Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
NYC Closes Public Schools As Infections Rise; Kentucky's Schools Shut Down
Politico: In A Major Setback, New York City Schools To Shut Down Over Parents' Objections
In a bruising setback to the city’s recovery, the nations’s largest public school system will temporarily shut down in-person learning this week after coronavirus infections in New York City climbed to a level not seen since the spring, when the city was the national epicenter of the pandemic. Mayor Bill de Blasio exacted a hard won victory in bringing some 300,000 kids back to school in September — one of the more successful endeavors by the administration since the onset of the pandemic. But amid reluctance from the teachers union, the city agreed to close schools if it reached a 3 percent infection rate on a 7-day average, which Mayor Bill de Blasio said it just reached Wednesday. (Toure, 11/18)
Lexington Herald Leader: Beshear Stops All In-Person K-12 Classes In Kentucky Starting Monday As COVID-19 Surges
Starting Monday, all K-12 schools in Kentucky, including private schools, will stop in-person classes and move to remote learning, Gov. Andy Beshear said at a news conference Wednesday. “This virus at its level right now is and will overwhelm each and everyone of our schools if we do not take action,” he said. (Honeycutt Spears, 11/18)
NBC News: Covid School Closings Raise Privacy Concerns For Students And Teachers
Maintaining certain pre-coronavirus policies makes sense — schools have an obligation to ensure students treat their peers respectfully and are graded fairly, for example. But other rules are trickier, with schools weighing the competing equities raised by rules governing attendance policies, monitoring students’ virtual workspaces and dress codes (including guidelines for how onscreen family members may dress). (Reddy, 11/18)
In other news —
AP: Not Just COVID: Nursing Home Neglect Deaths Surge In Shadows
When COVID-19 tore through Donald Wallace’s nursing home, he was one of the lucky few to avoid infection. He died a horrible death anyway. Hale and happy before the pandemic, the 75-year-old retired Alabama truck driver became so malnourished and dehydrated that he dropped to 98 pounds and looked to his son like he’d been in a concentration camp. Septic shock suggested an untreated urinary infection, E. coli in his body from his own feces hinted at poor hygiene, and aspiration pneumonia indicated Wallace, who needed help with meals, had likely choked on his food. (Sedensky and Condon, 11/19)
Politico: Newsom's French Laundry Dinner Sparks Questions About 'Outdoor Dining' Definition
Does a fancy open garage count as an outdoor dining venue? That's the question prompted by pictures that emerged this week of Gov. Gavin Newsom's dinner with friends and lobbyists at the posh French Laundry in Yountville. The photos, taken by another dinner patron and obtained by Fox LA, show Newsom sitting at a round table for 12 in a dining room that is enclosed on three sides and covered. In his Monday apology for attending the dinner, Newsom stressed repeatedly that the event was outdoors, a qualifier that in the pandemic era implies safer conditions due to natural air circulation that reduces transmission. (Colliver, 11/18)
