Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Hot Spots And Hotter Spots: Majority Of States Contributing To Latest Surge
The Wall Street Journal: New U.S. Coronavirus Cases Dip Below 50,000 For First Time In Five Days
The U.S. reported fewer than 50,000 new coronavirus cases for the first time in five days, while cases remained elevated in several states, particularly in the Midwest. In Wisconsin, the seven-day average of new coronavirus cases hit 2,510 as of Sunday, the highest level since the pandemic began, according to the state’s Department of Health Services. Wisconsin’s daily tally was more than 2,600, down from a peak of more than 3,000 reached Thursday. (Hall, 10/12)
CNN: New Coronavirus Cases Are Up By At Least 50% In 5 States
More than half of US states are seeing an increase in new Covid-19 cases, with five states -- Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Tennessee and Vermont -- reporting a jump of more than 50% in one week. Health experts warned over the weekend that the US could have a surge in coronavirus cases and deaths in the coming months, adding to the more than 7.7 million cases and 214,764 deaths on record. (Holcombe, 10/12)
Vox: Covid-19 Cases Spike In US, With Unwelcome Testing And Hospitalization Trends
More than 34,500 Americans are currently hospitalized with Covid-19 in the US, up from less than 30,000 a week ago. Nearly 700 new deaths are being reported on average every day, too — and while that is down from August, when there were often more than 1,000 deaths a day, deaths are going to eventually start increasing if cases and hospitalizations continue to rise. It’s a pattern we have seen before. (Scott, 10/11)
AP: GOP Governors In Spiking States Strain For Silver Linings
Hospitalizations from COVID-19 have hit their highest points recently throughout the Midwest, where the growth in new cases has been the worst in the nation. But that’s not the message coming from a number of Republican governors in the region, who are working to find silver linings in the ominous health data as outbreaks surge in their states. (DeMillo, 10/11)
The Hill: CDC Study: 'Urgent Need' To Slow Spread Of Coronavirus Among Young Adults
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study released Friday warned that there is an “urgent need” to address the spread of the coronavirus among young adults. The study found that increases among transmission in younger people are often a precursor to transmission among older, higher-risk people. (Sullivan, 10/9)
In New York —
The Wall Street Journal: Covid-19 Cases Keep Rising In Some New York Hot Spots
The coronavirus infection rate ticked up over the weekend in some New York hot spots where the state has tightened social-distancing restrictions, state officials said Sunday. Gov. Andrew Cuomo last week closed schools and nonessential businesses, banned mass gatherings and limited houses of worship to no more than 25% of their capacity, or 10 people, in parts of Brooklyn, Queens, Rockland and Orange counties where clusters of Covid-19 cases have emerged in recent weeks. (Vielkind, 10/11)
The New York Times: Over $150,000 In Fines Issued On First Weekend Of New N.Y.C. Lockdown
Authorities cracked down this weekend on some of the city’s coronavirus hot spots, issuing more than 60 summonses and tens of thousands of dollars in fines to people, businesses and houses of worship that did not follow newly imposed restrictions on gatherings or mask-wearing and social-distancing requirements. Among those issued a summons by the New York City sheriff were a restaurant and at least five houses of worship in the city’s “red zones,” where coronavirus infection rates are the highest. Each of those locations was given a summons that could result in up to $15,000 in fines, said Sheriff Joseph Fucito. (Watkins, 10/11)
