Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
White House Will Set Safety Standards To Encourage More Schools To Reopen
ABC News: Biden Administration Developing School Safety Standards For Reopening During COVID-19 Pandemic
As officials nationwide grapple with how to reopen schools, the White House said on Wednesday it plans to develop school safety standards as part of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at a briefing that there are "a number of steps that will need to be taken" to meet President Joe Biden's goal of reopening the majority of K-8 schools within 100 days. (Tatum, 1/27)
Politico: Biden's First Big Covid Test: Keeping Parents Of School Kids From Losing It
President Joe Biden’s vow to reopen most schools during his first 100 days is crashing into demands of one of his party’s most powerful constituencies: teachers’ unions. And the friction is creating an early test for the Democratic Party’s commitment to following the advice of scientists when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic. Tensions began bubbling up this week as Chicago teachers and city officials clashed over a plan to reopen. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot insists that classrooms are safe, but teachers in the city are pushing for an expansion in vaccinations first. Now, a version of that fight is playing out nationally, as the White House tries to navigate between a growing body of science indicating that long-held fears of reopening schools may be overblown with demands from teachers for more funding and health supplies before returning to the classroom. (Cadelago and Stratford, 1/27)
In other administration updates —
The Washington Post: Biden Kills Trump Plan On Opioid-Treatment Prescriptions
The Biden administration said Wednesday that it is canceling a last-minute plan by the Trump administration to let more physicians prescribe an opioid-treatment drug, despite exhortations from lawmakers and physician groups to keep it. “On January 14, 2021, HHS announced forthcoming Practice Guidelines for the Administration of Buprenorphine for Treating Opioid Use Disorder,” the White House’s drug policy office said in a message obtained by The Washington Post. “Unfortunately, the announcement was made prematurely. Therefore, the Guidelines previously announced cannot be issued at this time.” (Diamond, 1/27)
The Hill: White House Goes Full-Throttle On COVID-19 Relief Talks
The White House is moving forward with a range of meetings with lawmakers and other stakeholders as President Biden urges the passage of his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief proposal. Press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Wednesday that Biden and Vice President Harris are “engaged directly” with members of Congress on COVID-19 relief and described conversations as productive, though she did not provide specific details on any of their meetings. (Chalfant, 1/27)
The Guardian and Agence France-Presse: White House: 'Great Concern' Over Covid Origin 'Misinformation' From China
The US wants a “robust and clear” international probe into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic in China, the White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, has said. Speaking to reporters, she said it was “imperative we get to the bottom” of how the virus appeared and spread. She highlighted “great concern” over “misinformation” from “some sources in China”. (1/27)
Modern Healthcare: HHS Publishes Strategy To Align AI Efforts
HHS has published an artificial-intelligence strategy outlining the department's approach to using and regulating AI, which includes setting up an HHS AI Council to spearhead its efforts. The AI strategy, developed over the last year and designed to align AI priorities across the department, is the latest sign of HHS ramping up its AI focus. The Food and Drug Administration recently released a five-pronged action plan to underpin its approach to regulating medical software with AI or machine learning components and HHS last month named Oki Mek, formerly a senior adviser to the HHS chief information officer, its first-ever chief artificial intelligence officer. (Kim Cohen, 1/27)
Stat: Advocacy Groups Urge Against Woodcock As FDA Commissioner
As the Biden White House attempts to fashion its health policies, a coalition of consumer and patient advocacy groups is urging the administration not to tap Janet Woodcock, a long-standing Food and Drug Administration official, to head the embattled agency. (Silverman, 1/27)
