Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Man Stabbed, Journalist Attacked At LA Anti-Vaccination Rally
Los Angeles Times: L.A. City Council President Decries Violence That Erupted At Anti-Vax Rally Over The Weekend
Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez denounced the violence that erupted at an anti-vaccination rally in front of City Hall over the weekend resulting in one man being stabbed and a journalist being attacked. “Not wearing a mask and being anti-vax isn’t patriotism — it’s stupidity,” Martinez tweeted late Saturday night. “We have to be able to have differences of opinions without resorting to violence. Attacking counter-protesters and journalists has no place in a democracy and certainly no place in Los Angeles.” The man who was stabbed at the rally was released from the hospital, police said Sunday. (Wigglesworth and Queally, 8/15)
Oklahoman: At Rally, Oklahomans Protest Vaccine Mandates, Urge Action From Stitt
More than 1,000 Oklahomans rallied at the state Capitol on Saturday to protest COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Rallygoers called on Gov. Kevin Stitt or the Oklahoma Legislature to take action to prevent local businesses from requiring their employees to get vaccinated. The opposition to vaccine mandates comes as several local health systems are requiring their employees to get vaccinated for COVID-19. "When I heard it was either get jabbed or get out, I was offended," Sen. Jake Merrick, R-Yukon told the maskless crowd inside the Capitol. (Forman, 8/14)
The Washington Post: Vaccine Mandates Gain Steam Even As Opponents Mount Protests
The number of cities, states and private employers turning to coronavirus vaccination mandates continues to grow – even as opponents mount legal fights and protests that in some cases have turned violent. New York on Monday became the first big U.S. city to put into effect a vaccine mandate for indoor activities, requiring people to show proof of vaccination on a new app or their paper vaccination card. Incoming governor Kathy Hochul (D) is reportedly considering a statewide mandate, saying Sunday that she is “open to all options.” Meanwhile, a protest against mandates in Los Angeles turned violent over the weekend after the city council voted to require proof of vaccination for anyone entering an indoor public space. (Nichols, 8/16)
AP: Misinformation At Public Forums Vexes Local Boards, Big Tech
There are plenty of places to turn for accurate information about COVID-19. Your physician. Local health departments. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control.But not, perhaps, your local government’s public comment session. During a meeting of the St. Louis County Council earlier this month, opponents of a possible mask mandate made so many misleading comments about masks, vaccines and COVID-19 that YouTube removed the video for violating its policies against false claims about the virus. “I hope no one is making any medical decisions based on what they hear at our public forums,” said County Councilwoman Lisa Clancy, who supports mask wearing and said she believes most of her constituents do too. The video was restored, but Clancy’s worries about the impact of that misinformation remain. (Klepper and Hollingsworth, 8/16)
In other updates on vaccine and mask mandates —
The Washington Post: Get The Vaccine Or Get Fired? In Shenandoah Valley, Some Nurses Choose Termination.
They were hard to miss on the corner of a busy four-way intersection at the entrance to Winchester Medical Center: a group of about 20 people — many of them nurses, some in scrubs — protesting the hospital's recent coronavirus vaccination mandate. Some were on a quasi-strike, skipping a day of work to stand on the side of the road in scorching heat, holding signs that demanded, “NO FORCED VACCINATION.” (Flynn, 8/14)
San Francisco Chronicle: COVID Surges In Hospitals, Jails Spur New Health Order In Contra Costa County
Contra Costa County will begin requiring first responders to prove they’re fully vaccinated or submit to weekly coronavirus tests as infections send hospitalizations surging and cause new outbreaks in local jails and residential facilities, the county announced Friday. County data shows 189 people were hospitalized as of Friday, a 400% increase from the previous month and a 26.1% increase compared with a week ago. More than 80% of the admitted patients hadn’t been vaccinated, the county said. (Hosseini, 8/14)
The Washington Examiner: Philadelphia To Require All City Employees To Be Vaccinated Or Wear Two Masks
Unvaccinated city employees in Philadelphia will have to wear two masks, a cloth mask over a surgical mask, starting Sept. 1. “We are committed to keeping our employees safe from severe COVID infection and death,” Mayor Jim Kenney tweeted this week, announcing the new city ordinance. (Richard, 8/14)
Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves Suggests Vaccines, No To Mask Mandate
Amid Mississippi's largest surge in COVID-19 cases and with the state's hospitals stretched beyond capacity, Governor Tate Reeves on Friday encouraged Mississippians to get vaccinated. Reeves, speaking at a press conference at the Walter Sillers State Office Building on High Street, never directly told Mississippians to get the vaccine, but that people should speak with their doctors about them. His comments were some of his strongest, pro-vaccine comments in weeks. "I believe the vaccines are safe," Reeves said. "I believe they are effective. And I believe that they are the best tool we have moving forward to beat the virus." (Sanderlin, 8/13)
Bloomberg: Incoming N.Y. Governor ‘Open To All Options’ On Vaccine Mandates
Incoming New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she will be looking at the possibility of a statewide vaccine mandate for indoor activities, as she formulates her pandemic policy after taking over from Governor Andrew Cuomo at the end of the month. “I’m open to all options,” she said on Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “I will be looking at possibility of mandates, but not saying they’re in or out until I know all the facts.” (Yang and Querolo, 8/15)
Oklahoman: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt Silent On Next Steps To Stem COVID Surge
As COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations surge again in Oklahoma, Gov. Kevin Stitt has been silent about his next steps to manage the pandemic. Stitt brushed off requests that he declare a state of emergency, shunned state-run vaccine incentives and shied away from directly recommending Oklahomans get vaccinated for COVID-19 since he got his single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot at a news conference in March. Stitt has largely taken a hands-off approach to the latest wave of the pandemic, despite Oklahomans on both sides of the aisle demanding he do more. (Forman, 8/15)
In other news about the vaccine rollout —
Politico: Scalise Warns Shaming Won't Help Boost Vaccinations
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise on Sunday urged encouragement — not shame — in urging people to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. “What we need to be doing is encouraging people to get vaccinated, not trying to shame people who are unvaccinated or people that got vaccinated,” the Louisiana Republican said on CBS’ “Face the Nation. “I had antibodies, so I ultimately made the decision once I saw the Delta variant picking up, I thought it was important to get vaccinated.” (Kim, 8/15)
KHN: In Rural America, Twisting Arms To Take A Covid Vaccine First Takes Trust
Lee Wright was hard at work, constructing a nail salon near the city’s abandoned hospital, when Jody Johnson stopped by to introduce himself on a recent afternoon. Johnson, who works for the University of Illinois Extension program, chatted with Wright casually in the summertime heat. For Johnson, it was the first step to building trust in this city of fewer than 2,200 people as extension programs across the U.S — long valued in many rural communities for helping farmers and supporting 4-H clubs — expand their service to include educating the public about covid-19 vaccines. (Anthony, 8/16)
