Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Surge Of New COVID Cases Appears To Be Stabilizing, But Deaths Still Rising
AP: 2nd US Virus Surge Hits Plateau, But Few Experts Celebrate
While deaths from the coronavirus in the U.S. are mounting rapidly, public health experts are seeing a flicker of good news: The second surge of confirmed cases appears to be leveling off. Scientists aren’t celebrating by any means, warning that the trend is driven by four big, hard-hit places — Arizona, California, Florida and Texas — and that cases are rising in close to 30 states in all, with the outbreak’s center of gravity seemingly shifting from the Sun Belt toward the Midwest. Some experts wonder whether the apparent caseload improvements will endure. (Stobbe and Forster, 7/31)
The Guardian: Coronavirus Deaths Climb In US As New Cases Appear To Plateau
Over the past week, the average number of deaths a day in the US has climbed more than 25%, from 843 to 1,057. Florida on Thursday reported 253 more deaths, setting its third straight single-day record. The number of confirmed infections nationwide has topped 4.4m. But based on a seven-day rolling average compiled by the Associated Press, daily cases of the coronavirus in the US fell from 67,317 on July 22 to 65,266 on Wednesday, according to data gathered by Johns Hopkins University. That is a decline of about 3%, though still a very high level of infection. (Walters, 7/31)
The Hill: Arizona, Mississippi, Florida See Record One-Day Coronavirus Deaths
Arizona, Mississippi and Florida each recorded a record one-day increase in COVID-19 deaths on Thursday, as the south and western regions of the U.S. continue to face a surge in coronavirus cases. The Florida Department of Health reported 9,943 new coronavirus cases on Thursday and 253 deaths, its third-straight single-day record total of COVID-19 fatalities. The state has now reported a total of 461,379 cases and 6,586 deaths since the start of the pandemic. (Moreno, 7/30)
Los Angeles Times: California Passes 9,000 Coronavirus-Related Deaths
California has passed another coronavirus milestone: 9,000 deaths after a major surge in infections.The rising death toll comes as officials are trying to slow outbreaks across the state that followed the reopening of the economy in late May and early June. (Shalby, Lin II and Lee, 7/30)
