Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Report Questions Method of Trump Administration's Mask Giveaway
Stat: The Trump Administration Haphazardly Gave Away Millions Of Masks
Hundreds of millions of cloth face masks shipped to U.S. agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private companies by the Trump administration appear to have been allocated in a haphazard fashion, raising questions about inequitable distribution in the effort to beat back the Covid-19 pandemic. Under the $675 million program, businesses and other entities were provided with supplies of the free, reusable masks that in some cases far exceeded their needs, according to a STAT review of an administration document identifying more than 60,000 recipients. (Branswell, Sheridan, Ross and Joseph, 8/13)
In other news about masks —
AP: Florida Sheriff Bans Masks For Deputies With Some Exceptions
A central Florida sheriff says his deputies won’t be allowed to wear face masks except under some conditions, and neither will visitors to the sheriff’s office.Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said in an email to staff that he had weighed both sides of the issue amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “Now, I can already hear the whining and just so you know I did not make this decision easily and I have weighed it out for the past 2 weeks,” Woods said in the message earlier this week. (Lush and Schneider, 8/13)
USA Today: Illinois Coronavirus: Assaulting Worker Enforcing Face Masks Is Felony
Assaulting a worker who is enforcing face mask policies can now be prosecuted as aggravated battery in Illinois – a felony charge. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a law Friday that expands the definition of aggravated battery to include attacks against a retail worker who is conveying public health guidance, such as requiring patrons to wear face coverings or promoting social distancing. (Hauck, 8/11)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Coronavirus In Georgia: City Mailing 21K Masks To Residents
Officials in the city of Tucker have gotten their hands on 21,000 masks to fight the spread of the coronavirus, and they plan to ship them out to residents. The city of 36,000 in northern DeKalb County has already distributed about 13,000 face coverings to residents, businesses and health care facilities. (Capelouto, 8/12)
The Hill: Video Shows Arizona Man Carried Out Of Store By Son Trying To Stop Anti-Mask Rant
An Arizona man was seen being carried out of a store apparently by his son as he went on a rant against mask-wearing in footage that has racked up millions of views on social media. The footage, which was posted to Twitter on Monday and has since notched more than 6 million views, shows the man yelling at others in the store and calling them “idiots” for wearing masks, despite public health guidelines urging people to do so to curb the spread of COVID-19. (Folley, 8/12)
Also —
The Washington Post: Grocery Workers Say Morale Has Hit Bottom: 'They Don’t Even Treat Us Like Humans Anymore’
This spring, for the first time, Angel Manners found purpose and pride at the supermarket where she has worked the past decade. Customers praised her as a hero for putting herself at risk during the pandemic. Bosses boosted her hourly pay by $2. Suddenly, her job was essential. Nearly five months in, and it is all gone. “We’ve lost our hazard pay, and people are quitting every day,” said Manners, 43, who processes vendor deliveries at a Meijer store in northern Kentucky. “Those of us who are left are really stretched thin — working so much harder for $11.50 an hour.” (Bhattarai, 8/12)
Reuters: Pandemic Behaviour: Why Some People Don't Play By The Rules
Lockdowns and social distancing measures introduced around the world to try and curb the COVID-19 pandemic are reshaping lives, legislating activities that were once everyday freedoms and creating new social norms. But there are always some people who don’t play by the rules. Rule-breaking is not a new phenomenon, but behavioural scientists say it is being exacerbated in the coronavirus pandemic by cultural, demographic and psychological factors that can make the flouters seem more selfish and dangerous. (Kelland and Revell, 8/13)
