The Associated Press: Protests Eclipse Pandemic, But White House Fears Resurgence
For weeks, President Donald Trump has been eager to publicly turn the page on the coronavirus pandemic. Now fears are growing within the White House that the very thing that finally shoved the virus from center stage — mass protests over the death of George Floyd — may bring about its resurgence. Trump this week has eagerly pronounced himself the “president of law and order” in response to the racial unrest that has swept across the nation, overshadowing the pandemic that has claimed the lives of more than 105,000 Americans and imperiled his reelection prospects. (Lemire and Miller, 6/3)

ABC News: Mass Protests Could Lead To Another Wave Of Coronavirus Infections 
As thousands of demonstrators continue to protest the killing of George Floyd, health experts are worried that a second wave of COVID-19 infections could be sparked by the mass gatherings. "What we have here is a very unfortunate experiment going on with COVID virus transmission," said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. (Schumaker, 6/3)

The Washington Post: Scores Of Testing Sites Forced To Close Because Of Vandalism In Civil Unrest
At 1:30 a.m., Michael and Joan Kim were jolted awake by an alarm. Lying in bed, they grabbed their iPhones and watched what a security camera had captured moments before: the back of a U-Haul van ramming through the glass side wall of the Grubb’s pharmacy they own in Southeast Washington, cold medicine, allergy pills and bandages flying as wooden shelves splintered and crashed to the floor. The Anacostia drugstore is one of four the Kims own in the District, and each has suffered damage during the past nights of unrest. (Goldstein, 6/3)

The Associated Press: Democrats Prepare Police Reform Bills After Floyd's Death
Congressional Democrats, powered by the Congressional Black Caucus, are preparing a sweeping package of police reforms as pressure builds on the federal government to respond to the death of George Floyd and others in law enforcement interactions. With the urgency of mass protests outside their doors, lawmakers on Capitol Hill are working furiously to draft what could become one of the most ambitious efforts in years to oversee the way law enforcement works. Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kamala Harris of California, both former presidential candidates, are expected to announce a package in coming days, with a House bill coming soon. (Mascaro, 6/4)

Politico: 'We Need To Show People': Democrats Look To Seize The Moment On Police Reform
House Democrats have a chance to position themselves at the center of a political movement that drives societal change for years to come. Or they could miss seizing the moment entirely. The House Democratic Caucus — the most diverse group of lawmakers ever assembled in Congress — is in the midst of a complex and emotional debate over how to confront decades of systemic racism that led to police killings like the death of George Floyd last week. (Ferris, Caygle and Zanona, 6/4)

NPR: How Police Unionization Has Affected Police Violence
Every year, more than a thousand people are killed by a police officer in the United States. This is many more people than are killed in other countries with similarly advanced economies. And within the U.S., there is also a big disparity in who is likeliest to die from a police killing. A black person, like George Floyd, is three times as likely to be killed as a white person. Economist Rob Gillezeau studies the history of police killings and the protests that often result from them. (Garcia and Smith, 6/3)

The New York Times: Have A Teenager Joining A Protest? Talk About Safety First.
When Sandy Asirvatham’s 17-year-old son, Miles Donovan, expressed interest in attending a protest this week near their downtown Baltimore home, she appreciated that he wanted to demonstrate solidarity with those who are outraged over the death of George Floyd. But just hours before it started, she began to worry. “I started fearing overzealous policing in the neighborhood and that Miles might get caught up in something even if he’s not a part of a group being violent,” she said. She also was nervous about him contracting the coronavirus and spreading it, having seen coverage of other rallies where “there wasn’t much mask wearing.” (Halpert, 6/4)

The Wall Street Journal: For African-Americans, A Painful Economic Reversal Of Fortune
In the decade before Covid-19, African-Americans’ economic circumstances, crushed during the 2007-09 recession, had slowly but steadily improved. Then lockdowns crashed the economy, and last week the death of a black man, George Floyd, at the hands of police touched off a wave of angry and at times violent protests. The events have highlighted painful disparities that continue to weigh on African-Americans, in their health, their incomes and their treatment by the justice system. (Ip, 6/3)

The Washington Post: Florida’s Largest Majority-Black City Was Doing Well. Then Came The Coronavirus.
Betty Ferguson has spent decades trying to make sure her community doesn't suffer the same kind of economic and environmental discrimination she's seen in too many places. Ferguson, 75, has led successful fights against a garbage dump and a detention center. She rallied neighbors to fight for an independent county commission seat and then to vote for incorporation as the city of Miami Gardens, arguing that things would improve if residents had more control over how their tax dollars were spent. (Wootson, 6/3)

NPR: For One Immigrant Community, George Floyd's Death Isn't Just About Black And White
There's something about the video of the George Floyd killing that makes it very specific to the Twin Cities. The video shows a white police killings seen nationwide — but there's a third identifiable person: an Asian American officer seen running interference with the crowd and standing watch. He's now-former Minneapolis police officer Tou Thao, a Hmong American — which is how you know this isn't "any" city. It's Minneapolis. (Westerman, King and Kwong, 6/4)

NPR: Pandemic Shut Down Minneapolis Barbershop, Then A Fire Destroyed It
Trevon Ellis spent years building up his north Minneapolis barbershop, the Fade Factory, luring customers with smart haircuts, snacks and friendly conversation. It took just one terrible night to destroy it all. "Inside is totally burned down," Ellis says. "Everything was burned to a crisp." (Zarroli, 6/4)

