Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Georgia's Re-Opening Plan Defied Local Health Experts' Advice
Atlanta Journal Constitution: Georgia Governor Ignored Health Experts In Easing COVID Restrictions
Gov. Brian Kemp already had reopened bars and restaurants, gyms and nightclubs, barber shops and tattoo parlors, amusement parks and summer camps. Next up: live entertainment venues. That’s when Dr. Kathleen Toomey spoke up. Toomey, Georgia’s public health commissioner, thought it would be impossible to stop the coronavirus from spreading through crowded concert halls, convention centers and sports stadiums. So she had her lawyer write the governor’s lawyer to register her concerns. (Judd, 3/26)
AP: Outdoor Weddings Up To 100 People Allowed On Oahu In Hawaii
Weddings on Oahu in Hawaii can now be held outside with a maximum of 100 people after an easing of public health orders related to the coronavirus pandemic. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said Friday that the easing of restrictions would be effective immediately. Weddings were previously restricted to 10 people. A limit of 10 people will continue for indoor weddings. For outdoor weddings, a maximum of 100 people will be allowed, seating will be limited to 10 people per table, everyone will be required to wear masks and each wedding must be supervised by “event planning professionals.” Temperature checks will also be required. (3/27)
Axios: CDC COVID Cruise Ship Order: Florida's DeSantis Threatens Lawsuit
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is threatening to sue the federal government if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) doesn't allow cruises to restart by the summer. Florida is at the heart of the U.S. cruise industry, with Miami, Port Everglades and Port Canaveral among the busiest ports in the world. Millions of passengers pass through in a typical year. It's worth billions of dollars for the state's economy, per AP. (Falconer, 3/28)
Georgia Health News: As Legislative Session Nears End, Health Bills Await Their Fate
Monday shapes up as a pivotal day for high-profile health bills as the General Assembly enters its final week. Those expected to get a Senate floor vote include a bill that would establish rules for cameras in nursing home residents’ rooms. Senators will also consider a recently gutted measure involving visits to people in hospitals and long-term care facilities. (Miller, 3/28)
KHN: It’s Not Just QAnon. Democrats And Independents Also Want To Recall California’s Governor
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is framing the burgeoning effort to remove him from office as a fringe Republican movement backed by right-wing extremists, Trump supporters and QAnon conspiracy theorists. But Newsom isn’t telling the whole story about who supports his recall. Democrats and independent voters — who together dominate the state’s electorate — have also signed the recall petition, motivated by frustration with Newsom’s response to the covid-19 pandemic. Even Californians who helped elect Newsom to his first term in 2018 are angry over prolonged school closures, the whipsaw of business closings and openings and closings, vaccination chaos and turmoil at the state’s unemployment agency — which has been plagued with fraud, website failures and devastating backlogs that have left legions of residents without benefits. (Hart and Young, 3/29)
North Carolina Health News: Program Seeks To Boost Number Of Black Doulas In NC
A new program through the University of North Carolina seeks to boost the number of Black people working as doulas in North Carolina. Its founder hopes these doulas will help address a national crisis in maternal mortality by reducing birth risks for expectant Black parents within the state. (Critchfield, 3/29)
NPR: Alabama Trans Youth Dismayed By State's Effort To Block Medical Care
Syrus Hall, a 17-year-old from Mobile, Ala., has heard it all before: "You'll grow out of it." "It's a phase." "You're just confused." "It makes me mad," he says. Hall is transgender and in the early stages of his transition; he gets weekly shots of a low dose of testosterone. "I worked really hard to be able to transition," he says. "I dealt with bullying at school, and people being mean to me just because I exist. If I can deal with that, I know who I am. I'm not going to go back. "So Hall is watching with alarm as the Alabama legislature advances bills that would outlaw hormone treatment for him and other trans youth in the state. (Block, 3/28)
The Baltimore Sun: Doctor Wins Medical Award As She Builds Trust With The Patients At Her Columbia Practice
Dr. Njdeka Udochi , 53 , is a healthcare provider who strives to treat all of her patients as if they were her family caring for many, including immigrants and people who are experiencing homlessness. Udochi said establishing a connection with each individual who walks through her doors at the Millennium Family Practice in Columbia is what builds trust. It’s why she believes people return to her practice and follow her recommendations for treatment or preventative care. (Turner, 3/29)
