Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Pence, White House Point To 'Remarkable Progress' Against COVID, Despite Rapid Surges In South, West
The Washington Post: As U.S. Soars Past 2.5 Million Coronavirus Cases, Pence Urges Americans To Wear Masks, Social Distance
Vice President Pence on Sunday implored Americans to wear face masks, practice social distancing and stay away from senior citizens to protect them amid a new spike in coronavirus infections as the United States surpassed 2.5 million confirmed cases. At an event in Dallas, Pence commended Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) for his “decisive action” in reopening the state’s economy in early May. But with the state’s hospitals experiencing a surge in patients amid skyrocketing infection rates, Pence praised Abbott for scaling back some reopening measures, including ordering bars to close and restaurants to reduce occupancy. (Sonmez, O'Grady and Hawkins, 6/28)
Politico: Pence Attributes Coronavirus Spike To Young Americans ‘Disregarding’ Covid Guidance
Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday said new outbreaks of the coronavirus may be arising because younger Americans aren’t abiding by federal guidance on how to prevent spread. “One of the things that we’ve heard in Texas and Florida in particular is that nearly half of those who are testing positive are Americans under the age of 35,” Pence said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” (Guida, 6/28)
CIDRAP: COVID-19 Cases Among US Young Adults Spike
Half of the new COVID-19 cases detected in recent weeks have been in adults under 35, Vice President Mike Pence said today during a press conference held by the White House coronavirus task force—the first press conference by the group in nearly 2 months. While Pence said that was good news—because young, otherwise healthy adults are less likely to suffer severe outcomes from the virus—he implored young adults to take responsibility for their role in the transmission of the virus. (Soucheray, 6/26)
Politico: Coronavirus Task Force Returns, But Downplays New Flareups As Local 'Hot Spots'
The White House Coronavirus Task Force is back on camera — but it wants Americans to know that everything is under control. The panel held a public briefing on Friday for the first time since late April, and though both coronavirus cases and deaths have more than doubled in the U.S. since then and new outbreaks are so severe that some states have paused reopening, Trump administration officials touted a message of improvement and recovery. (Miranda Ollstein and Lim, 6/26)
Stat: As Covid-19 Cases Surge, Pence Touts Progress Made From Earlier Peaks
As criticism mounts that the White House has turned a blind eye to the worsening coronavirus epidemic in the South and West, Vice President Mike Pence is arguing that the administration remains on top of the response. On Friday, at the White House coronavirus task force’s first public briefing in nearly two months, Pence said that “our focus today” was on the rising Covid-19 infections in certain states. But he also used the event to tout what he said have been successful administration initiatives to minimize the damage of the virus, even as the country has not suppressed the virus as other countries in Europe and Asia have successfully done. (Joseph, 6/26)
The Washington Post: Pence Tries To Put Positive Spin On Coronavirus Pandemic Despite Surging Cases In South And West
Pence offered no new strategies to combat the rapidly spreading virus and minimized record daily case counts in several states as “outbreaks in specific counties.” “As we stand here today, all 50 states and territories across the country are opening up, and safely and responsibly,” Pence said, a point that was undermined as Florida and Texas on Friday began to scale back or reverse their reopening plans because of growing outbreaks. (Gearan and Abutaleb, 6/26)
In related news —
The Hill: Gottlieb: Concentration Of New Cases In Younger Patients 'Not Likely To Stay That Way'
Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said a decline in coronavirus deaths even as cases spike is likely temporary. The concentration of new cases among younger patients, and thus the decline in mortality, is “not likely to stay that way,” Gottlieb said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” Sunday. “We’re likely to see total daily deaths start to go back up again.” (Budryk, 6/28)
