Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
US Army: Only 1% Refused Covid Vaccine
Fox News: Army Nears 100% Vaccination, Claims Only 1% Refusal Among Troops
The U.S. Army reports that it nears a 100% COVID-19 vaccination rate among troops, claiming the service has issued 3,411 general officer reprimands to soldiers who refused the order to be vaccinated. The active forces have recorded a 97% completion of vaccination regimen, with that number to hit 98% after additional troops complete their current booster regimen. The Pentagon in Aug. 2021 issued a vaccine mandate for the armed forces, with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin ordering each branch to fully vaccinate active duty, Guard and Reserve troops. Troops in various military branches had months to comply with the order, with each branch setting its own deadline to complete the regimen. (Aitken, 5/22)
Chicago Tribune: As COVID-19 Cases Rise, 60% Of Eligible Kids In Illinois Are Still Unvaccinated
On a steamy spring morning, Dave Jordan sat in the un-air-conditioned gym at Harlan Community Academy and pulled up his left shirt sleeve to receive his second COVID-19 booster. As he headed back to work security at the Roseland high school, he vowed to talk with his family again about getting their shots. Jordan said his 16-year-old daughter received only one dose, in October, shortly after his 11-year-old daughter contracted the coronavirus. The younger girl has not been vaccinated, Jordan said. He has had “frustrating” family discussions but can’t seem to overcome concerns about long-term effects of the vaccine. “We do see the (case) numbers boosting up, and so I think I’m going to be encouraging them today to go ahead and get their shots,” said Jordan, who is also pastor of 1st Holy Zion M.B. Church in Fuller Park. (Buckley, Swartz and Mahr, 5/23)
In updates on covid mandates and mask-wearing —
The Texas Tribune: Judge Blocks Biden Administration From Lifting Title 42
A federal judge in Louisiana on Friday blocked the Biden administration from lifting a public health order that immigration officers have used to quickly expel migrants at the southwest border, including asylum-seekers. District Judge Robert R. Summerhays, a Trump appointee in Lafayette, ruled that the Biden administration violated administrative law when it announced in April that it planned to halt Title 42, a health order aimed at preventing the spread of communicable diseases in the country, on Monday. The ruling will most likely spark a monthslong legal battle. The U.S. Department Justice quickly filed an appeal Friday with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and said it believes that the Biden administration’s decision to lift 42 was legal. (Garcia, 5/20)
CBS News: DHS Watchdog: Migrants Weren't Tested For COVID Before Transport On Domestic Commercial Flights
The top watchdog for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealed that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) failed to test migrants before transferring, transporting and releasing migrants from ICE detention facilities – a clear violation of the department's COVID-19 policy. (Sganga, 5/20)
Fox News: White House Coronavirus Advisor Supports Continued Use Of Masks Indoors
The White House COVID-19 response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha supports the continued use of masks while indoors as cases continue to rise again. "I agree with Mayor Adams that when you're in indoor space, you should be wearing a mask," Jha said during an appearance on "This Week." "I feel that very strongly that in crowded indoor spaces, in places with high transmission, people should be doing that." The United States survived a severe winter spike that recorded the highest level of infection with a seven-day rolling average of around 800,000 cases. The level dropped to a much more manageable case count over the past few months, but May has seen another rise, with the seven-day average peaking over 100,000 for the first time since February. (Aitken, 5/22)
The New York Times: Philadelphia Schools Reinstate Mask Mandate
When students and teachers in Philadelphia return to school on Monday, they will have to wear masks once again, as coronavirus cases continue to rise — the latest twist in the city’s evolving approach to masking. William R. Hite Jr., the superintendent of the Philadelphia School District, announced on Friday that “all school district students and staff will be required to wear their masks during the school and work day and while riding on school buses and vans” until further notice. (Jones, 5/23)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Masks Advised In Milwaukee Due To 'High' Level Of COVID-19 Spread
The Milwaukee Health Department on Friday recommended that residents return to masking as the county moved into the "high" level of COVID-19 community spread, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The mask advisory applies when inside in public settings — regardless of vaccination status or past COVID-19 infection, the department said in a statement. It applies to anyone older than 2 years old who is not prevented from wearing a mask for medical reasons. (Dirr, 5/20)
Detroit Free Press: Masks Urged In 22 Michigan Counties, CDC Warns
The number of Michigan counties where risk from COVID-19 is high has grown to 22 this week, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as a new wave of cases and hospitalizations sweeps the state and the nation. "There's a lot of infections across America," Dr. Ashish Jha, White House coronavirus response coordinator, said earlier this week. "What's driving that? What is primarily driving that is these incredibly contagious subvariants" of the omicron variant, BA.2 and BA.2.12.1. "They are more contagious with more immune escape, and they are driving a lot of the increases in infection that we're seeing across the nation right now. And that is ... a huge challenge." (Jordan Shamus, 5/20)