NPR: How A Mother Protects Her Black Teenage Son From The World
The best thing about being 17, according to Shawn Richardson, is freedom. "I'm able to go out more with my friends," he says. "I can do things solo." Shawn is a rising high school senior in Minneapolis. School is fine, but what he really loves is track. His friend timed him running the 100-meter dash in 10.71 seconds. The track season was canceled because of COVID-19. But if he can run that time officially, he will have the school record. Distance running isn't his thing. Shawn is a sprinter. (King, Kwong, Westerman and Doubek, 6/3)

ABC News: Nurses, Health Care Workers Kneel In Solidarity With Protesters 
As thousands of protestors marched for justice amid the coronavirus pandemic Tuesday, a handful of essential health care workers took pause to genuflect in solidarity. Health care workers near New York City's Union Square took a knee to honor protesters calling for an end to police brutality in the wake of George Floyd's death while in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25. (Castillejo, Noll and McCarthy, 6/3)

NBC News: George Floyd Had Coronavirus, Autopsy Says
George Floyd, whose in-custody death in Minneapolis last week triggered an avalanche of protests over the mistreatment of black people by police, tested positive for the coronavirus weeks before his death, an autopsy report released Wednesday shows. The 20-page document released by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office says a test of Floyd on April 3 was positive for the virus' genetic code, or RNA. (Stelloh, 6/3)

San Francisco Chronicle: Kaiser Health Care Workers In East Bay Stage Walkout, Take A Knee In Support Of Protesters
Hundreds of health care workers from Kaiser Permanente hospitals in the East Bay staged concurrent walkouts on Wednesday afternoon to stand in solidarity with George Floyd. The protests were organized Dr. Matthew S. Schechter, an obstetrician-gynecologist at the Oakland Medical Center, who sent an email Tuesday to health care managers within the Kaiser system describing the action as a grassroots event. (Vaziri, 6/3)

The Wall Street Journal: Health Insurers Offer Premium Discounts
Anthem Inc. is joining the growing number of health insurers offering premium discounts, as the companies see savings from sharp drop-offs in surgeries and other types of care canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Anthem said it would provide $2.5 billion to customers, health-care providers and others in various forms, including premium credits of 10% to 15% in July for some individual policyholders and fully insured employers. The big insurer follows others including Premera Blue Cross, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Priority Health, as well as UnitedHealth Group Inc., that have given discounts to some customers. (Wilde Mathews, 6/4)

In other insurer news —

Colorado Sun: Colorado Democrats Just Proposed An Enormous Change To How Health Insurance Programs Are Funded
In a budget-panicked, coronavirus-interrupted legislative session that has already seen major proposals for how health insurance should work in the state come and go, Colorado lawmakers have just proposed another massive change. Senate Bill 215 would create a new fee on the health insurance premiums paid by close to a million people in the state. Supporters say the fee would take the place of a federal tax that is expiring at the end of the year. Money from this new fee — estimated at around $100 million per year — would be used to pay for the state’s reinsurance program and provide additional subsidies to lower health insurance prices, collectively benefiting hundreds of thousands of people who purchase coverage on their own or are currently uninsured. (Ingold, 6/4)

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Coronavirus Job Loss Puts Many In Las Vegas Without Health Insurance 
In a country where health insurance is heavily tied with employment, the COVID-19 pandemic and related job losses mean Gilstrap and others face the daunting prospect of trying to pay their medical bills without stable insurance or their regular income. There are options for people who find themselves unexpectedly out of work, but they are limited and can pose financial or temporal challenges of their own. (Shoro, 6/3)

ProPublica/The Frontier: The Only Hospital In Town Was Failing. They Promised To Help But Only Made It Worse. 
It was the sort of miracle cure that the board of a rural Oklahoma hospital on the verge of closure had dreamed about: A newly formed management company promised access to wealthy investors eager to infuse millions of dollars. The company, Alliance Health Southwest Oklahoma, secured an up to $1 million annual contract in July 2017 to manage the Mangum Regional Medical Center after agreeing to provide all necessary financial resources until the 18-bed hospital brought in enough money from patient services to pay its own bills. (Bailey, 6/4)

ProPublica/The Frontier: These Hospitals Pinned Their Hopes On Private Management Companies. Now They’re Deeper In Debt. 
At least 13 hospitals in Oklahoma have closed or experienced added financial distress under the management of private companies. These companies sold themselves to rural communities in Oklahoma and other states as turnaround specialists. Revenues soared at some rural hospitals after management companies introduced laboratory services programs, but those gains quickly vanished when insurers accused them of gaming reimbursement rates and halted payments. Some companies charged hefty management fees, promising to infuse millions of dollars but never investing. In other cases, companies simply didn’t have the hospital management experience they trumpeted. (Bailey, 6/4)

The New York Times: Trump Narrows Search For Coronavirus Vaccine To Five Firms 
The Trump administration has selected five companies as the most likely candidates to produce a vaccine for the coronavirus, senior officials said, a critical step in the White House’s effort to deliver on its promise of being able to start widespread inoculation of Americans by the end of the year. By winnowing the field in a matter of weeks from a pool of around a dozen companies, the federal government is betting that it can identify the most promising vaccine projects at an early stage, speed along the process of determining which will work and ensure that the winner or winners can be quickly manufactured in huge quantities and distributed across the country. (Weiland and Sanger, 6/3)

