Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
One Of Life's Little Annoyances Solved: iPhones Will Recognize You In A Mask
Bloomberg: Apple Update Lets Face ID Unlock IPhone With Mask On
Apple Inc.’s next iPhone software update will finally address a grumble that’s been bugging users since the Covid pandemic started: You’ll finally be able to unlock your phone without first taking off your mask. The updated Face ID feature is expected to work on iPhones and iPads and is likely to be included in iOS 15.4, expected to be released sometime in the first half of March. (McKay, 2/18)
CNN: We Tested Apple's New Option To Unlock An IPhone While Wearing A Mask
I stood outside a busy New York City subway stop recently, dressed like a celebrity trying not to be recognized. My face was covered with sunglasses, a baseball cap and my black KN95 mask.B ut my iPhone immediately recognized me as its rightful owner, without needing me to uncover my face. The device swiftly unlocked when I swiped up to use Face ID. For much of the past two years, many iPhone users, myself included, have lost some of the convenience of being able to seamlessly unlock the device with their face because they were masked. Apple's latest software update is intended to address that pandemic headache. (Kelly, 2/17)
More states and cities lift mask mandates —
AP: Washington State To Lift Indoor Mask Mandate March 21
Washington’s statewide indoor mask mandate, one of the few left in the country, will lift in most places on March 21, including at schools and child care facilities, Gov. Jay Inslee said Thursday. And starting on March 1, vaccine verification or proof of a negative COVID-19 test will no longer be required for attendance at large events. (La Corte, 2/18)
AP: New Mexico Governor Lifts State's Indoor Mask Mandate
Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham lifted the state’s mask mandate for indoor public spaces on Thursday. She made the surprise announcement at a news conference that followed the end of the 30-day legislative session. The state’s top health official had said just last week that masks were effective and that New Mexico was still in “hot water.” (Bryan, 2/17)
AP: Arizona House Bills Ban Masks In Schools, Business Shutdowns
Parents would have to give explicit permission for schools to be able to require their children to wear face masks under one of a series of bills approved by the Arizona House Thursday that target government rules imposed during the coronavirus pandemic. The school mask proposal passed with no Democratic support, as did proposals that block government agencies from requiring mask s to be worn on their property and repeal the power of local government officials to order business closures. (Christie, 2/17)
AP: Indiana Schools Can Stop Masking, Reporting COVID Cases Soon
Indiana schools and child care programs will no longer have to conduct contact tracing or report COVID-19 cases to the state Department of Health as of next Wednesday, state officials announced Thursday. Students who are exposed to a COVID-19 case also won’t have to quarantine, regardless of their vaccination status or whether their schools require masks. (2/17)
AP: NC Lawmakers OK Bill Giving Student Opt-Out To Mask Mandates
North Carolina parents could permit their K-12 students to opt out of mask-wearing mandates set by local education boards inside schools in legislation approved by the General Assembly on Thursday. The bill now heads to the desk of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who as the final vote was being completed held a news conference to encourage local governments -- including boards of education -- to end broad mask requirements, as COVID-19 transmission rates and hospitalizations fall. (Robertson, 2/17)
In news about vaccine mandates —
Houston Chronicle: Federal Court Must Reconsider Religious Exception To United Employees’ Vaccine Mandate
A federal appeals court has ordered a lower court reconsider making an exception to United Airlines’ COVID-19 vaccine mandate for certain employees. The majority on the 5th U.S. Circuit panel ruled in favor of requiring the trial judge look again at allowing these workers to continue as normal in their jobs without getting the vaccine. The majority on a three-judge panel ruled on a very narrow question, but in a seething dissent, one judge said he would rather “hide my head in a bag” than join the unpublished ruling he indicated would not be upheld on the merits. (Banks, 2/17)
CBS News: More Big Companies Are Dropping Vaccine Requirement For Workers
As some of the biggest U.S. employers lift mask mandates for vaccinated workers, other companies are going even further and discarding requirements that employees get their COVID-19 shots. Germany's Adidas told its U.S. workers on Monday that it would no longer require they get vaccinated against the virus. ... Intel has paused its requirement that workers get vaccinated or face unpaid leave starting in April. (Gibson, 2/17)
The Washington Post: Marine Charged In Jan. 6 Riot Is Arrested In N.Y. For Selling Forged Vaccine Cards To Unvaccinated, Including Other Military Members
A Marine reservist already facing charges over alleged participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol was arrested Thursday on charges he acquired coronavirus vaccination cards to be sold to unvaccinated customers including other service members, according to federal prosecutors. Jia Liu, 26, was indicted on charges including conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and conspiracy to commit forgery over his alleged efforts with a medical clinic nurse who was also charged. The pair allegedly distributed cards to at least 300 people who did not get vaccinated but who wanted proof that they had. They also made more than 70 false entries in immunization databases, the government said. (Jacobs, 2/17)
The New York Times: Oscars Will Require Covid Tests For All, Vaccines For Most
After much internal discussion, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has come to an agreement on coronavirus safety measures for attendees of the 94th Oscars, which will be held on March 27 in Los Angeles: The audience of 2,500 invited guests — including all nominees — will be required to show proof of vaccination against the coronavirus and at least two negative P.C.R. tests. Performers and presenters also must undergo rigorous testing — but those people will not need to show proof of vaccination, a decision that an academy spokeswoman said on Thursday was in keeping with virus safety protocols on some television sets and return-to-work standards set by Los Angeles County. (Barnes, 2/17)
