Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Midwest States Are Latest Regional Area To Form Coalition To Reopen Economy
The Associated Press: 7 Midwest States To Partner On Reopening The Economy
Seven Midwestern governors announced Thursday that they will coordinate on reopening their state economies amid the coronavirus pandemic, after similar pacts were made in the Northeast and on the West Coast. The latest agreement includes Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Kentucky. (Eggert, 4/16)
CNN: 7 Midwestern Governors Announce Their States Will Coordinate On Reopening
The announcement came in a news release from Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, sent on behalf of all the participating governors. "Our number one priority when analyzing when best to reopen our economy is the health and safety of our citizens," the governors said in a joint statement. "We will make decisions based on facts, science, and recommendations from experts in health care, business, labor, and education," the statement added. (Sgueglia and Kelly, 4/16)
Detroit Free Press: Whitmer To Work With Midwest Governors On Reopening Economy
Similar regional approaches are under way among governors in the western U.S. and in the Northeast. Since residents can cross freely between state borders, a regional approach helps avoid situations in which one state, for example, has closed greenhouses, but its residents can travel to a neighboring state where they are open to purchase the same items. Whitmer, Evers, Walz, Pritzker and Beshear are Democrats. DeWine and Holcomb are Republicans. (Egan and Spangler, 4/16)
Stateline: Echoing Trump, More GOP State Legislators Call For Easing Closures
Ohio state Rep. J. Todd Smith, a Republican, thinks it’s about time to get his state back to work. It’s not that he’s overly displeased with what Gov. Mike DeWine, a fellow member of the GOP, has done thus far to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. It’s just that his constituents are telling him it’s time to ease up. And he says dire predictions of thousands of deaths in Ohio have not proven to be true. (Povich, 4/15)
The Hill: Two-Thirds Of Americans Worry States Will Lift Restrictions On Public Activity Too Quickly: Poll
About two-thirds of Americans worry that state governments will lift their restrictions on public activity too quickly following the coronavirus outbreak, according to a poll released Thursday. Pew Research Center’s poll found 66 percent of respondents were concerned states will reopen public activity too quickly, compared to 32 percent who are more concerned they won’t reopen quickly enough. (Coleman, 4/16)
Politico: Coronavirus Fatigue Bubbles Over As Lockdowns Enter Second Month
Signs of unrest are emerging across the country as Americans grow tired of social distancing measures that have prevented innumerable deaths but disrupted their everyday lives and cost millions their jobs. Demonstrators have held protests in a half-dozen states this week, with more to come. A suspect broke into a small business in Washington, D.C., where passersby looted more than $2,000 worth of wine. And several major cities have seen spikes in calls to suicide hotlines as public health officials warn of the toll the coronavirus pandemic can take on mental health. (McCaskill, 4/16)
The Hill: Whitmer Says Protestors' 'Irresponsible Actions' Can Lead To Extension Of Stay-At-Home Orders
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) on Thursday night said the protests that took place in her state Wednesday demanding an end to her "stay-at-home" order could result in an extension of social distancing measures like it. Whitmer, during an interview with MSNBC host Rachel Maddow, said that the protests are the “kind of irresponsible action that puts us in this situation where we might have to actually think about extending stay-at-home orders, which is supposedly what they are protesting." (Moreno, 4/16)
CNN: The Social-Distancing Deniers Have Arrived
Patience is in ever-shorter supply. No one is happy with the current situation. But some Americans see the yoke of oppression in public health efforts to keep people home, and they're growing louder. Underneath the general frustration and dazed acceptance of so much of the world changing its lifestyle for the time being lurks a growing defiance of the science that tells us how to deal with Covid-19 and the government that is telling everyone (to varying degrees) to stay indoors. (Wolf, 4/17)
Kaiser Health News: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: How Will We Reopen The Economy?
President Donald Trump wants to reopen the country soon. But public health experts from across the ideological spectrum insist that won’t be safe until the country can dramatically ramp up testing and contact tracing stemming from those infected. Meanwhile, the political sparring among the president and members of Congress and the nation’s governors is not helping Americans understand what they should do in this grave public health crisis. (4/16)
