Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Some Tucson Medical Providers Reportedly Billing For Free Covid Tests
Arizona Daily Star: Some Tucsonans Report Being Billed For Free COVID-19 Vaccines
Coronavirus vaccines are supposed to be free, but that hasn’t stopped two major Tucson medical providers from sending out requests for money. Some of the thousands vaccinated at Banner Health sites in Tucson were wrongly billed, while thousands more who received shots at Tucson Medical Center were solicited for donations after TMC shared their contact information with the hospital’s fundraising branch, the Arizona Daily Star has learned. (Alaimo, 5/22)
Georgia Health News: Black, Latino Georgians Lag Behind Whites In COVID Shots, Report Says
Blacks and Latinos in Georgia have significantly lower COVID-19 vaccination rates than whites, a newly released Kaiser Health News analysis shows. Thirty percent of whites in Georgia have had at least one shot, yet they trail another group — Asians, who are at 44 percent. The data were provided to KHN by the CDC in response to a public records request. But nearly half of the vaccination records are missing race or ethnicity information, KHN reported, which would mean the statistics are far from complete. (Miller, 5/21)
Health News Florida: Florida Report Shows Vaccinations Lag Among Blacks
More than 9.8 million people have been vaccinated against COVID-19 in Florida since the first round of shots arrived in the state in December. But a report Thursday by the Florida Department of Health said just 7 percent of the vaccinated people have been identified as Black. By comparison, about 66 percent have been identified as white. Another 15 percent were listed as “unknown,” and 11 percent were identified as “other.”Less than 1 percent were categorized as American Indian or Alaskan. (5/21)
The Baltimore Sun: How Can I Enter Maryland’s Vaccine Lottery? What Are The Odds Of Winning Cash?
Flanked by a Lotto-ball mascot, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan laid out the stakes: Forty daily drawings for $40,000 each and a $400,000 Fourth of July jackpot, he said. Get one coronavirus vaccine shot and you’ve got a chance for a share of the cash. As the Republican governor put it last week, “Get your shot for a shot to win.” (Mann and Wood, 5/24)
The Baltimore Sun: ‘It’s Kind Of Weird To See People Without Masks Now’: Marylanders, Retailers Navigate (Mostly) Relaxed Mandates
When Jules Abbott visited a liquor store in Bel Air earlier this month, she was surprised to see about half the shop’s customers without face masks. Beverage samples had even returned to the store. But Abbott kept her mask on. It just didn’t feel right to go without something that had been such an integral part of her life for the past year, she said. (Condon and Louis, 5/24)
The Wall Street Journal: Shifting Covid-19 Face-Mask Rules Divide Ohio City
In communities across America, masks have become a symbol of the personal anxieties that have divided friends and neighbors throughout the pandemic. People have been forced to make difficult decisions, weighing their physical and mental health against their economic livelihoods and those of others. Business owners in cities like Sandusky can’t blame their decisions on a faraway corporate parent. Their decisions on masks have meant confronting friends, neighbors and co-workers on a daily basis. In the 60% of America that lives in cities with fewer than 50,000 people, that can be a deeply personal task. (Wernau, 5/23)
AP: Mainers Can Remove Masks Indoors Starting Today
The day has arrived for Maine residents who want to stop wearing a mask. The state’s new guidance about mask use during the coronavirus pandemic takes effect on Monday. Mainers no longer have to wear a face covering in most indoor settings, except for schoolchildren 5 and older. Maine Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, made the decision in mid-May to align the state rules with the latest guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state is also lifting physical distancing requirements at indoor public settings where people are eating or drinking, such as bars and restaurants. (5/24)
The Guardian: The New York Highway That Racism Built: ‘It Does Nothing But Pollute’
For years, New York state officials have known that the ageing I-81 viaduct has needed to be radically redeveloped. Most residents and public officials agree that it must be rethought for safety, economic and public health reasons. However, for a neighborhood that has long been disenfranchised, tearing down the highway also means repairing the legacy of injustice done to their community. Across the US, community organizers have long been fighting to shine a light on the racist urban planning policy that led to highways being built through historically Black neighborhoods. And now, thanks to a recent gesture of support from the Biden administration, organizers in Syracuse feel there is finally some acknowledgment of the harm I-81 has caused, and new momentum around the idea of tearing it down. (Ramirez, 5/21)
WUSF 89.7: USF To Allow Full Capacity For Football Games In 2021
The University of South Florida will allow full capacity for its home football games at Raymond James Stadium this season. The university announced Thursday it will open up the 65,857-seat Raymond James Stadium starting with its home opener Sept. 11 against the University of Florida — the Gators' first game against USF in Tampa. The Bulls will play six home games this season — five on Saturday, along with a Friday night game against Cincinnati. USF Associate Athletic Director for Communications Brian Siegrist said the university has yet to determine whether masks will be required at games. (Lisciandrello, 5/21)
