Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
How Will Public Spaces Change In Wake Of Virus?: 'Humans Are Just Terrified Of Other Humans Right Now'
The Associated Press: American Public Space, Rebooted: What Might It Feel Like?
And the American people returned to the American streets, bit by bit, place by place. And in the spaces they shared, they found a world that appeared much the same but was, in many ways, different — and changing by the day. And the people were at turns uncertain, fearful, angry, determined. As they looked to their institutions to set the tone, they wondered: What would this new world be like? (Anthony, 5/4)
The New York Times: Balmy Weekend Presents A Challenge: New Yorkers Rushing To Parks
On the second day of May, New Yorkers were greeted with sunny skies and the warmest weekend so far this spring. People got up off their couch, put on their shoes, donned their face coverings, and left their cramped houses and apartments for the nearest park — desperate for fresh air and a little exercise. After weeks spent almost entirely indoors to avoid the coronavirus, they seemed to be drawn outside as much by the balmy weather as by their hopes that New York City was slowly, cautiously, starting to emerge from the crisis that has kept it locked down since mid-March. (Goldstein and Kilgannon, 5/2)
Reuters: Warm Weather Draws Crowds In Some Cities As Parts Of U.S. Start Easing Coronavirus Lockdowns
On Saturday, thousands of people gathered on the National Mall in Washington to view a U.S. Navy flyover to honor healthcare workers and others battling the pandemic. In New York City, the warmest weather yet this spring caused picnickers and sunbathers to flock to green spaces in Manhattan, including crowded conditions at the Christopher Street Pier in Greenwich Village, according to photos on social media. (Chiacu and Allen, 5/3)
NBC News: Seeking Relief From Coronavirus Lockdowns, People Head Outside Across U.S.
With the weather warming across the U.S., people sought relief over the weekend after weeks of coronavirus restrictions. In some states, governors had begun easing those rules, even as confirmed cases and deaths attributed to the virus continued to rise. In others, lockdown orders remained in place. (Stelloh, 5/3)
NPR: People Are Social Distancing Less, Cellphone Data Show
State leaders are considering reopening economies and allowing people to leave their homes, but more and more Americans appear to be doing so on their own. Emerging data suggest that though people dramatically altered their habits to stay at home during the first month of America's response to the pandemic, that cooperation has since leveled off and — eventually — decreased. This could point to long-term challenges for state governments asking citizens to cooperate with extended stay-at-home policies. (McMinn and Talbot, 5/1)
The Washington Post: Cellphone Surveillance Spreads With Coronavirus Epidemic
A smartphone app in Turkey asked for Murat Bur's identity number, his father's name and information about his relatives. Did he have any underlying health conditions, the app wondered, presenting him a list of options. How was he feeling at the moment, it asked. It also requested permission to track his movements. None of this felt intrusive to Bur, a 38-year-old personal trainer. The app, which he had voluntarily downloaded, had helpfully warned him that his neighborhood was a coronavirus hot spot. (Fahim, Kim and Hendrix, 5/2)
