Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
NIH Director Walks Back At-Home Masking Suggestion For Parents
Fox News: NIH Director Backs Away From Suggestion That Parents Wear Masks At Home To Protect Kids
The head of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Tuesday afternoon tried to walk back his comments from earlier in the day suggesting that parents wear masks at home to protect unvaccinated children. Dr. Francis Collins said "it’s clear" that the delta variant was capable of causing serious illness in kids while addressing whether young children should avoid indoor situations. He noted that while rare, there are many examples of young people being sickened by the virus and cited new recommendations for kids under 12 to avoid being in places where they might get infected and recommendations for universal masking at schools, and even for adults at home. (Hein, 8/4)
NBC News: Delta And Vaccinated Parents: What People With Kids Under 12 Need To Know
With coronavirus cases rising across the country and the highly contagious delta variant spreading in every state, many parents have been left wondering how best to keep their children safe, particularly when it comes to kids under 12 who are not yet eligible for vaccination. Most schools are set to welcome students back in person in the coming weeks, but many aren't requiring them to wear masks. And as people look to plan last-minute vacations, set up play dates for their kids or attend other events, weighing the potential risks is challenging because many families are juggling different vaccination statuses within their own ranks. (Chow, 8/4)
In updates on mandates at schools and universities —
Axios: Illinois Announces Mask Mandate For Schools, Vaccinations For State Workers
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) announced Wednesday that the state would institute a mask mandate for preschool through high school students and staff and a vaccine mandate for some state employees. The move comes as surging COVID-19 cases driven by the Delta variant in Illinois have led to rising hospitalization, ICU occupancy and ventilator use rates, per the governor's press release. (Saric, 8/4)
AP: Penn State University Requires Masking At All Campuses
Penn State University will require students, staff and visitors at all its campuses to wear masks while indoors, the school announced Wednesday, responding to a statewide surge in coronavirus cases. The masking rule will apply to everyone, regardless of vaccination status, Penn State officials said. (8/5)
AP: Phoenix School District Says Suit Over Mask Mandate Is Moot
A Phoenix school district wants a judge to dismiss a lawsuit over its mask mandate, which could be a test case for other districts, arguing a state law banning such policy isn’t in effect yet. A preliminary hearing was held Wednesday in the case of Douglas Hester, a biology teacher who sued the Phoenix Union High School District. Hester is asking a Maricopa County Superior Court judge to grant a temporary restraining order on the mandate, calling it unlawful. (Tang, 8/5)
New Orleans Times-Picayune: Tulane University Will Require Regular COVID Testing This Fall, In Addition To Vaccine Mandate
Tulane University will require students and faculty to have regular coronavirus testing this fall, the latest in a series of moves by the university to stop the spread of COVID-19. Students must test for COVID three days before they arrive at the university's dormitories, university officials said in a memo this week. Students should also quarantine for up to a week before they return to campus. Classes begin Aug. 23. Dorm move-ins begin Aug. 15 and run through Aug. 21. (Williams, 8/4)
Anchorage Daily News: Anchorage Assembly Member Says Requiring Children To Wear Masks In Schools Is ‘Criminal Child Abuse’
Anchorage Assembly member Jamie Allard in an interview this week said she believes requiring children to wear masks in public schools is criminal child abuse. Allard, a vocal opponent of the city’s previous mask mandate and other COVID-19 restrictions, first made the statement in a column on a conservative website last week. It was published ahead of an Anchorage School Board meeting considering the school district’s COVID-19 mitigation plan. The plan recommended requiring students and staff, in most cases, to wear masks indoors during the upcoming school year. “I also agree with those who believe that masking children is nothing short of criminal child abuse. Don’t do it, Anchorage School Board,” wrote Allard. On Tuesday, the Anchorage School Board accepted the district’s plan. (Goodykoontz, 8/4)
The Baltimore Sun: In Ever-Changing Pandemic, Maryland And Baltimore-Area Schools Leaders Say One Thing Is Certain: Classes Will Be In-Person Next School Year
Education officials say all Maryland public schools will be open five days a week for in-person classes next school year, despite currently rising coronavirus cases and changing federal guidance on masking. There are no plans to switch back to online learning. No plans to reintroduce the hybrid compromise, where teachers simultaneously instruct online and in front of a class of students. And no one is talking about expanding seats for what is planned to be a limited number of online students. (Bowie and Reed, 8/4)
In other mask news —
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin State Employees Will Be Required To Wear Masks
State employees will have to wear face masks starting Thursday because of a surge in coronavirus cases, Wisconsin officials announced Wednesday. The move came shortly after the two largest University of Wisconsin schools, in Madison and Milwaukee, put in place their own mask requirements. The policies are being enacted as the delta variant of COVID springs up around the world, including among those who have been fully vaccinated. (Marley, 8/4)
Newsweek: Google Doodle Says 'Get Vaccinated, Wear A Mask' As Delta Variant Threat Looms
The Google Doodle for Wednesday, August 4, is urging people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and wear face masks as the pandemic continues. The company's latest animated graphic shows the familiar letters spelling out its name, all wearing masks. It is accompanied by the caption: "Get vaccinated. Wear a mask. Save lives." (Kim, 8/4)
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Man Scales Strip Hotel To Protest New Mask Mandates
At the first glimpse of sunlight on Tuesday, Las Vegas-based rock climber Maison Des Champs set out to scale the exterior of a Strip hotel in protest of Nevada’s latest COVID-19 mask mandate for indoor public areas. Maison Des Champs, 22, said he had been scouting the Aria, a 600-foot-tall skyscraper, for the better part of the past year. After his grandfather died by suicide during last year’s pandemic-triggered lockdown, Des Champs said, he was inspired to find a way to peacefully protest against Nevada’s mandates in his grandfather’s honor. “I don’t expect everyone to agree with me,” the climber told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Wednesday. “COVID is dangerous, and masks aren’t that big of a deal, but it’s what they stand for: a loss of freedom and personal choice.” (Lacanlale, 8/4)
