Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'The Equivalent Of Landlocked Cruise Ships': Universities Grapple With How To Reopen Safely
ABC News: As Universities Plan For Students' Return Amid Coronavirus, Some Schools Worry About Risky 'Culture'
Heather Adams, a rising junior at American University, recently came to terms with a new reality: she won’t be heading back to campus in Washington, D.C. this fall. Though her school announced precautions to help keep students safe from the novel coronavirus, Adams said she wasn't convinced. “It feels like they are opening up irresponsibly and for their own benefit to get more money and I don't feel like they're really taking our safety into account as much as they need to,” Adams said. (Romero and Rubin, 6/26)
The Washington Post: Presidents Of U-Va., Virginia Tech And VCU Propose $200 Million Plan To Test All College Students And Faculty Statewide For Coronavirus
The presidents of three of Virginia's largest public universities have asked the state to set aside $200 million to increase testing for the novel coronavirus on college campuses and elsewhere, arguing that the funding will be crucial to resume higher education and other activities in the coming year. “In our shared view, expanded testing and the associated costs are unavoidable. Prompt action will allow both for more effective implementation of such testing and for more efficient management of the potential costs,” James E. Ryan of the University of Virginia, Michael Rao of Virginia Commonwealth University and Timothy Sands of Virginia Tech wrote on June 8 in a letter to state Health and Human Resources Secretary Daniel Carey. (Schneider and Anderson, 6/25)
The Washington Post: Howard University To Bring Students Back In Fall For A Mix Of In-Person And Online Classes
Students will return to Howard University in August for a mix of in-person and online classes, the school announced Thursday, but campus life will be far from normal. Face masks must be worn in public settings and around others, dorm rooms will be limited to singles and doubles, and classes with more than 30 students will mostly meet online, Howard President Wayne A.I. Frederick said in a message to the campus, where 9,000 students attend. Instead of buffet-style dining in the cafeteria, students will receive to-go or delivered meals. Most events will be conducted virtually to prevent large gatherings. (Lumpkin, 6/25)
Houston Chronicle: In Some Houston School Districts, Half Of Parents Say They Won’t Send Their Kids Back To School This Fall
Across grade levels and campuses, more than 48 percent of the 2,324 parents who responded to a survey said they wouldn’t send their kids back to in-person classes on campus. Those fears were reported June 18, just as the Houston region began seeing an enormous spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, setting records for both data points every day for the past two weeks, and before Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday suspended elective surgical procedures in Harris County and Texas’ other large metropolitan areas. (Webb, 6/25)