The Washington Post: The Global Race For A Coronavirus Vaccine Could Lead To This Generation’s Sputnik Moment
With testing underway on five experimental vaccines in China and four in the United States, the race to produce a vaccine for covid-19 has taken on political dimensions that echo jockeying for technological dominance during the Cold War, including the space race after the launch of Sputnik in 1957. The same day in mid-March that the United States launched human testing of its first experimental coronavirus vaccine, scientists in China announced their own trial would begin. (Johnson and Dou, 6/3)

Politico: FDA Struggles To Remain Independent Amid Race For Virus Cure
Peter Marks was a natural fit for a new White House project tasked with developing a coronavirus vaccine. The cancer specialist spent nearly a decade at the Food and Drug Administration, most recently overseeing the office that approves vaccines and gene therapies. But Marks quit last month just days after joining President Donald Trump's Operation Warp Speed, a venture partnering government with private companies in the vaccine race. He returned to his old FDA job full time after a clash with White House coronavirus coordinator Deborah Birx about how the government was prioritizing potential vaccines during a tense meeting of the White House coronavirus task force, according to three people familiar with the event. (Owermohle, 6/3)

NPR: Coronavirus Vaccine Candidates To Enter Wide Testing In Humans In July
As the number of confirmed coronavirus cases globally approaches 6.5 million, scientists are racing to develop a vaccine. Currently, there are 10 vaccine candidates in development around the world that are in the beginnings of human trials. Some will be ready for large-scale testing as soon as the beginning of July, says Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health and a member of the White House coronavirus task force. (McCammon, 6/4)

Stat: Moderna Released Scant Covid-19 Data To Prevent A Leak, CEO Says
The biotech company Moderna invited the scrutiny of the world last month when it withheld key data on its in-development vaccine for the novel coronavirus. Stéphane Bancel, the company’s CEO, said Wednesday that Moderna’s decision to be vague was a matter of respecting federal securities laws and the rules of scientific journals. (Garde, 6/3)

The Hill: Watchdog Group Wants SEC To Investigate Coronavirus Vaccine Company Moderna 
An anti-corruption watchdog group is calling on the Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC) to investigate top executives at the biotech company Moderna for allegedly manipulating the stock market and possible insider trading. In a letter dated June 1 and released Wednesday, the group Accountable.US said the trades, which centered around an announcement about promising vaccine trial results, are suspicious and urged the SEC to investigate. (Weixel, 6/3)

Stat: Oxford, AstraZeneca Covid-19 Deal Reinforces 'Vaccine Sovereignty' 
Sovereignty, in its most distilled form, is the power to decide who will live and who must die. Both U.S. and U.K. heads of state have increasingly invoked sovereignty as a dominant discourse in their economic and foreign policies. President Trump used the words “sovereign” or “sovereignty” 21 times in his inaugural address to the United Nations General Assembly in September 2017. More recently, Prime Minister Boris Johnson characterized Britain’s exit from the European Union as “recaptured sovereignty.” (Ahmed, 6/4)

Reuters: Brazil To Start Testing Oxford Vaccine Against The Coronavirus This Month
Brazil this month will start testing an experimental vaccine against the novel coronavirus being developed by researchers at the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca Plc, Brazil’s health surveillance agency Anvisa and the Federal University of Sao Paulo (Unifesp) said. Anvisa authorized the testing late on Tuesday. Some 2,000 people will participate in the trial, which will be conducted with the support of the Health Ministry, Unifesp said. (Simoes, 6/3)

Reuters: British PM Johnson Hosts Global Vaccine Summit, Calls For Funding
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will host a global vaccine summit on Thursday, urging nations to pledge funding for vaccinations against infectious diseases to help the poorest countries tackle the coronavirus crisis. Representatives of more than 50 countries, including 35 heads of state or government, will come together virtually in London to raise funds for the GAVI vaccine alliance, a public-private global health partnership. (6/3)

Reuters: EU To Use $2.7 Billion Fund To Buy Promising COVID-19 Vaccines
The European Union is preparing to use an emergency 2.4-billion- euro ($2.7 billion) fund to make advance purchases of promising vaccines against the new coronavirus, EU officials told Reuters. The move was discussed at a meeting of EU ambassadors on Wednesday, after Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands said they were speeding up negotiations with pharmaceutical companies to secure access to vaccines currently under development. (6/4)

The New York Times: Tests For Coronavirus Vaccine Need This Ingredient: Horseshoe Crabs
For decades, drug companies have depended on a component in the blood of the horseshoe crab to test injectable medicines, including vaccines, for dangerous bacterial contaminants called endotoxins. Conservationists and some businesses have pushed for wide acceptance of an alternative test, to protect the horseshoe crabs and birds that feed on their eggs. Earlier this year, these people seemed to be on the brink of success as the nongovernmental group that issues quality standards for such tests moved toward putting the alternative test on the same footing. (Gorman, 6/3)

Reuters: Vaccine Group Plans Advance Market Agreement For COVID-19 Vaccines
The GAVI vaccines alliance is to launch an Advance Market Commitment (AMC) for future COVID-19 vaccines which it says will help secure access to the new shots for poorer countries. (Kelland, 6/3)

The New York Times: New Study Finds Hydroxychloroquine Did Not Prevent Covid-19
The malaria drug hydroxychloroquine did not prevent Covid-19 in a rigorous study of 821 people who had been exposed to patients infected with the virus, researchers from the University of Minnesota and Canada are reporting on Wednesday. The study was the first large controlled clinical trial of hydroxychloroquine, a drug that President Trump has repeatedly promoted and recently taken himself. Conducted in the United States and Canada, this trial was also the first to test whether the drug could prevent illness in people who have been exposed to the coronavirus. (Grady, 6/3)

