Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Some State Leaders Reject Pulling Emergency Brake On Reopenings As Cases Surge Around Country
The Washington Post: Coronavirus Recommendations Ignored As Case Numbers Rise
Coronavirus infections continued to rise in many parts of a divided nation on Monday, with public health recommendations under attack from communities tired of staying home and officials eager to restart local economies. Even as the number of infections rose and hospital beds filled in some places, voices clamored for an end to mandatory mask-wearing. And relaxation of restrictions designed to curb the novel coronavirus continued. (Bernstein, Weiner and Achenbach, 6/15)
The Wall Street Journal: New Coronavirus Cases Climb In More Than A Dozen States
New coronavirus cases have accelerated in more than a dozen U.S. states as summer weather and reopenings have prompted throngs of people to gather across the country and officials to weigh next steps. The U.S. coronavirus death toll passed 116,000 while reported cases topped 2.1 million Monday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Confirmed cases world-wide exceeded 7.9 million, and more than 434,000 people have died. Experts say the exact tally might be higher, as testing capabilities and reporting standards differ across U.S. states and countries. (Calfas, 6/15)
Reuters: New Projection Puts U.S. COVID-19 Deaths At Over 200,000 By October
A new forecast projects 201,129 deaths due to COVID-19 in the United States through the beginning of October mainly due to reopening measures under way, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington said on Monday. The IHME raised its estimate by 18 percent from 169,890 and said Florida would be among the hardest hit states, with an estimated 18,675 deaths, up 186 percent from a previous estimate of 6,559 on June 10. (6/15)
Reuters: Some Scold, Others Cheerlead: U.S. States Tackle Reopening Differently
The two most populous U.S. states took markedly different approaches to reopening on Monday with New York scolding local governments for not enforcing social distancing and California encouraging counties to restart economies if they met criteria. Scenes of merrymakers gathering outside bars prompted the governor of New York, the state hardest hit along with New Jersey by the coronavirus pandemic, to urge local officials and businesses on Monday to strictly enforce reopening guidelines. (Caspani and Allen, 6/15)
The Hill: Surging Coronavirus Cases Raise Fears Of New Lockdowns
Sharp increases in the number of coronavirus cases diagnosed in states across the nation have some local elected officials considering pauses in reopening their economies. The rising number of cases are hitting hardest in Sun Belt states like Arizona, California, Florida and Texas. All four of those states reported their highest single-day increase in the number of confirmed cases over the weekend. (Wilson and Sullivan, 6/15)
