Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Only Fully Vaccinated Should Take Cruises, CDC Says
The Washington Post: CDC Lowers Warning For Cruises, Recommends Only Fully Vaccinated Travel
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has relaxed its warning for cruise travel for the first time since several outbreaks on ships brought the industry to a halt last year. But it also recommended that only fully vaccinated people embark when cruises resume from U.S. ports this summer. “Since the virus spreads more easily between people in close quarters aboard ships, the chance of getting covid-19 on cruise ships is high,” the agency said. It recommended that all passengers get tested a few days before and after their trip, while urging unvaccinated travelers to self-isolate for seven days after disembarkation. (Miller and Hassan, 6/18)
In more news on the vaccine rollout —
AP: Nevada To Offer $5M In Cash Prizes To Boost Vaccine Effort
A new kind of jackpot is coming to Nevada, the governor said Thursday, but only for state residents who have gotten at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. Gov. Steve Sisolak on Thursday announced a broad effort to encourage reluctant or forgetful residents to get shots, adding his state to a growing list offering unconventional incentives to revive flatlining vaccination programs amid waning demand. (Ritter and Metz, 6/17)
The Advocate: $1M Jackpot, Scholarships: COVID Vaccine Lottery Announced In Louisiana. Here's How To Qualify
Louisiana residents who get a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of July will be eligible to enter to win a $1 million jackpot, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Thursday. It's one of 14 cash prizes and scholarship awards totaling $2.3 million that Louisiana will dole out in weekly drawings beginning next month as part of a campaign to juice the state's dismal vaccination rate. But any Louisiana resident who has received at least one dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot is eligible for the lottery. (Paterson, 6/17)
The Washington Post: Starting Saturday, D.C. Residents Can Get Gift Cards When They Get Vaccinated
In her latest push to get D.C. residents vaccinated against the coronavirus, Mayor Muriel E. Bowser has announced a new incentive: $51 Visa gift cards. Starting Saturday, District residents 12 and older who receive their first vaccine dose at the R.I.S.E Demonstration Center, Anacostia High School or Ron Brown College Preparatory High School will receive a $51 gift card after getting their shot, Bowser (D) said in a statement. The promotion — a nod to the District’s quest to become the 51st state — will last through July 17. (Brice-Saddler, 6/17)
AP: Sign-Ups Growing For Kentucky Prizes Tied To COVID Shots
The number of Kentuckians vying for lucrative prizes tied to getting the COVID-19 vaccine continues to grow, Gov. Andy Beshear said. More than 414,000 Kentucky adults have entered drawings for $1 million prizes, the governor said Thursday. Another 23,000 youngsters are entered for college scholarships, he said. (6/18)
Also —
USA Today: Michigan To Lift Restrictions Next Week
Michigan will lift all indoor capacity restrictions and mask requirements next week, 10 days sooner than planned amid vaccinations and plummeting COVID-19 infections, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Thursday. “Today is a day that we have all been looking forward to, as we can safely get back to normal day-to-day activities and put this pandemic behind us,” Whitmer said in a news release. Just months ago, the state was considered the worst COVID-19 hot spot in the nation. At mid-April, it was at a record-high for childhood hospitalizations — an alarming virus situation that researchers blamed on the U.K. variant when it first turned up in the state. (Aspegren, 6/18)
Los Angeles Times: California Loosens COVID Mask Rules For Vaccinated Workers
California’s circuitous journey to relaxing coronavirus-related workplace safety rules finally reached its destination Thursday, when the state moved to end physical distancing requirements for all workers and allow most fully vaccinated employees in many workplaces to stop wearing masks. The 5-1 decision from the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board followed more than two hours of public comment, during which a number of business groups urged board members to go even further and eliminate any additional pandemic-related restrictions on workplaces, while labor representatives said it’s still too early to pull back on the protective measures that have long guided the state’s COVID-19 response. (Money, 6/17)
KHN: The Hard Realities Of A ‘No Jab, No Job’ Mandate For Health Care Workers
Christopher Richmond keeps a running tab on how many workers at the ManorCare skilled nursing facility he manages in western Pennsylvania have rolled up their sleeves for a covid-19 vaccine. Although residents were eager for the shots this year, he’s counted only about 3 in 4 workers vaccinated at any one time. The excuses, among its staff of roughly 100, had a familiar ring: Because covid vaccines were authorized only for emergency use, some staffers worried about safety. Convenience mattered. In winter, shots were administered at work through a federal rollout. By spring, though, workers had to sign up online through a state program — a time-sucking task. (Spolar, 6/18)