The Associated Press: Malaria Drug Fails To Prevent COVID-19 In A Rigorous Study
“We were disappointed. We would have liked for this to work,” said the study leader, Dr. David Boulware, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Minnesota. “But our objective was to answer the question and to conduct a high-quality study,” because the evidence on the drug so far has been inconclusive, he said. (Marchione, 6/3)

The Washington Post: Hydroxychloroquine Failed To Prevent Healthy People From Getting Covid-19 In Trial
The results were the latest development in a highly charged medical and political issue — the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine in combating covid-19. Trump has repeatedly touted the drug as a “game changer” for covid-19 and recently said he took a course of it. But federal regulators have said it should be used only for hospitalized patients or in clinical trials, because of possible side effects including serious heart-rhythm issues. (McGinley and Cha, 6/3)

The Wall Street Journal: Antimalaria Drug Didn’t Protect Against Covid-19 In Latest Large Study
Hydroxychloroquine “is not something that worked” against Covid-19 in the study, said David Boulware, an infectious-diseases specialist at the University of Minnesota and lead author, who said public-health authorities shouldn’t use it in a bid to protect people who have been exposed to the virus. “There was no effect.” He said the antimalarial may still work before exposure to the virus, a hypothesis being studied in other trials, including at the University of Minnesota. (Hopkins, 6/3)

CIDRAP: Controversy Over Data In Hydroxychloroquine COVID-19 Study Grows
In an open letter to Lancet Editor Richard Horton late last week, critics raised concerns about the methodology of the study, asked that a group convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) perform an independent validation of the analysis, and requested that the journal make peer review comments on the study openly available. (Dall, 6/3)

NBC News: Hydroxychloroquine Fails To Prevent COVID-19, Large Study Finds
Despite concerns the drug might lead to dangerous heart problems, the researchers did not find that was the case in this study. However, people who received hydroxychloroquine were more likely to have nausea or diarrhea. (Edwards, 6/3)

Reuters: WHO Set To Resume Hydroxychloroquine Trial In Battle Against COVID-19
The World Health Organization will resume its trial of hydroxychloroquine for potential use against the coronavirus, its chief said on Wednesday, after those running the study briefly stopped giving it to new patients over health concerns. (Shields and Farge, 6/3)

Politico: WHO To Resume Hydroxychloroquine Trial
The multinational panel overseeing the trial endorsed that finding and will “communicate with the principal investigators in the trial about resuming the hydroxychloroquine arm of the trial,” Tedros said. Hydroxychloroquine is one of four medicines under review as potential coronavirus treatments in the Solidarity trial, which Tedros said has enrolled more than 3,500 participants in 35 countries. (Wheaton, 6/3)

The Hill: WHO To Resume Hydroxychloroquine Clinical Study
The authors of the journal article tied hydroxychloroquine to higher mortality rates in hospitalized patients with COVID-19, as well as an increased risk of a dangerously abnormal heart rate. As a result, the WHO decided to pause the clinical study and allow the trial’s data safety monitoring board to analyze the results and determine if there were any safety concerns. (Weixel, 6/3)

Stat: WHO Resumes Hydroxychloroquine Study For Covid-19
The hydroxychloroquine investigation is just one arm of the agency’s Solidarity Trial, which is testing different therapies to determine which are beneficial in the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The WHO last week temporarily suspended the hydroxychloroquine arm after a separate study published in the Lancet raised warnings about the drug’s safety. (Joseph, 6/3)

And in other pharmaceutical news —

Reuters: Gilead's Remdesivir Could See $7 Billion In Annual Sales On Stockpiling Boost: Analyst
Gilead Sciences Inc’s (GILD.O) potential COVID-19 treatment, remdesivir, could bring in more than $7 billion in annual sales by 2022, spurred by governments stockpiling the drug to guard against future outbreaks, SVB Leerink said on Wednesday. Remdesivir has shown improvement in COVID-19 patients in clinical trials and has been cleared for emergency use in severely ill patients in the United States, India and South Korea. Some European nations are using it in compassionate use. (Joseph, 6/3)

The Associated Press: Doctors Kept Close Eye On Trump's Use Of Malaria Drug
The White House medical team kept a close eye on President Donald Trump’s heart rhythms, including at least one electrocardiogram, to watch for potential side effects when he took a two-week course of a malaria drug to try to prevent the coronavirus, his doctor reported Wednesday. “The President completed the regimen safely and without side effects,” Dr. Sean Conley wrote in a report on Trump’s latest physical and his treatment with hydroxychloroquine. (Freking, 6/3)

Reuters: Trump Without Side Effects After Two-Week Course Of Anti-Malaria Drug, White House Doctor Says 
Trump, who turns 74 on June 14, is regularly tested for the virus and has been negative each time, according to a summary of results by his physician, Sean Conley. Trump last month began taking hydroxychloroquine, despite questions about its effectiveness, after two White House aides tested positive for the virus. He told reporters at the time he was taking it just in case it helped fend off the virus. Conley said no changes were noticed in Trump’s electrocardiogram test as a result of the drug. (Holland, 6/3)

