Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Where Are We Supposed To Put These People?': States Grapple With Trump's Strict Travel Regulations, Quarantines
The Washington Post: States Scramble To Carry Out Trump’s Coronavirus Travel Order
After a weekend of panicked calls and emergency meetings, federal and state officials were still struggling Monday with how to carry out stringent new travel restrictions ordered by the Trump administration and where to quarantine passengers arriving from China to control the spread of the coronavirus in the United States. In interviews, state officials said the order came on Friday with no advance notice and little planning. (Sun, Aratani, Wan and Olivo, 2/3)
NPR: Poll: Americans' Views On Coronavirus Outbreak
Two-thirds of Americans say the novel coronavirus poses a "real threat" and has not been "blown out of proportion." And, though the majority of Americans are concerned about the potential spread of the virus within the U.S., 61% also say U.S. government officials are doing enough to prevent it. (Aubrey, 2/4)
PBS NewsHour: Most Americans Think Novel Coronavirus Is A Real Threat, Poll Says
Among U.S. adults younger than age 45, that number dropped to 57 percent. Among those age 45 or older, the number rose to 72 percent. That difference may reflect what has been reported so far about the virus, which belongs to the same family of viruses as the common cold, SARS and MERS — that older age and underlying health conditions appear to contribute to a more serious prognosis. (Santhanam, 2/4)
Reuters: U.S. Universities Set Up Front-Line Defenses To Keep Coronavirus At Bay
On its sprawling campus in America's heartland, thousands of miles from China, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has taken aggressive steps to keep the fast-spreading coronavirus away from its classrooms and students. The school, with one of the highest percentages of Chinese students among U.S. universities, has suspended academic programs in China for the spring semester and banned students from traveling to the country for academic-related matters. (2/3)
The Wall Street Journal: Gov. Murphy Sets Up New Jersey Coronavirus Task Force
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy established a coronavirus task force to coordinate the state’s response to the outbreak as Newark Liberty International Airport began accepting rerouted flights from China that require enhanced health screenings. New Jersey health, human-services, education and homeland-security officials will staff the task force and manage the state’s preparedness and response to the deadly virus, Mr. Murphy said on Monday. (de Avila and West, 2/3)
Boston Globe: Amid Coronavirus Outbreak, Mass. Businesses Face Uncertainty
The coronavirus that has sparked panic across the world since emerging in Central China at the end of December has added an element to businesses that their executives absolutely hate — uncertainty. ...China has gone from the sixth-largest economy at the start of this century to second largest. And Massachusetts employers — from high-tech manufacturers to high-end hotels to institutions of higher education — are more tightly linked to China’s than ever before. (Edelman, 2/3)
San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area Officials Scramble To Contain Coronavirus As UCSF Accepts Two Patients
Federal and local public health authorities are expanding efforts to contain the new coronavirus that has blown up across China in the hopes of preventing it from getting a foothold in the United States. There are now 11 cases of the new coronavirus in the U.S., including four people being treated in the Bay Area: two patients in Santa Clara County and a husband and wife from San Benito County who were moved to UCSF for treatment on Monday. (Allday and Ho, 2/3)
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Coronavirus Panic In Philly And Beyond Taps Into Fears Of Immigration, Globalization, Bioterrorism
When a Chinese exchange student developed symptoms suggestive of the coronavirus that emerged in December in his native country, Philadelphia’s William Penn Charter School did the right thing. It worked with health officials to test and quarantine the teenager.But reaction to the suspected case turned the esteemed Quaker school — dedicated to principles of “mutual respect, equality, community” — into a microcosm of the growing global panic over the new upper respiratory illness. Penn Charter students stayed home in droves. Local schools canceled athletic events with Penn Charter teams. A school bus driver tried to deny rides to Penn Charter, while a medical professional canceled an appointment with a student. The 18 Chinese exchange students, meanwhile, felt like outcasts.
ABC News: US Plans More Coronavirus Evacuation Flights From Wuhan, China, This Week
At Princeton University, more than 100 students self-quarantined on Sunday because they'd recently traveled to China, a university spokesperson confirmed. That figure is now down to fewer than 20, according to a statement from the university Monday night. The school directed students, faculty and staff who traveled to mainland China to self-isolate for 14 days after their return. Depending on their housing situation, students in self-quarantine have had dining services bring them food and laundry arranged by the university. The university is also working to video conference quarantined students into class. The number of students in self-quarantine is expected to fall in the coming days, the spokesperson said. (Winsor and Schumaker, 2/3)
