuits by these governments. Other drug manufacturers and the national pharmacy chains are still facing thousands of such cases. (Hoffman, 11/5)

The Washington Post: Drug Companies, Plaintiffs Close In On $26B Deal To Settle Opioid Lawsuits 
Four companies that made or distributed prescription opioids and played roles in the catastrophic opioid crisis have reached a tentative $26 billion settlement with counties and cities that sued them for damages in the largest federal court case in American history. The settlement offer from opioid manufacturer Johnson & Johnson and the “Big Three” distributors, McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen, potentially brings a large measure of legal closure for the companies and will funnel money to communities devastated by an addiction crisis that claims more than 70,000 lives in America every year. That death toll continues to rise even as it is overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic. (Achenbach, Rowland, Zezima and Davis, 11/5)

Bloomberg: Cardinal Health, Amerisource See $13 Billion Opioid Deal
Cardinal Health Inc. and AmerisourceBergen Corp. have each reserved about $6.6 billion to settle claims that drug distributors fueled the U.S. opioid epidemic by flooding communities with the highly addictive painkillers, according to regulatory filings. (Feeley, 11/5)

Stat: Doctors View Biogen Alzheimer's Drug Favorably After Reviewing Documents
Ahead of a widely anticipated regulatory review of Biogen’s experimental Alzheimer’s drug, a small survey found an overwhelming majority of physicians viewed the treatment favorably after combing through the briefing documents. Specifically, 57% of the doctors believed Biogen (BIIB) presented strong evidence that its medicine, aducanumab, has a positive effect on Alzheimer’s. (Silverman, 11/5)

Stat: Pharma Experts Weigh In On The Next 4 Years Of Drug Pricing Policy
Results from Tuesday’s presidential election remain unclear — but that didn’t stop a panel of experts from trying to parse the consequences for the pharmaceutical industry. At a virtual event hosted by the Massachusetts trade group MassBio Thursday, three panelists were skeptical that either potential president would immediately push aggressive drug pricing legislation. But no one assumed the election would end the issue, either. (Sheridan, 11/5)

Boston Globe: ‘I Feel So Betrayed.’ A Church In Fitchburg Is At The Epicenter Of A Growing COVID-19 Outbreak
As the pandemic has worn on, churches across the country have emerged as a major source of coronavirus infections. Now Crossroads, a popular Pentecostal church, is one epicenter of an escalating outbreak in Fitchburg. The Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards first investigated complaints about the church’s compliance with COVID-19 health protocols in late September, according to the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. The department reviewed a copy of the church’s COVID-19 safety plan, found no discrepancies, and closed the case on Oct. 2. (Pan, 11/5)

The New York Times: Raiders And Jon Gruden Are Fined Again Over Virus Violations 
The N.F.L. has fined the Las Vegas Raiders $500,000 and their head coach, Jon Gruden, an additional $150,000 and has taken away a late-round draft pick next year because of repeated violations of the league’s coronavirus protocols, according to a league employee who was not authorized to discuss the penalties publicly. (Belson, 11/5)

The Washington Post: World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party Will Be Watered Down 
College football games have carried on through the coronavirus pandemic, but the matchup between Florida and Georgia found itself particularly susceptible to change because it’s more an event than a game. The weekend-long party brings thousands into the city, even if they don’t have a ticket. ... This year’s edition pits No. 5 Georgia against No. 8 Florida, but with social distancing protocols, only about 18,000 fans will watch from inside the stadium. To discourage gatherings, only ticket holders are allowed in stadium lots, and the city is prohibiting tailgating — though it cannot impede events on private property. (Giambalvo, 11/5)

The Hill: Two States To Require Masks In Public At All Times, Regardless Of Distance From Others 
Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) and Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) issued a stricter mask mandates this week as coronavirus cases continue to surge across the nation. Mills issued her order on Thursday, requiring Mainers to wear masks in public spaces at all times, regardless of distance from others. Previously, under the governor’s executive order, people were not required to wear masks in public if they could stay at least six feet away from others. (Hellmann, 11/5)