The Washington Post: Trump’s Doctor Says He ‘Remains Healthy’ As Annual Physical Shows He Gained A Pound But Lowered His Cholesterol
“Following the diagnosis of covid-19 in two West Wing staffers this past May, as a preventative measure, the president took a two-week course of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), with zinc and vitamin D,” Conley wrote in the summary report issued by the White House. “This was done in consultation with his appropriate care team members and close monitoring of the electrocardiogram (EKG) for changes in QT level,” Conley wrote, referring to tests measuring the electrical activity of the heart. (Gearan and Bernstein, 6/3)

NBC News: Trump's Health Is Little Changed Since Last Physical, White House Doctor Says
There has been “no interval change” in Donald Trump’s health over the past year, the top White House doctor said in a summary of the president’s physical examination. “The president remains healthy,” the president's physician, Sean Conley, wrote in a memo released Wednesday. “Overall the president continues to benefit from a multi-disciplinary care team in assessing and promoting his health and wellness as he carries out the duties of the presidency.” (Pettypiece, 6/3)

Reuters: Roche Test Receives FDA Emergency Use Approval For COVID-19 Patients
Drugmaker Roche has received emergency use authorisation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its Elecsys IL-6 test to help identify severe inflammatory response in patients with confirmed COVID-19, it said on Thursday. The test can be used to help identify coronavirus patients who could be at high risk of intubation with mechanical ventilation, helping doctors decide early on if ventilation could be required, Roche said. (6/4)

The Baltimore Sun: Maryland Lawmakers Press Coronavirus Testing Questions As Health Officials Offer Update During ‘Lull’ In The Pandemic 
After weeks of seeking information on the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, Maryland lawmakers heard Wednesday from top health officials. But they didn’t get all the answers they wanted, particularly on testing. Members of the General Assembly’s COVID-19 work group focused on the pace of testing, including among nursing homes residents who have made up the bulk of state deaths. But they also were interested in testing for vulnerable populations in prions, factories and senior living complexes, where testing has been slower. (Cohn, 6/3)

The New York Times: New Yorkers Are Getting Antibody Test Results. And They Are Anxious.
When Catherine Zito, who lives in Chelsea and works in finance, tested positive for having coronavirus antibodies on May 4, she texted at least 15 friends. “I’ve never been so happy for a positive test in my life,” she said. “Usually you want these tests to be negative.” Since March, Ms. Zito, 53, had spent most of the pandemic at home. But she did visit the supermarket and go to physical therapy, using an Uber for transportation. (Krueger, 6/4)

The New York Times: Genes May Leave Some People More Vulnerable To Severe Covid-19
Why do some people infected with the coronavirus suffer only mild symptoms, while others become deathly ill? Geneticists have been scouring our DNA for clues. Now, a study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Variations at two spots in the human genome are associated with an increased risk of respiratory failure in patients with Covid-19, the researchers found. One of these spots includes the gene that determines blood types. (Zimmer, 6/3)

Reuters: Explainer: Are Asymptomatic COVID-19 Patients Safe Or Silent Carriers?
China said 300 symptomless carriers of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, the epicentre of the pandemic, had not been found to be infectious, in a bid to reassure people as countries ease restrictions. But some experts say asymptomatic infections are common, presenting a huge challenge in the control of the disease. (Cadell and Liu, 6/3)

The Associated Press: Can I Get COVID-19 Through My Eyes Or Ears?
Can I get COVID-19 through my eyes or ears? It’s possible through the eyes, but not likely through the ears. As with the nose and mouth, doctors say the eyes may be a route of infection if someone with the virus coughs or sneezes nearby. Infection is also possible when rubbing your eyes with hands that have been exposed to the virus. (6/4)

CIDRAP: Obesity, Atypical Immune Response In Some Kids With COVID-19
A retrospective single-center case series of 50 hospitalized pediatric COVID-19 patients in New York City found that respiratory symptoms were common but not ubiquitous, that most children had underlying illnesses, and that obese patients were likely to require mechanical ventilation. A separate single-center case series published today in JAMA Network Open found that that pediatric COVID-19 patients with moderate disease had higher levels of the inflammatory marker interleukin 10 and lower levels of neutrophil immune cells than those with mild illness, suggesting that the virus may be associated with abnormal immune responses. (Van Beusekom, 6/3)

Reuters: Convalescent Plasma Not Helpful In China Study; Hydroxychloroquine Doesn't Prevent Infection
Infusions of antibody-rich blood plasma from people who have recovered from the coronavirus, so-called convalescent plasma, failed to make a difference in a study of hospitalized patients in China, researchers reported on Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In a randomized trial involving 103 COVID-19 patients, convalescent plasma made no difference in the time it took to show signs of improvement or in rates of death at 28 days versus a placebo. (Lapid, 6/3)

The Associated Press: Heart Patients Avoided ERs As Coronavirus Hit, US Study Says
ER visits were up for respiratory illnesses and pneumonia, but were down for nearly every other kind of injury or ailment, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday. Overall, fewer ER patients showed up: Visits were down 42% in a four-week period that stretched from late March through most of April, compared to the same time last year. (Stobbe, 6/3)

Reuters: Sharp Decline In Emergency Visits Seen In Early Days Of Coronavirus Pandemic: U.S. Study
But the number of visits for chest pain, heart attacks and other medical issues not related to the virus fell sharply, suggesting people were delaying care for conditions that might be fatal if left untreated, researchers said in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly report. Previous reports in May highlighted a rise in deaths here from causes other than COVID-19 in New York City, and a drop in child vaccination rates here as people avoided hospitals for fear exposure to the coronavirus. (6/3)

