Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Mask-Wearing Debate Continues But Number Of U.S. Doubters Appears To Be Decreasing; N.C., Vegas Casinos Get New Mandates
The Washington Post: How Did Face Masks Divide America?
By any measure, the United States has some of the top public health experts in the world. Yet as the novel coronavirus began to spread early this year, these U.S. experts repeatedly recommended against a simple tactic to prevent spreading the infection: face masks. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in January that it did not recommend the use of masks for “people who are well.” On Feb. 29, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams went further, tweeting a warning: “STOP BUYING MASKS.” (Taylor, 6/25)
CIDRAP: Controversy On COVID-19 Mask Study Spotlights Messiness Of Science During A Pandemic
Late last week, a group of researchers posted a letter that they had sent to the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) requesting the retraction of a study published the week before that purportedly showed mask use was the most effective intervention in slowing the spread of COVID-19 in New York City. Though PNAS editors have yet to respond to the request, scientists have roundly criticized the study's methodology, and the entire kerfuffle has highlighted the difficulty of "doing science" amid a full-blown pandemic. (Soucheray, 6/24)
The Hill: North Carolina Governor Issues Order For Residents To Wear Masks
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) said Wednesday he is issuing an order requiring residents to wear masks when in public and keeping current statewide coronavirus restrictions in place for at least another three weeks amid a spike in COVID-19 cases. “Overwhelming evidence that is growing by the week shows that wearing a face covering can greatly reduce the spread of COVID-19, especially from people who have it and don’t know it yet it,” Cooper said during a press conference. “Face coverings are a simple way to control this virus.” (Klar, 6/24)
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Mixed Reviews For New Mask Mandate For Visitors To Las Vegas Casinos
Casinos will find out Friday if the state’s new mask mandate is a deal-breaker for some gamblers. (Schulz. 6/24)
CNN: People Of Color Won't Be Required To Wear Masks In An Oregon County
People of color are exempt from an Oregon county's mask mandate over concerns about racial profiling. Lincoln County, Oregon, requires most residents to wear face coverings in public settings, indoors or outdoors. The overwhelmingly White county will not require non-White residents to wear them if they fear harassment, the county said this month. It's one of the first counties in the US to exempt people of color from wearing masks to prevent racial profiling. (Andrew, 6/24)
ProPublica: He Removed Labels That Said “Medical Use Prohibited,” Then Tried To Sell Thousands Of Masks To Officials Who Distribute To Hospitals
Lucas Rensko was making money through a popular handyman-for-hire app called TaskRabbit, doing odd jobs and delivering groceries, when he picked up a task that led him to a leaky-roofed warehouse on a tattered road in northwest San Antonio. Inside, a man named Jaime Rivera had set up long tables where five or six other “Taskers” earning about $20 an hour were ripping Chinese masks out of plastic bags and stuffing them into new ones that were identical but for one potentially deadly difference. The old packages were labeled in all caps “MEDICAL USE PROHIBITED,” meaning not to be used by doctors and nurses who need the strongest protection from tiny particles carrying the novel coronavirus. The new bags, intended to make their way to Texas hospitals, simply omitted that warning. (McSwane, 6/25)
Kaiser Health News: Airlines Want Flyers To Feel Safe, But Grab Bag Of COVID Policies Adds Turbulence
Tony Scott boarded an American Airlines flight May 25 from Los Angeles to Dallas. It was a trip he felt he had to take despite concerns about the coronavirus. His son, who lives in Texas, was having health problems. The teen seated next to Scott in business class wasn’t wearing a mask. Scott was surprised because before the flight he received an email from American reminding him masks were required. He flagged down a flight attendant, who gently reminded the teen of the face-covering rule. She still declined to wear the mask, and the flight attendant told Scott that because she was a minor, the teen was exempt from the requirement. (Knight, 6/25)
The Hill: Starbucks Employee Receives More Than $16K In Tips After Refusing To Serve A Customer Who Wasn't Wearing A Mask
More than $16,000 has been raised for a Starbucks employee after a customer posted on Facebook that the barista refused to serve her at a San Diego location because she wasn’t wearing a mask. A GoFundMe set up for the barista, identified as Lenin Gutierrez, raised nearly $17,000 as of Wednesday — just days after it was posted online. “Raising money for Lenin for his honorable effort standing his ground when faced with a Karen in the wild,” the creator of the fundraiser, Matt Cowan, wrote in the description of the page. (Klar, 6/24)
CNN: 'Maskne': Why You're Face Is Breaking Out Under Your Mask And How To Stop It
If you're serious about protecting yourself — and others — from the very real dangers of Covid-19, you're wearing a mask when you go out around others. For many people that is leading to an embarrassing and unpleasant side effect: blemishes, pimples, zits — or what dermatologists call acne. (LaMotte, 6/25)
In related news —
Boston Globe: Boston City Council Unanimously Votes To Ban Use Of Face Surveillance Technology By City Government
The Boston City Council on Wednesday unanimously moved to ban city government use of face surveillance technology, which attempts to identify people by scanning their faces. The measure makes it illegal for local authorities to obtain or use a face surveillance system, to use information derived from such a system, or to enter into a third-party agreement for surveilling faces. The matter will now be sent to Mayor Martin J. Walsh’s desk. (McDonald, 6/24)