USA Today: Massachusetts Restrictions Begin Friday; Maine Imposes Mask Mandate; Idaho Hospitals Running Out Of Space
New coronavirus restrictions in Massachusetts begin Friday, including a statewide face mask mandate. Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday announced a series of restrictions as COVID-19 cases continue to rise: Some businesses, including gyms and museums, must close by 9:30 p.m., all gatherings must end by 9:30 p.m., indoor gatherings must be limited to 10 people, outdoor gatherings cannot exceed 25 people and everyone over the age of 5 must wear a face covering at all times. In Maine, Gov. Janet Mills issued a mask mandate regardless of whether people can physically distance from others. (Flores, 11/6)

Politico: New Jersey ‘Close’ To Announcing New Steps To Combat Spread Of Covid
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy indicated Thursday that he’s preparing to roll out new statewide restrictions to combat the increased spread of Covid-19 in the state. “How close are we to doing something? Close,” he said in response to a reporter’s question during his regular briefing in Trenton. “We will be clearly taking action, and I hope it will be action that balances all the various challenges and interests that we have. But right now, we’ve had really good success with the hot spot teams.” (Madonado, 11/5)

Detroit Free Press: Whitmer Calls On Michigan Legislature To Pass Law Requiring Masks
The day before Michigan expects to record the 200,000th case of the coronavirus in the state, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called on legislators to pass a law requiring residents to wear masks in indoor places and crowded outdoor areas. The governor said she sent a letter to Republican lawmakers this week asking them to pass a bill. Lawmakers, especially Republicans leading the House and Senate, have asked to have more of a role in the process of tackling the pandemic, Whitmer noted. Now is their time to act. (Boucher and Shamus, 11/5)

The Hill: DC To Require Negative Coronavirus Test, Eliminates Quarantine For Visitors 
Out-of-state visitors to the District of Columbia will have to provide a negative COVID-19 test, but will no longer have to quarantine upon arrival, according to updated travel restrictions announced Thursday. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) said the city is changing its current requirement of a 14-day mandatory quarantine for travelers, which had been in place since July. Instead, they must test negative within 72 hours of traveling, and then obtain another test 3 to 5 days after arrival. (Weixel, 11/5)

Cincinnati Enquirer: Coronavirus In Ohio: DeWine Names New State Health Director, Chief Medical Officer
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation administrator Stephanie McCloud to lead the Ohio Department of Health, which has gone without a permanent director for months. ... Unlike her predecessor, Dr. Amy Acton, McCloud is not a doctor. She holds a journalism degree from Ohio University and a law degree from Capital University Law School. (Balmert and Borchardt, 11/5)

NPR: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine Wishes Trump 'Had A More Happy Relationship With Masks'
As COVID-19 cases continue to increase in multiple states, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is encouraging Ohioans to wear masks, socially distance and wash hands just as he has for months in an effort to contain the pandemic. DeWine's approach hasn't been shared by President Trump. So how does he square his calls for masks and distance with a president who is not doing the same?" I certainly wish the president had a more happy relationship with masks," DeWine told NPR's All Things Considered. "We know so much more today than we knew in March. We now know that these masks really work." (Kelly, 11/4)

USA Today: Nevada First State To Constitutionally Protect Same-Sex Marriage
Nevada’s LGBTQ community is celebrating after voters overwhelmingly agreed to make the state the first in the nation to protect same-sex marriage in its constitution. On Tuesday, nearly two-thirds of Nevada voters said the state’s constitution should be amended to remove a provision stating marriage is only between a man and a woman. (Alonzo, 11/5)

AP: Utah Governor 'Frustrated' With Record-Breaking Virus Cases
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said he is feeling “frustrated” with the state’s rising coronavirus numbers as new cases and hospitalizations continued a streak of new record highs on Thursday. State health experts are projecting that the numbers will continue to rise dramatically and overwhelm the state’s hospitals if people don’t modify their behavior, Herbert said. He said he’s concerned that people are feeling fatigued from the pandemic and continued his months-long plea for Utah residents to follow masking and social distancing requirements. (Eppolito, 11/5)