CIDRAP: With Emergency Visits Down 42%, US Hospitals Reeling From COVID-19
The biggest drop-off in patients was among children 14 years old and younger, women and girls, and people in the Northeast (presumably due to large COVID-19 outbreaks in New York and New Jersey). In the pre-pandemic 2019 data, 12% of emergency department visits were for children; that figure dropped to 6% in the pandemic period. Although the fewest visits were seen in mid-April, the most recent complete week (May 24 through 30) remained 26% below the corresponding week in 2019, the authors said. And though telemedicine has emerged as an important tool during the pandemic, the authors warn it's not always appropriate—or accessible—for patients. (Soucheray, 6/3)

The New York Times: Senate Gives Final Approval To Revisions To Small-Business Program
The Senate gave final approval on Wednesday to a measure that would relax the terms of a federal loan program for small businesses struggling amid the pandemic, sending the bill to President Trump’s desk for his signature. The legislation, approved overwhelmingly by the House last week to enact changes to the Paycheck Protection Program, would extend to 24 weeks from eight weeks the period that small businesses would have to spend the loan money. Without that change, the time for businesses to use the funds would have lapsed in only a few days. (Cochrane, 6/3)

The Wall Street Journal: Senate Approves Bill Extending Paycheck Protection Program
The legislation extends the duration of PPP loans to 24 weeks from eight weeks, giving small businesses more time to use the money and still have the loans forgiven while helping them better navigate the uncertainties around reopening. It also extends the deadline to rehire workers to Dec. 31 to qualify for loan forgiveness. Moreover, many businesses that sought loans were constricted by Small Business Administration regulations mandating that 75% of the expenses go to payroll. The bill reduces the level of Paycheck Protection Program funds that must be used for payroll to 60% from 75%. (Andrews, 6/3)

Roll Call: Senate Clears PPP Bill In Second Try Wednesday 
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., had objected a few hours earlier when Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., had asked for unanimous consent to pass the bill that advanced out of the House 417-1 last week. Johnson said on the floor that he wanted additional changes put into the loan program, but hinted he could drop his opposition following more negotiating. (Saksa and Shutt, 6/3)

Los Angeles Times: Senate Passes Fix To COVID-19 Payroll Loan Program
Chamber officials pointed out that the Treasury Department has changed the rules and guidance governing the loans repeatedly during in the past eight weeks. “Businesses, individuals and state and local governments should be held to account for complying with the rules and guidance as they existed at the time of their action, not as subsequently modified,” said Neil Bradley, the chamber’s chief policy officer. (Wire, 6/3)

The Washington Post: Senate Passes Bill To Increase Flexibility For Small-Business Loan Program, Sending It To Trump’s Desk
The central aim of the legislation is to allow businesses 24 weeks — instead of eight — to spend money they receive under the Paycheck Protection Program and have the loans forgiven. The restaurant industry and other business groups had pushed for the change, saying that eight weeks was not enough time, given that the coronavirus pandemic has forced businesses to stay shut longer than anticipated when the Paycheck Protection Program was created in late March as part of the $2 trillion Cares Act. (Werner, 6/3)

CNN: Senate Approves House-Passed Paycheck Protection Program Reform Bill
The program's rollout has been hampered by technical issues and glitches, but small business owners have clamored for the aid and the program's funding has already been replenished once by lawmakers after it ran dry. The push for bipartisan fixes to the program comes as business owners have complained that the terms of use are overly restrictive and do not offer enough flexibility amid the crisis. (Foran, Fox and Barrett, 6/3)

NBC News: Senate Passes Bill To Fix PPP Loan Program, Sends It To Trump For Signature
The bill would also eliminate restrictions limiting non-payroll expenses to 25 percent of the loan and the loan's terms to two years. It would also extend the deadline to rehire employees to align with the expiration of enhanced unemployment insurance, which was created through the CARES Act and in some cases is higher than the median wage in 44 states. (Clark, Tsirkin and Thorp V, 6/3)

The Hill: Business Groups Praise Passage Of PPP Flexibility Bill 
Business groups celebrated Wednesday's Senate passage of legislation to provide more flexibility for the coronavirus relief Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which trade organizations have been lobbying for. PPP is intended to help small businesses and the bill, which the House passed last month, extends the time allowed for firms to spend the loans, as well as where they can be used. (Gangitano, 6/3)

NBC News: PPP Loan Program Accidentally Paid Some Small-Business Owners Twice
While many small-business owners complained of missing out on crucial funding from the Paycheck Protection Program, others mistakenly ended up receiving their money twice — or multiple times. The issue stems from the hectic early weeks of the program, when funding ran out quickly and borrowers were not hearing back from their banks, industry sources told NBC News. Although businesses must certify they are only applying for one loan, some small-business owners applied at more than one bank to ensure they could secure a financial lifeline amid the economic shutdown. (Popken, 6/3)

In  other news from Capitol Hill —

The Wall Street Journal: Coronavirus Stimulus Funds Are Largely Depleted After Nine Weeks
Nine weeks after Congress approved its largest-ever economic relief measure to counter the coronavirus pandemic, most of the direct cash assistance aimed at keeping the economy afloat has been spent or committed. The so-called Cares Act included a projected $1.2 trillion in direct aid, ranging from expanded unemployment benefits and forgivable business loans to cash payments for households, hospitals, cities and states. Congress topped up that sum in April with an additional $400 billion for small businesses and hospitals. (Davidson and Kiernan, 6/3)

