Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
US Officials Try To Calm Furor Over Paralympic Swimmer's Withdrawal
The Washington Post: USOPC Responds To Criticism Over Becca Meyers' Withdrawal From Tokyo Paralympics
Facing widespread outrage and political pressure over the withdrawal of swimmer Becca Meyers from the U.S. Paralympic team for the Tokyo Games out of concern for her own safety and well-being, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee issued a new statement Wednesday outlining and defending the support it is providing its athletes during these pandemic-altered Games. “The safety, well-being and positive experience of all Team USA athletes is our number one priority,” the USOPC statement said. “We take pride in being the best-prepared [national Olympic committee] and [national Paralympic committee] in the world, and that includes supporting all athletes as they navigate the excitement, and complexity, of the Olympic or Paralympic Games.” (Sheinin, 7/21)
ABC News: Disability Advocates Calling For Reform As US Paralympian Becca Meyers Drops Out Of Games Citing Lack Of Support
Disability advocates and elected officials are calling on the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee to rethink its policies after a Paralympic gold medalist swimmer was denied a request to have a care assistant travel with her to Tokyo due to COVID-19 restrictions. Becca Meyers' ordeal also speaks to the larger issue of disability inequities amplified by the pandemic, advocates say. (Pereira, 7/22)
In other news about the Olympics —
AP: 2 More Olympic Athletes Among 91 Total Tokyo Virus Cases
Two athletes were among four residents of the Olympic Village who were added to the tally Thursday of people accredited for the Tokyo Games who have tested positive for COVID-19 this month, bringing the number to 91. Skateboarder Candy Jacobs of the Netherlands and table tennis player Pavel Sirucek of the Czech Republic tested positive and had to leave the village to enter a quarantine hotel in cases announced Wednesday. (7/22)
NPR: Tokyo Reports Its Highest COVID-19 Numbers Since January As First Olympic Games Start
Two days before the Olympics' opening ceremony, Tokyo is reporting new COVID-19 cases at levels not seen since January — when Japan was enduring a record spike in coronavirus infections. The 1,832 new cases represent a sharp rise from last Wednesday, when the Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported 1,149 cases. "There is a high risk of a resurgence of the virus," Tokyo's government said in a bulletin issued on Wednesday. It added that the caseload has put Tokyo's health system under pressure, in terms of providing non-COVID-related care. (Chappell, 7/21)
Politico: Tokyo Olympics Are The Ultimate Covid-19 Experiment
At these Olympic Games, nothing is off the table, even the possibility of a last-minute cancellation. Every Olympic Games has its protest crowd, loudest in the days and weeks before the Opening Ceremonies: They argue the Games are an elite, expensive endeavor, diverting attention and money from better causes. But as the Games roll on, the protest noise tends to fade, replaced by tales and images of athletic heroism. (Heath, 7/21)
Newsweek: Team USA Chiropractor Backtracks After Comparing Olympic COVID Rules To Nazi Germany
A chiropractor working with Team USA's wrestling team apologized for comparing the coronavirus protocols in place at Tokyo 2020 to Nazi Germany. Her posts were flagged by two social media platforms for spreading misinformation and were swiftly removed after the Associated Press notified the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) of the nature of the comments. "We went from 'Flattening the curve in 14 days' to 'Going door-to-door to see your papers' ... Gotta admit, I did N-A-Z-I that one coming," Rosie Gallegos-Main posted on her Facebook and Instagram profiles last week. (Cancian, 7/22)
