Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'It's A Lose-Lose Situation': Schools Face Daunting Challenges As Political Pressure To Reopen Mounts
Politico: ‘It’s Just Way Too Much To Take On’: School Systems Struggle With The Politics Of Reopening
School superintendents and principals are staring at an impossible equation. Governors are promising to put kids back in classrooms in a matter of weeks, but it’s mostly school officials stuck navigating the messy details of how to keep students and teachers safe and win over skeptical parents, while dealing with a budget crisis that is forcing layoffs and other cuts. In California, six major school districts warned state lawmakers that proposed budget cuts could delay the fall semester. And in New Jersey, superintendents are trashing the state’s “inappropriate” guidance for in-person summer programs. (Gaudiano and Goldberg, 6/17)
The Washington Post: D.C. Looking To Enter Next Phase Of Coronavirus Recovery Monday, Mayor Says
The District will be the last holdout in the Washington region’s move to the next phase of coronavirus recovery, but the city expects to enter Phase 2 next week. D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) said the city could begin to lift more restrictions Monday — a step that will permit indoor dining and the reopening of retail, camps, swimming pools, worship services without singing and gatherings of up to 50 people. (Zauzmer, Davies and Hedgpeth, 6/17)
NPR: Amid Confusion About Reopening, An Expert Explains How To Assess COVID-19 Risk
Across the country, states are loosening the restrictions that had been put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19 — with varying results. New cases are decreasing in some states, including New York, Michigan and Colorado, while case numbers and hospitalizations have swelled recently in several states, including Texas, Arizona and Florida. "Since the very first day of this pandemic, I don't think [we've been] in a more confused position about what's happening," epidemiologist Michael Osterholm says. "We just aren't quite sure what [the coronavirus is] going to do next." (Gross, 6/17)
Kaiser Health News: The Costs Of Safely Reopening A High-End Restaurant
Like countless other restaurateurs across California and the nation, Alex and Charity Prestifilippo have been caught in a precarious health-and-safety limbo. Beginning in March, the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered their popular Gourmet Italia restaurant in Temecula, a wine-growing community of 115,000 southeast of Los Angeles. Dozens of employees were laid off; food stocks quickly became outdated. (Glionna, 6/18)
NPR: Montana Is Open, But For Now The Blackfeet Nation Is Closed
Montana has one of the country's lowest coronavirus infection rates and is welcoming tourists back again. Earlier this month, it dropped a two-week quarantine requirement for out-of-state visitors put in place in March. But not everyone is on board with the decision. The Blackfeet Nation, whose reservation borders Glacier National Park, is maintaining a two-week quarantine order and lodging restrictions for non-residents. Restrictions are set to expire at the end of the month, but tribal leaders have already extended them once and could do so again. That uncertainty has businesses dependent on the roughly $110 million local tourism economy looking for ways to survive until next season. (Bolton, 6/17)
Los Angeles Times: Irish Pub Owner Charged For Opening On St. Patrick's Day
A South Pasadena Irish pub opened up on St. Patrick’s Day in defiance of coronavirus shutdown orders. Now its owner could face up to 90 days in jail or a $1,000 fine. Griffin’s of Kinsale in South Pasadena welcomed patrons in green inside on March 17, just two days after Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti issued an order prohibiting restaurants from serving dine-in food. (Sheridan, 6/17)
The Washington Post: U-Va. Students To Return In Fall Amid Pandemic
Wear masks. Keep your distance. Now comes another edict: Use your assigned sink. Students heading to college in the fall know they will face unprecedented pandemic rules meant to safeguard the campus from the spread of the novel coronavirus. Among them is this one spelled out by the University of Virginia on Wednesday: Those who live in residence halls “will be assigned to specific sinks, stalls and showers.” (Anderson, 6/17)