AP: Cooper On Election Results: 'There Is A Lot Of Status Quo'
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said in a news conference on Thursday that he will continue to push forward with his goal of expanding Medicaid at a time when voters decided to maintain GOP control of both chambers of the Legislature. “There is a lot of status quo, but I do think that my election, and by the margin, it shows that people do want us to close this healthcare coverage gap, particularly in the middle of a pandemic when so many people don’t have access to affordable health care,” Cooper said. “I want us to try and find new strategies to work together to move forward.” (Anderson, 11/5)

Stat: A Public Scorecard Can Help Hold Safety-Net Providers Accountable 
California regulators announced last month plans to evaluate whether safety-net patients face improperly long waits to see medical specialists in Los Angeles County, the nation’s second-largest public health system. That investigation — which aims to determine whether these wait times violate managed-care standards — raises fundamental questions about the quality of care for safety-net patients nationwide, in the midst of a pandemic that disproportionately affects the most vulnerable people. (Hochman and Levander, 11/6)

Reuters: Denmark Has Found 214 People Infected With Mink-Related Coronavirus
Denmark’s State Serum Institute, which deals with infectious diseases, has found mink-related versions of coronavirus in 214 people since June, according to a report on its website updated on Nov. 5. One strain of the mutated coronavirus, which has prompted Denmark to cull its entire herd of mink, has however only been found in 12 people and on five mink farms so far. (11/6)

Bloomberg: U.K. Hits Denmark With Quarantine After Covid Mink Mutation
The U.K. is imposing a two-week quarantine on travelers from Denmark, following an outbreak of a rare mutation of Covid-19 in the Nordic country’s mink farms. “I have taken the swift decision to urgently remove Denmark from the government’s travel corridor list as a precautionary measure given recent developments,” U.K. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said in a statement. (Buttler, 11/6)

The New York Times: A Lockdown With Loopholes: England Faces New Virus Restrictions 
Chocolate shops and stationery stores were busy as usual. Universities held in-person lectures. And workers crowded into some offices and factories, often with nothing more than a bottle of communal hand sanitizer to protect them from the rampant spread of the coronavirus. In England on Thursday, the first hours of Lockdown 2.0, as local newspapers called it, looked very little like a lockdown at all. (Mueller, 11/5)

CNN: At Least 104 Arrested At Anti-Lockdown Protest In London
At least 104 people were arrested at an anti-lockdown protest in London on Thursday evening, according to authorities in the British capital. The protest in Trafalgar Square took place despite the coronavirus restrictions currently in place, and arrests were made after people refused to disperse, according to a statement by the London Metropolitan Police.  (11/6)

AP: Greece Imposes Lockdown To Avoid Worst At Hospitals
With a surge in coronavirus cases straining health systems in many European countries, Greece announced a nationwide lockdown Thursday in the hopes of stemming a rising tide of patients before its hospitals come under “unbearable” pressure. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that he acted before infection rates reached the levels seen in many neighboring countries because, after years of financial crises that have damaged its health system, it couldn’t afford to wait as long to impose restrictions as others had. (Becatoros and Hadjicostis, 11/5)

NPR: Poor Countries Fall Behind In Race To Reserve COVID-19 Vaccine
Rich countries are rapidly claiming the world's lion's share of future doses of COVID-19 vaccine, creating deep inequalities in global distribution. Despite an international agreement to allocate the vaccine equitably around the world, billions of people in poor and middle-income countries might not be immunized until 2023 or even 2024, researchers at Duke University predict. (Doucleff, 11/5)

CIDRAP: H1N2v Flu Case Reported In Canada
Health Canada yesterday announced that a rare variant H1N2 (H1N2v) influenza case has been confirmed in Alberta, marking the province's only flu case reported so far this season. The virus was detected in the middle of October after the patient sought care for mild flulike symptoms and quickly recovered, the agency said in a statement. So far there's no evidence that the virus has spread, and agriculture officials are working with health investigators to identify the source of the virus and the possibility of further spread. At a news conference yesterday, officials said the virus is a swine variant and so far no links have been found to swine slaughterhouses, the CBC reported. (11/5)