Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Nursing Home Covid Outbreak Kills 8 In Connecticut
CNN: Connecticut Nursing Home: 8 Deaths Reported After Recent Covid-19 Outbreak At Geer Village Senior Community In North Canaan
Eight residents of a nursing home in northwestern Connecticut have died since late September following a Covid-19 outbreak, the nursing home said in a statement. A total of 89 residents and staff -- many of whom were fully vaccinated -- have tested positive for Covid-19 in the last seven weeks, Geer Village Senior Community in North Canaan said Friday, and 11 residents and one staff member remain in isolation. "Sadly, we have lost 8 residents with serious underlying health issues to Covid," the statement said. (Akbarzai and Caldwell, 11/16)
Arizona Republic: Granite Creek's Former Administrator Larry Rasmussen Gives Up License
Larry Michael Rasmussen, who forced employees at a Prescott nursing home to keep working while sick with COVID-19, has surrendered his license. He was no longer running the facility but has maintained an active license up to this point. The board that licenses nursing home administrators unanimously accepted his offer Monday. Members had subpoenaed him and other nursing home employees to appear. (McGlade, 11/15)
The New York Times: Colorado Plans To Require Vaccination For Indoor Events Of 500 Or More People In Six Counties
As coronavirus infections inch up at the national level in the United States and spike significantly in some areas, more states and cities are enacting vaccination requirements for people to participate in aspects of public life, hoping to avoid a devastating surge like the one the country experienced last winter. In Colorado, where cases have increased 11 percent in the past two weeks and deaths have increased 44 percent, according to a New York Times database, proof of vaccination will be required starting Friday for anyone attending an indoor, unseated event with more than 500 people in any of six counties in the Denver area, the most populous region of the state. (Astor, 11/15)
CNN: Georgia Ambulance Driver Admitted To Drinking, Smoking Marijuana And Taking Adderall Before Crash That Killed Patient, Police Say
A Georgia ambulance driver has been arrested and charged with driving under the influence and second-degree homicide-by-vehicle after he crashed the ambulance he was driving, killing the dialysis patient he was transporting, according to authorities. Kevin T. McCorvey, 34, was driving a private ambulance on West Campbellton Street in Fairburn just before 7:30 p.m. Friday when police say he veered off the shoulder of the road causing the ambulance to roll over into a ditch. A patient, Wilton Thomason Jr., 66, was in the back of the ambulance and was not restrained in any way, according to preliminary investigative findings of the Georgia State Patrol. He suffered fatal injuries, GSP said. (Boyette, 11/16)
On workplace matters —
AP: OSHA, South Dakota Pork Plant Settle Coronavirus Complaint
Federal workplace safety regulators announced Monday that they have reached an agreement with Smithfield Foods to settle a contested citation of the company’s coronavirus safety measures during a massive outbreak last year at a South Dakota pork processing plant. Under the agreement, Virginia-based Smithfield Foods will develop a plan to prevent infectious diseases at meatpacking plants nationwide and pay a $13,500 fine. (Groves, 11/16)
AP: Amazon Settles California COVID Workers Notification Dispute
Amazon has agreed to pay $500,000 and be monitored by California officials to ensure it properly notifies its workers about new coronavirus cases, the state's attorney general said Monday. Amazon employs about 150,000 people in California, most of them at 100 “fulfillment centers” — sprawling warehouses where orders are packed and shipped. The agreement, which must be approved by a judge, requires the Seattle-based retailer to notify its workers within a day of new coronavirus cases in their workplaces. (11/15)