Roll Call: GOP Senators: Sunset All Rules Waived During The Pandemic 
Five Republican senators urged the Trump administration to “sunset all” federal rules waived during the coronavirus pandemic and bump them back to the beginning of the federal rulemaking process. In a two-page letter to sent Wednesday to Russell Vought, the acting head of the White House budget office, the GOP senators criticize regulations broadly as “burdens,” arguing that the pandemic has made clear the financial damage of federal rules. (Hulac, 6/4)

Roll Call: Hemp Industry Asks Congress To Help On FDA Guidance 
The hemp industry is eying the next economic relief bill or must-pass legislation as potential vehicles for provisions to expand the definition of dietary supplements to include hemp-derived cannabidiol products. The industry, trying to regain ground lost to the pandemic, is also asking the Agriculture Department to make it eligible for COVID-19 aid. (Ferguson, 6/4)

Modern Healthcare: Congress Leaders Ask HHS To Speed COVID-19 Relief Funds To Medicaid Providers
Congress allowed HHS to distribute $175 billion in grants meant to help providers compensate for lost revenue and coronavirus-related expenses, but the agency has only sent out around $77 billion more than nine weeks after the fund was initially created. Providers such as pediatricians and OB-GYNs that only serve Medicaid patients have been largely left out of funding distributions, and providers that serve large Medicaid populations have been proportionally disadvantaged by the payment formulas. (Cohrs, 6/3)

The Hill: Bipartisan Lawmakers Press Trump Administration To Get COVID-19 Aid To Medicaid Providers 
The lawmakers asked HHS to release a timeline for when it will send funds to Medicaid providers and how much it will distribute. “We understand that there may be federal data limitations in Medicaid that do not exist in Medicare,” the lawmakers wrote. “Medicaid-dependent providers serve some of the frailest and most vulnerable Americans. We must not let their financial insolvency due to the COVID-19 pandemic threaten access to essential care for these individuals," they said. (Hellmann, 6/3)

Roll Call: Top Health Lawmakers Push HHS On COVID-19 Medicaid Payments
The lawmakers added that delays in distributing these funds could result in long term financial hardship. “It could also severely hamper their ability to continue to serve as essential providers amid the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. We write regarding the need for a dedicated distribution from the PHSSEF for providers who rely on Medicaid and to share our serious concerns with the ongoing delay of funding,” they said. (Raman, 6/3)

In other news on costs and quality —

Modern Healthcare: Primary-Care Practices Fear They May Not Survive The Pandemic
Primary care practices focus on the preventive care that keeps patients healthy. Many of them are small but punch above their weight in providing access to services in underserved communities. A series of new surveys by researchers at NYU have found that the city's primary care practices have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic. Many of them worry they may not come out on the other side. (Henderson, 6/3)

San Francisco Chronicle: California Hospitals Lose Billions To Coronavirus; Costs Could Spike 
California hospital revenue plummeted by more than a third in the first four months of the pandemic as costs to care for coronavirus patients rose, a shocking financial blow that threatens to raise health care prices, according to a recent report. The report, published Wednesday by the California Health Care Foundation, said hospital revenue fell by a cumulative $13 billion from March to June — a 37% reduction from pre-coronavirus levels — as state and local shelter-in-place orders nearly eliminated surgeries and halved emergency room visits. (Moench, 6/3)

Modern Healthcare: COVID-19 Should Be A Catalyst To Get Quality Right, Experts Say
CMS quickly altered its approach to quality reporting as COVID-19 spread across the country, but the pandemic has provided an opportunity for more extensive change, according to several experts. The Trump administration temporarily paused reporting requirements for a wide range of quality improvement programs, including the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program, Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program and the Merit-based Incentive Payment System. (Brady, 6/3)

CNBC: US Weekly Jobless Claims Total 1.877 Million, Vs 1.775 Million Expected
Filings for unemployment insurance claims totaled 1.877 million last week in a sign both that the worst is over for the coronavirus-related jobs crisis but that the level of unemployment remains stubbornly high. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been looking for 1.775 million new claims. The total nevertheless represented a decline from the previous week’s upwardly revised total of 2.126 million. Filings under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program totaled 623,073. (Cox, 6/4)

CNN: Unemployment Benefits: Another 1.9 Million Americans Filed For Unemployment Benefits Last Week
For 11 weeks in a row, jobless claims have been in the millions. Before the pandemic, the labor department had never recorded a single week of jobless claims over a million. Claims again fell from the previous week, a trend that has held for the past ten weeks, ever since first-time claims peaked at 6.9 million in the last week of March. (Tappe, 6/4)

The Washington Post: Unemployment Insurance Claims To Ease Slightly In Late May
That doesn’t mean the United States has any less deep of a hole to dig itself out of. The weekly numbers on Thursday are still more than double the pre-coronavirus record of 695,000 set in October 1982, as they have been every week since mid-March this year. More than 40 million people have applied for unemployment benefits during the pandemic, with roughly 21.5 million continuing to receive them, previously unimaginable figures that wiped out a job market that saw unemployment at historic lows as recently as February. That number grew slightly the last week of May after dipping the week before, indicating that more people claimed unemployment for the first time than those who went back to work or stopped claiming for other reasons. (Rosenberg and Long, 6/4)

The New York Times: Unemployment Data Expected To Show Further Losses
The job market is “crawling out of the hole now,” said Torsten Slok, chief economist at Deutsche Bank Securities. “We do have the worst behind us,” he said. At the same time, Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said the weekly claims “are not falling as fast as I’d like them to fall or thought they would be falling.” “Let’s not kid ourselves,” he added. “This is still an astonishing rate of layoffs.” (6/4)

