Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Safer, Faster, Stronger: Tokyo Officials Map Out Plans For Olympics
The New York Times: Organizers Of The Tokyo Olympics Unveil An Early Plan To Protect Athletes And Visitors
No cheering, singing or handshakes. And no riding public transportation without special permission. After nearly two months of relative silence amid new waves of coronavirus infection in Japan and many other countries, organizers of this summer’s Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday released the first of several so-called playbooks that will instruct athletes, officials and members of the news media on the protocols they must follow at this summer’s rescheduled Games. (Rich, Keh and Futterman, 2/3)
The Washington Post: How 9 Destinations Around The World Enforce Mandatory Quarantines
As new and more contagious variants of the coronavirus have emerged in recent months, more nations are implementing mandatory quarantine facilities for entry. Canada and England announced last week that they will closely monitor arrivals in quarantine facilities to prevent new variants from gaining traction, following examples set by nations like New Zealand early in the pandemic. Government-imposed quarantines have proved effective at detecting cases before they get into the country. They effectively halt travel for anyone unwilling to spend (and often pay for) a waiting period confined to a hotel room and monitored by health officials. (McMahon, 2/2)
Bloomberg: Controversy Swirls Around India’s Homegrown Covid Vaccine
A year ago, Krishna Ella was simply known for running a small Indian pharmaceutical company with a reputation for scientific rigor. Then came the pandemic that put the scientist and his family at the center of one of the world’s loudest furors over a coronavirus vaccine. In June last year, India’s drug regulator permitted Ella’s firm -- Bharat Biotech International Ltd. -- to develop a homegrown vaccine in record time. Since then the company has been buffeted by controversies ranging from unrealistic government schedules to sporadic reports of adverse reactions. Matters came to a head last month after the government approved its shot before the completion of final human trials. (Kay, 2/2)
NPR: Why Did COVID-19 Cases Dramatically Decline In India?
Last September, India was confirming nearly 100,000 new coronavirus cases a day. It was on track to overtake the United States to become the country with the highest reported COVID-19 caseload in the world. Hospitals were full. The Indian economy nosedived into an unprecedented recession. But four months later, India's coronavirus numbers have plummeted. Late last month, on Jan. 26, the country's Health Ministry confirmed a record low of about 9,100 new daily cases — in a country of nearly 1.4 billion people. It was India's lowest daily tally in eight months. On Monday, India confirmed about 11,000 cases. (Frayer, 2/1)
