Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Miami Becoming New 'Epicenter Of The Pandemic'
CNN: US Coronavirus: Miami Is Now The Coronavirus Epicenter As Cases Surge, One Expert Says
With more than 2,000 patients hospitalized and hundreds in ICUs, "Miami is now the epicenter of the pandemic," one infectious disease expert said Monday, comparing the South Florida metropolitan area to the city where the pandemic originated. "What we were seeing in Wuhan -- six months ago, five months ago -- now we are there," Lilian Abbo, with the Jackson Health System said during a press conference hosted by the Miami-Dade County mayor. (Maxouris, 7/14)
ABC News: Too Little Too Late: The Story Of How Florida Shattered The Country's Single-Day COVID Record
Florida shattered the nation's record for new daily coronavirus cases this week, logging 15,000 new COVID-19 infections in a single day. The record easily surpassed New York, which on its worst day in April recorded 12,000 new COVID cases. More than 282,400 people in Florida have been infected with the coronavirus as of July 13 and at least 4,277 people have died, according to the latest figures from the state health department. (Schumaker and Pereira, 7/13)
WFLA: ‘Shame On You’: Protester Interrupts Coronavirus Update, Accuses DeSantis Of ‘Doing Nothing’ As Florida Cases Surge
A young man in a mask interrupted Gov. Ron DeSantis during a news conference on Monday, accusing him of lying to Floridians and doing nothing as coronavirus cases rise. “You are doing nothing!” the man shouted shortly after Gov. DeSantis stepped up to the podium at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. “You are deceiving the public!” (Monahan, 7/13)
ABC News: Miami Man Fears Parties Held At Neighbor's Home Are Helping Coronavirus Spread
Benny Diaz says that lately, the scene in front of his home in a residential Miami neighborhood has looked a lot like a normal day in South Beach several miles away, with partygoers at the rental home across the street showing off their expensive rental cars, blasting loud music, and getting drunk without regard for the risks of spreading the coronavirus. "They have no clue that there's a pandemic," he told "Nightline." "They have no clue that there's a curfew. … The scene is chaotic, irresponsible drunkenness." (Rivas, 7/13)
In news out of Texas, which has also been hard hit —
Houston Chronicle: Hospital Patients Waiting In ERs Because COVID-19 Is Filling Up Beds
Houston-area hospitals are increasingly having to keep patients in their emergency rooms for longer periods while they scurry to open additional beds, the new pressure point of the relentless surge of COVID-19 cases. Hospitals inside and outside the Texas Medical Center confirmed Friday that the lack of available staffed beds is stressing their already strapped ERs. Officials at the hospitals warned that though they have been able to find beds for patients with time, that won’t be sustainable if COVID-19 cases continue at this rate. (Ackerman, 7/10)
Houston Chronicle: Some Texas Schools May Not Reopen For In-Person Classes In August. Here’s How.
For some Texas schools, the opening bell may not ring in August after all. Days after state education leaders laid out plans for reopening campuses to begin the 2020-21 school year, some Texas school and local government leaders are crafting plans for delaying the restart of in-person instruction. Together, they argue the continuing spread of COVID-19 makes it too dangerous for their communities to open school doors next month, requiring actions that will allow them to keep providing online-only classes for now. (Carpenter, 7/13)
Dallas Morning News: Medical City, Texas Health Suspend Elective Surgeries In D-FW As COVID-19 Cases Soar
Local health care providers agree on many things about fighting the coronavirus, especially the importance of wearing masks, social distancing and washing hands. But they’re going separate ways on elective surgery while COVID-19 is spreading rampantly — at least for now. On Monday, Medical City Healthcare, which operates 16 hospitals in North Texas, voluntarily suspended elective surgeries for the next two weeks at most of its local hospitals. (Schnurman, 7/13)
The Hill: Houston Mayor Proposes 2-Week Shutdown 'At The Minimum' To Quell COVID-19 Spread
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner (D) on Monday proposed a two-week shutdown “at the minimum” to quell the coronavirus pandemic. The mayor tweeted that he made his recommendation to Gov. Greg Abbott (R), telling the governor it will "help blunt" the spread of coronavirus. “If we can not have a shut down, then at least step back to state’s Phase 1,” Turner tweeted. “This will allow us to reset and reassess.” (Coleman, 7/13)
And in news from other states --
AP: Hawaii To Wait To Waive Quarantine Requirement
Hawaii’s governor says he will wait another month to waive a 14-day quarantine requirement for out-of-state travelers who test negative for COVID-19, citing an increasing number of cases locally, “uncontrolled” outbreaks in several U.S. mainland states and a shortage of testing supplies. The testing plan, as announced last month, was scheduled to take effect on Aug. 1. It’s now postponed to Sept. 1. (7/14)
AP: Another California Prisoner Dies From COVID-19 Complications
Another California state prison inmate has died from what appears to be complications of the coronavirus, corrections officials said Monday. (7/14)
AP: 43 Coronavirus Cases Tied To Party In Ann Arbor Area
The Washtenaw County Health Department on Monday reported 43 coronavirus cases associated with a large house party held outside Ann Arbor nearly two weeks ago, with most of those infected being between the ages of 15 and 25. (Eggert, 7/13)
New Orleans Times-Picayune: Jefferson Parish's Coronavirus Compliance Hotline Yields 2,599 Tips, But No Citations
Jefferson Parish's compliance hotline has received 2,599 calls from people reporting possible violations of coronavirus social-distancing guidelines and parish inspectors have visited more than 50 businesses due to complaints -- four of them twice. But the parish has yet to issue a single misdemeanor summons for mask violations, Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng said at a press conference Monday. (Calder and Roberts III, 7/13)
CNN: US Coronavirus: California, New Mexico And Oregon Put New Restrictions On Indoor Activities
In Oregon, where the number of cases has recently risen, the governor expanded rules on face coverings to include outdoor gatherings where social distance cannot be maintained. ... New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham put new restrictions on indoor seating at restaurants and breweries, a statement from her office said. Indoor dining at restaurants had been allowed with limits since June 1 but that is now prohibited. (Maxouris, Wood and Almasy, 7/13)
The Washington Post: A Closed Border, Pandemic-Weary Tourists And A Big Bottleneck At Glacier National Park
As Montana warily reopened last month to pandemic-weary tourists, an isolated community held firm with closures and stay-at-home orders. Few outsiders would have paid much attention but for one detail: The Blackfeet Nation borders Glacier National Park, and its decision blocked access to much of the vast wilderness there. The result this month has meant throngs of visitors crowding into a tiny corner of Glacier — a crown jewel of the park system — with long lines of cars at what is now the only entry point. (McLaughlin, 7/11)
AP: South Dakota Reports No Surge After Independence Day Parties
South Dakota health officials on Monday said they have not seen an uptick in community spread of the coronavirus after thousands of people gathered for Independence Day celebrations in the western part of the state. (Groves, 7/13)
Kaiser Health News: Listen: Colorado Cuts Back Health Care Programs Amid Dual Crises
KHN senior correspondent Markian Hawryluk joined KUNC’s Erin O’Toole on “Colorado Edition” to discuss his recent story on how Colorado is one of the many states having to cut back on health care programs and new policy initiatives as part of the economic fallout of the pandemic. These cuts, which in Colorado include slashing $1 million from a program designed to keep people with mental illness out of the hospital and $5 million for addiction treatment programs in underserved communities, come amid the century’s largest health crisis when people may need those services most. (7/14)
