Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Some Texas Counties May Get Mask Rules As Judge Overrules Governor
Bloomberg: Texas County Wins Court Order Overriding Governor’s Mask Ban
Local Texas officials trying to force people to wear masks to guard against the resurgent Covid-19 virus got a boost Tuesday from a state judge who sided with San Antonio’s top elected officials that state emergency powers laws don’t let the governor override local mask mandates. Governor Greg Abbott, a staunch Republican whose re-election bid was recently endorsed by former President Donald Trump, outlawed local mask ordinances despite soaring Covid-19 infection rates and hospitalizations in Texas. Intensive care beds in many cities are in such short supply that Abbott asked hospitals to limit optional procedures to free up beds for more Covid victims. (Brubaker Calkins, 8/10)
Houston Chronicle: Harris County Mulls Suing Abbott Over Ban On Mask Rules
Harris County Commissioners Court late Tuesday gave the green light to County Attorney Christian Menefee to sue Gov. Greg Abbott over his order preventing local authorities from issuing mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic. The move came at the end of a whirlwind day where local officials in Dallas and San Antonio prevailed — at least temporarily — in their own legal challenges to the governor’s order. (Despart, 8/10)
WFAA.co: Will Wearing Masks Matter If Others Don't? A North Texas Pediatrician Answers Your Questions As Kids Head Back To School
Frisco pediatrician and Texas Pediatric Society President Dr. Seth Kaplan is answering popular questions sent to WFAA on social media. Q: "We are concerned that even if my kids wear masks, they will get (COVID-19) from others. Will wearing masks matter if others don't?" A: “It still does matter. We know that the primary purpose of wearing the mask is to protect others from getting sick from you, but there still is some protection from wearing the mask itself for the individual who wears it. Unfortunately, we still need a lot more research to quantify exactly how much protection that is, but it's definitely the right thing to do,” Dr. Kaplan said. (Plasencia, 8/10)
KHN: Public Favors Masks In Classrooms But Balks At Mandating Vaccinations For Students
As the spread of the delta variant threatens the safety of classrooms, a poll released Wednesday found nearly two-thirds of parents support schools’ requiring unvaccinated students age 5 or older and teachers to wear masks. A majority of parents, however, oppose requiring students now eligible for a covid vaccine to get one, with one Black parent from Michigan telling pollsters that “my child is not a test dummy.” The strong public opinions come as the politics over classroom masking grows more heated with the start of the school year, particularly in Florida and Texas. Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has issued an executive order giving parents the authority to decide whether their kids should be masked, but several large school districts are maintaining their masking mandates. The Dallas and Austin school districts are also defying a ban on mask mandates issued by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican. (Rau, 8/11)
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Houston Chronicle: Texas Surges Past 10,000 COVID Hospitalizations For The First Time In Six Months
More than 10,000 Texans are hospitalized for COVID-19, according to data released by the Texas Department of State Health Services Tuesday afternoon. According to Tuesday’s report, 10,041 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 across the state of Texas on Monday, the highest rate since Feb. 4, as the delta variant continues to dominate new COVID-19 infections. Moderate and severe COVID-19 case rates have climbed exponentially during the fourth surge of the pandemic, overwhelming hospitals as staffing shortages continue. (Wu, 8/10)
Dallas Morning News: In North Texas, Intensive Care Bed Space Is Running Out. Only 2 Pediatric ICU Spots Remain In Region
As the number of COVID-19 delta cases swells, only two pediatric ICU beds — out of 285 total — were available Tuesday in the 19-county North Texas area. Dallas County hospitals reported 3,270 new cases over the weekend compared with 2,750 cases in a 14-day period last month. Hospitals are at 90% capacity and experiencing staffing shortages, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said. As of Tuesday, there were only 28 adult ICU beds available in Dallas County, according to W. Stephen Love, president of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council. (Girgis, Scudder and Morris, 8/10)
