Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
How Other Countries Are Faring Against COVID
Reuters: Hong Kong Reports 85 Coronavirus Cases As Authorities Battle Third Wave
Hong Kong reported 85 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, including three that were locally transmitted, as authorities battle to control a third wave of the outbreak which has seen a resurgence in infections over the past month. Since late January, around 3,700 people have been infected in Hong Kong, 42 of whom have died. Wednesday’s figure was up marginally from Tuesday’s 80 cases. (8/5)
AP: City Streets Drain Of Life In Australia's Toughest Lockdown
Melbourne’s usually vibrant downtown streets were draining of signs of life on Wednesday on the eve of Australia’s toughest-ever pandemic restrictions coming into force. Many of the stylish boutiques and eateries in a city dubbed Australia’s Hipster Capital that prides itself on superior coffee had already closed their doors ahead of a ban on non-essential businesses that will throw 250,000 people out of work from Thursday. (Ratnayake and McGuirk, 8/5)
AP: Skepticism, Fear Help Fuel Virus On Mexico City's Outskirts
Only after a neighbor died of the coronavirus did Juan José and Esther Serralde begin to believe that the threat was real — but it was too late. Soon, the older couple, their son and daughter-in-law, and two of their grandchildren were infected. Even if they had acted earlier, the family members might have struggled to protect themselves. Three generations share a home in a southern borough of Mexico City. The modest house opens onto a street market — and the family sells clothes right outside their door. Bedrooms double as storerooms. Every space was a potential play area for four kids. (Verza, 8/4)
Reuters: Are They Any Use? With Europe's Black-Box Coronavirus Apps It's Hard To Tell
Europe’s experiment in using technology to fight coronavirus has achieved some early successes: millions of people have downloaded smartphone tracker apps and hundreds have uploaded the results of positive COVID-19 tests. Yet most European countries so far lack solid evidence that their apps - which identify close contacts via Bluetooth connections with nearby users - are actually alerting people who may have caught the disease before they can infect others. (Halpin and Busvine, 8/5)
The Washington Post: Which Airports Are Doing Coronavirus Testing
With the global reported case numbers for coronavirus exceeding 18 million, airports around the world are figuring out how to accept travelers while limiting exposure for their own citizens. For some, that effort is to test inbound travelers for the coronavirus on arrival. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, testing is important in identifying people who may be asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic and may spread the virus unknowingly. (Compton, 8/4)
AP: AP PHOTOS: Kashmir Schooling Now More Challenging With Virus
Children in Indian-controlled Kashmir are no strangers to lockdowns. Curfews, strikes and school shutdowns are all part of growing up in one of the world’s most militarized zones. So when schools in the disputed region reopened after six months in late February, 9-year-old Jannat Tariq was overjoyed to see her friends and teachers.She had spent months under a strict lockdown that began in August 2019, when India scrapped the region’s semi-autonomous status, closed schools and colleges, and imposed harsh curbs on civil rights and communications, including a shutdown of the internet. (Yasin, 8/5)
Also —
AP: Hiroshima Survivors Worry That World Will Forget
The atomic bomb that exploded over Hiroshima 75 years ago didn’t just kill and maim. The survivors have also lived for decades with lingering shame, anger and fear. Many in Japan believed radiation sickness is infectious or hereditary. Some hid their status as survivors. Some harbored thoughts of revenge in their hearts. Some watched as loved ones died, one by one, because of radiation from the bombing, and wondered — Am I next? (Yamaguchi, 8/5)
