Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Spain Reports No New Deaths From Virus; UK Braces For Death Toll To Reach 50,000
The Associated Press: Spain Reports No Virus Deaths For First Time Since March
Spain on Monday reported no official deaths from the new coronavirus in a 24-hour period for the first time since March. The development is “very, very encouraging,” emergency health response chief Fernando Simón said. Also, Spain recorded only 71 new COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, he told a news conference. “We are in a very good place in the evolution of the pandemic,” Simón said. “The statistics are following a trend. They are going in the right direction.” (6/1)
Reuters: UK COVID-19 Death Toll Rises To Nearly 50,000, Reuters Tally Shows
The United Kingdom’s COVID-19 death toll neared 50,000 on Tuesday, a grim figure for Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he takes steps to ease the coronavirus lockdown. The toll now stands at 49,646, including death certificate data for England and Wales released on Tuesday up to May 22, previous figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland, and recent hospital deaths in England. (6/2)
The Associated Press: Virus-Tracking App Angers Thousands In Moscow With Fines
When nurse Maria Alexeyeva caught coronavirus at work, she isolated herself at home and followed the rules set down by Moscow authorities: She checked in with doctors regularly, didn’t leave her apartment and downloaded a smartphone app required by the city to keep tabs on quarantined patients. The Social Monitoring app tracks users via GPS and sends them random notifications demanding a selfie to prove they’re still at home. If it detects they’ve left home or they fail to provide a photo, they face a fine of about $56 each time. (Litvinova, 6/2)
The Associated Press: Mexican President Defies Leftist Label In Virus Response
When Andrés Manuel López Obrador won Mexico’s presidency after years of agitating for change, many expected a transformative leader who would take the country to the left even as much of Latin America moved right. Instead, López Obrador is leading like a conservative in many ways — cutting spending, investing heavily in fossil fuel development and helping the U.S. crack down on the northbound flow of migrants. (Stevenson, 6/2)
CBS News: Coronavirus In India Still Spreading Fast As World's Biggest COVID-19 Lockdown Moves Into "Unlock" Phase Today
More than two months after India enforced a strict nationwide lockdown to control the spread of coronavirus, the country is allowing most businesses and services to resume and lifted most restrictions on the movement of people and goods. It's the biggest change in the rules since March 25, when the world's biggest national lockdown began. (Zargar, 6/1)
