Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Spread Of Virus Will Not Be 'Easy To Snuff Out' Despite Latest Actions By States To Pause Reopenings
The New York Times: States Pause Plans To Reopen As Cases Soar
With new cases surging in many parts of the country, at least a dozen states and cities are pulling back on reopening plans, with measures that effectively declare: Not so fast. (6/29)
CNN: Many States Hit Pause On Reopening But Experts Say The Spread Of Coronavirus Is Now Hard To Control
At least 16 states have halted their reopening plans in response to a surge in new infections, but some health officials say the spread of coronavirus will be difficult to control. "What we hope is we can take it seriously and slow the transmission in these places," said Dr. Anne Schuchat, the principal deputy director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "But what I think is very discouraging is we're clearly not at a point where there's so little virus being spread that it's going to be easy to snuff out." (Maxouris, 6/30)
The Wall Street Journal: Regional Coronavirus Surges Force Changes In Plans Elsewhere In The U.S.
More than 41,000 new coronavirus cases were recorded nationwide Monday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. That was an increase from Sunday, but lower than Friday’s record of 45,255. World-wide, confirmed Covid-19 infections exceeded 10.3 million, with more than 505,000 deaths. The U.S. accounts for about a quarter of each figure. (Hall, 6/30)
Reuters: California, Texas See Record COVID-19 Surges, Arizona Clamps Down
California and Texas both marked record spikes in new COVID-19 infections on Monday, a Reuters tally showed, as Los Angeles reported an “alarming” one-day surge in America’s second-largest city that put it over 100,000 cases. Los Angeles has become a new epicenter in the pandemic as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations surge there despite California Governor Gavin Newsom’s strict orders requiring bars to close and residents to wear masks in nearly all public spaces. (Whitcomb and Caspani, 6/29)
The Washington Post: Reopening Grinds To A Halt As Sunbelt States Witness Surge In Coronavirus Hospitalizations
As coronavirus cases continue to surge across the Sun Belt, the optimism surrounding ambitious reopening plans is swiftly dissipating. Arizona delayed plans to reopen public schools and ordered bars, gyms, movie theaters and water parks to close on Monday, as the state marked yet another day with a record number of hospitalizations. In Los Angeles County, which is at risk of running out of hospital beds in the next two to three weeks, residents are being urged to “hunker down” in their homes and avoid all unnecessary trips. (Noori Farzan and Noack, 6/30)
AP: States Reverse Openings, Require Masks Amid Virus Resurgence
Among those implementing the face-covering orders is the city of Jacksonville, Florida, where mask-averse President Donald Trump plans to accept the Republican nomination in August. Trump has refused to wear a mask during visits to states and businesses that require them. (Lush and Schmall, 6/29)
The New York Times: NY, NJ May Delay Reopening Phases As Covid Spikes Across Country
The governors of New York and New Jersey said on Monday that they were so alarmed by a surge in coronavirus cases in the South and West that they were reconsidering plans to allow indoor dining in the two states in the coming days. Gov. Philip D. Murphy of New Jersey said that plans to allow indoor dining to resume on Thursday would be postponed “indefinitely.” (Zaveri, 6/29)
AP: In About-Face, Arizona Shuts Bars, Pools Again To Curb Virus
Arizona’s governor ordered bars, nightclubs and water parks to close again for at least a month starting Monday night — a dramatic about-face as coronavirus cases surge in the Sunbelt. Republican Gov. Doug Ducey also ordered public schools to delay the start of the classes at least until Aug. 17. Many districts planned to start the school year in late July or early August. His orders can be extended. (Billeaud, 6/30)
CNN: Arizona Coronavirus: Governor Rolls Back Reopening As Covid-19 Cases Surge
In one of the most drastic rollbacks of reopenings yet, Arizona is closing bars, gyms, movie theaters and other businesses for 30 days amid a "brutal" increase in Covid-19 cases, Gov. Doug Ducey said Monday. Water parks and tubing must also close, Ducey said at a news conference, and events with more than 50 people are prohibited. (Berryman and Waldrop, 6/30)
The New York Times: ‘Our Luck May Have Run Out’: California’s Case Count Explodes
Only a few weeks ago, thousands of Southern Californians were flocking to beaches, Disneyland was announcing it would soon reopen and Whoopi Goldberg was lauding Gov. Gavin Newsom on “The View” for the state’s progress in combating the coronavirus. The worst, many in California thought, was behind them. In fact, an alarming surge in cases up and down the state was only just beginning. (Hubler and Fuller, 6/29)
Los Angeles Times: California Coronavirus Spread Took A Turn On Memorial Day
The seeds of the latest surge in coronavirus cases in California appear to have been planted around Memorial Day. People had been pent up in their homes; businesses shuttered for months amid the stay-at-home order began to open. And as the reopening accelerated, a lot of people were ready to get out. (Lin II, Lee, Greene and Karlamangla, 6/29)
