Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
WHO: 'Vast Majority Of World' At Risk Still; Europe's Cases Top Spring's Totals
NPR: 10% Of Global Population May Have Contracted The Coronavirus, WHO Says
About 10% of the global population may have been infected by the coronavirus, according to a senior World Health Organization official. It's an estimate that's far higher than the total of global confirmed cases reported by governments. At the same time, it would mean that most of the world's population is still vulnerable to getting infected and this pandemic is far from over, the WHO's head of emergencies Dr. Michael Ryan said Monday. (Beaubien, 10/5)
In other global news —
The Wall Street Journal: As Second Covid-19 Wave Rolls Through Europe, Deaths And Hospitalizations Rise
Europe’s second coronavirus wave is spreading, and rising hospitalizations and deaths are prompting governments to impose more restrictions, from travel bans in Madrid to the closure of bars in Paris. Confirmed cases in France, Spain, and the U.K. are now higher on an average day than at the peak of this spring’s emergency, although the trend also reflects better detection of the virus. Infections also have accelerated in Italy and Germany in recent days. (Stancati and Schechner, 10/5)
The Washington Post: Iceland, An Early Coronavirus Role Model, Closes Bars And Gyms As Cases Rise
Iceland announced new coronavirus-related restrictions this weekend, following a spike in cases in recent weeks despite the island’s early success in limiting the spread of the virus. The government ordered bars, gyms and some other businesses to close and is limiting most group gatherings to a maximum of 20 people, down from prior restrictions that capped events at 200.The country, home to about 360,000 people, has recorded fewer than 3,000 cases of the novel coronavirus. (Noack and O'Grady, 10/5)
AP: After 6 Months Stranded, Easter Islanders Will Return Home
About 25 residents from remote Easter Island who have been stranded far from their loved ones for more than six months because of the coronavirus will finally be able to return home this week on a French military plane. The group has been stranded on Tahiti in French Polynesia. Many arrived in March planning to stay for just a few weeks, but they got stuck when the virus swept across the globe and their flights back home on LATAM airlines were canceled. A second group of about 15 Tahitians have also been stranded on Easter Island because of the flight cancelations. (Perry, 10/6)
