Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Vegas Becomes Latest Hot Spot; N.Y., N.J., Conn. Update Quarantines For Travelers
AP: In Nevada, Vegas Area Logs 95% Of New Daily COVID-19 Cases
Nevada officials said Tuesday that 95% of new coronavirus cases reported statewide during the last day emerged in the Las Vegas area. State coronavirus response chief Caleb Cage said Clark County residents accounted for 931 of the 980 positive COVID-19 tests reported to the state Department of Health and Human Services. Fewer than 3% came from the Reno area. (8/4)
The Hill: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut Tweak Quarantine List
New York, New Jersey and Connecticut updated a joint travel advisory that now includes mandatory quarantine restrictions for travelers visiting from 34 states and Puerto Rico. The Democratic governors of the states announced the updated list Tuesday morning. It still requires travelers from nearly everywhere across the U.S. to quarantine for 14 days when entering the states. The updated version of the list now includes Rhode Island, while Washington, D.C., and Delaware were dropped. (Klar, 8/4)
AP: Court Upholds Health Order Fines For New Mexico Businesses
The New Mexico Supreme Court on Tuesday unanimously upheld the governor’s authority to fine businesses up to $5,000 a day for violating state emergency health orders aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19. The court heard arguments from a group of business owners who claimed the administration of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham overstepped its authority in imposing fines higher than $100 citations. (Lee, 8/4)
Dallas Morning News: Dallas County Reports Its Second-Deadliest Day With 31 New Coronavirus Deaths
Dallas County reported 31 new COVID-19 deaths Tuesday, marking its second-deadliest day since the pandemic began. Dr. Philip Huang, the county’s health director, announced the new numbers at a county commissioners meeting. He also said there were 641 new cases. (Jones and Branham, 8/4)
The Oklahoman: Oklahoma County Jail Inmate Dies After Testing Positive For COVID-19
An Oklahoma County jail inmate who tested positive for COVID-19 has died, The Oklahoman has learned. Officials said inmate Clarence Merrell died around 7 a.m. Tuesday after struggling with multiple underlying health issues and spending more than a week at a local hospital where he tested positive for COVID-19, according to an email obtained by The Oklahoman. This makes him the first COVID-19 death related to the county jail. (Branch, 8/5)
In news from Indiana, Massachusetts and Michigan —
AP: Indiana's COVID-19 Deaths Near 3,000 With 14 More Deaths
Fourteen more Indiana residents have died from COVID-19, bringing the state’s pandemic death toll to nearly 3,000 since its first death was recorded in mid-March, state health officials said Tuesday. The 14 new fatalities from the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus raised Indiana’s confirmed total deaths to 2,996, including confirmed and presumed cases, the Indiana State Department of Health said. (8/4)
Indianapolis Star: Indiana Coronavirus: State Shows Where Billions In Aid Is Being Spent
The governor's administration released data today on how Indiana has been spending billions of dollars in federal coronavirus relief. (Sikich, 8/4)
Boston Globe: Baker Warns If Coronavirus Cases Go In Wrong Direction, He Could Slow Down Reopening
Governor Charlie Baker warned Tuesday that Massachusetts may have to scale back its reopening efforts if positive coronavirus cases continue to creep up. "Over the past several days, we’ve seen a modest uptick in the percentage of new positive cases, and we continue to closely monitor and analyze the data to determine the factors that are driving that,” Baker said during his regular briefing following a tour of the Boston MedFlight facility in Bedford. (Andersen and Reiss, 8/4)
Detroit Free Press: Whitmer Seeks To Up The Ante On COVID-19 Order Enforcement
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is leaning on licensing agencies and state departments to aid with enforcement of coronavirus restrictions. Whitmer, in an executive directive issued Tuesday, ordered the Michigan State Police to enforce COVID-19 executive orders like they would other violations of law and called on state departments to prioritize enforcement. She also ordered licensing agencies to consider violations a “public health hazard” and consider license suspensions when identified. (Moran, 8/4)
Detroit Free Press: Coronavirus Outbreak Hits Teens In Oakland, Livingston, Genesee
More than 100 teens in three southeastern Michigan counties have tested positive for the coronavirus since mid-July, and health officials believe at least a half-dozen large indoor and outdoor gatherings in recent weeks, including graduation parties and prom-like events, may be responsible. The steep spike in positive COVID-19 cases has hit those in the 15- to 19-year-old age range in Oakland, Livingston and Genesee counties, in particular the South Lyon and Fenton areas, officials from the three counties said in a news release. The number of cases in that age range has gone from a relatively few to dozens in each of the counties. (Hall, 8/4)
