Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New York Residents Ordered To Wear Face Masks In Public When Unable To Practice Social Distancing
The New York Times: New York Governor Orders Residents To Wear Face Masks In Public
Imposing a stricter measure to control the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Wednesday that he would start requiring people in New York to wear masks or face coverings in public whenever social distancing was not possible. The order will take effect on Friday and will apply to people who are unable to keep six feet away from others in public settings, such as on a bus or subway, on a crowded sidewalk or inside a grocery store. (Ferre-Sadurni and Cramer, 4/15)
The Associated Press: New York To Require Face Coverings In Busy Public Places
New York residents will be required to wear face coverings anytime they come into close contact with other people outside their homes, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday. The mandate will require a mask or face covering, like a bandanna, on busy streets, public transit, or any situation where people cannot maintain 6 feet of social distancing, even if it is passing a person briefly on a wooded trail. The order takes effect Friday. (Peltz, Villeneuve and Hill, 4/16)
Reuters: Face Masks May Be 'New Normal' In Post-Virus Life As U.S. Prepares Gradual Reopening
The death toll from the coronavirus pandemic in the United States approached 31,000 on Wednesday as governors began cautiously preparing Americans for a post-virus life that would likely include public face coverings as the “new normal.” (Caspani and Resnick-Ault, 4/15)
The Wall Street Journal: Why New York’s Coronavirus Death Count Jumped: The Stories Of Patients Who Died At Home
Jarrod Sockwell spent the final days of his life in his Brooklyn home with a fever, cough and no appetite, fearing he had the novel coronavirus. A New York City middle-school paraprofessional and high-school football coach, Mr. Sockwell had earlier gone to an emergency room to seek treatment after not feeling well. Doctors tested him for the virus, diagnosed him with pneumonia and sent him home because his oxygen levels were too high for admission. (Hawkins, Berger and Honan, 4/16)
The Wall Street Journal: As Coronavirus Deaths Surge, New York City Allows Cremations 24 Hours A Day
New York City crematories are so overwhelmed with the death toll from coronavirus cases that regulators are letting them operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Some operators of crematories said they are already working 16-hour days. They are processing double, sometimes triple, the number of bodies they would on a typical day. Several operators said they are booked up a week or more in advance. (Berger, 4/16)
Reuters: 'Don't Go To The ER': How A New York Pediatrician Is Dealing With The Coronavirus Outbreak
When a 3-year-old patient of New York pediatrician Dr. Greg Gulbransen dislocated her arm, he told her parents not to take her to the emergency care center, fearing that could put the family at risk of contracting COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. (4/15)