Politico: 1.9 Million New Unemployment Claims Filed Last Week, Pushing Pandemic Job Losses To 42.6 Million
“The forthcoming May jobs report will amount to a shocking sequel to the April horror story,” wrote Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst for Bankrate. “It is likely to add further economic insult to the injury already established with the jobless rate. . . Millions more are expected to fall off of payrolls.” (6/4)

NPR: New Unemployment Claims Dip Below 2 Million In Sign Job Losses May Be Easing
According to the Century Foundation, a progressive think tank, the government paid out $71.5 billion in jobless benefits during the first three weeks of May. That's 48% more than it paid in the whole month of April. Stephen Pingle, who lost his job stringing Internet cable in Nashville, waited seven weeks before receiving his first unemployment payment. "It was a huge relief," Pingle said. "It felt like in one day going from the poorest I'd ever been to the richest I'd ever been." (Horsely, 6/4)

The Wall Street Journal: Unemployment Fraud Spreads Across U.S. As Coronavirus Boosts Claims
States across the country are being hit by unemployment-benefit fraud that could amount to billions of lost dollars, reflecting the vulnerabilities that workers and governments face in the midst of historically high levels of jobless claims related to the coronavirus pandemic. In recent days, states including North Dakota, Maine and Pennsylvania have said they detected cases or attempts of unemployment fraud, largely tied to identity theft. (Chaney, 6/3)

Politico: Republicans Face Looming Unemployment Dilemma
Forty million Americans are unemployed and extra unemployment benefits expire at the end of next month. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans are grappling with deep ideological divisions over what to do with the popular program in the middle of a pandemic and an election year. Most Republicans have roundly rejected the House Democrats’ approach of extending a $600 weekly boost to unemployment checks though January 2021, and some say the enhanced benefits may need to end altogether. (Everett, 6/4)

The Washington Post: The Coronavirus Recession Pushes Some Businesses To Evolve — But Many Struggle To See Full Recovery
In the weeks since the coronavirus pandemic emptied her calendar of weddings, fundraisers and corporate events, Anita Ellis still rises at 6 a.m. to make her customary triple espresso, then climbs back into bed and refreshes her email. She checks in with fellow event planners, all of whom are eager for any word from longtime clients, and scans the Web for hints as to the future of her small business, Avalon Caterers, based in Alexandria, Va. (Siegel, 6/3)

The New York Times: Workers Fearful Of The Coronavirus Are Getting Fired And Losing Their Benefits
After scraping by for weeks on unemployment checks and peanut butter sandwiches, Jake Lyon recently received the call that many who temporarily lost their jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic have anticipated: The college-town tea shop where he worked was reopening, and it was time to go back. But Mr. Lyon, 23, and his co-workers in Fort Collins, Colo., who were temporarily laid off, worried about contracting the virus, so they asked the shop’s owners to delay reopening and meet with them to discuss safety measures. (Healy, 6/4)

The Washington Post: As Coronavirus Took Jobs Or Workers Fell Ill, Teen Children Have Toiled Full-Time, Becoming Lifelines
A customer turned to Jael Marquez when she couldn't find an item on the shelves of the Save A Lot, but Marquez knew it was in stock back in the warehouse, so he went and got it. It was weeks ago, sometime around the day he turned 17. He remembers it because it was the one time this spring when a customer looked him in the eyes and said "thank you." "I appreciate you still working," the African American woman in her 50s said through a mask after taking the box. "Because there's a lot of risk." (Klemko, 6/3)

Reuters: Amazon Is Sued Over Warehouses After New York Worker Brings Coronavirus Home, Cousin Dies
Amazon.com Inc has been sued for allegedly fostering the spread of the coronavirus by mandating unsafe working conditions, causing at least one employee to contract COVID-19, bring it home, and see her cousin die. The complaint was filed on Wednesday in the federal court in Brooklyn, New York, by three employees of the JFK8 fulfillment center in Staten Island, and by family members. One employee, Barbara Chandler, said she tested positive for COVID-19 in March and later saw several household members become sick, including a cousin who died on April 7. (Stempel, 6/3)

NBC News: Amazon Sued By NYC Workers Seeking Coronavirus Protection, Not Money
Amazon did not directly respond to NBC News’ questions, but Lisa Lewandowski, a spokeswoman, emailed a statement that said the company had invested $4 billion on “COVID-related initiatives” between April and June 2020. The lawsuit appears to be the second such suit it has faced in the wake of the pandemic. The first was filed last month in a county court in Oregon. (Farivar, 6/3)

Stat: Your Boss Wants You To Take A Covid-19 Test. There's Software For That
As more employers reopen their offices, stores, and warehouses, a growing number of health tech companies are pitching smartphone apps and other tools to help them bring employees back to work safely in the Covid-19 era. The tools go far beyond the infrared thermometers and temperature checks that have dominated the conversation around safely reopening. The new wave of software products allows employers to direct their workers to get a Covid-19 test, clear them to return to work, track their symptoms, and trace the contacts of anyone who tests positive for the coronavirus. (Robbins, 6/4)

Los Angeles Times: Pediatricians Say Kids Should Be In School Despite Coronavirus Risk
The damage done by keeping children out of school might outweigh the risks of COVID-19 transmission, a regional organization of pediatricians said Tuesday, pushing back against educators who have cautioned against reopening campuses too soon. The Southern California chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which represents about 1,500 doctors, issued a statement pointing to research suggesting that the risks of COVID-19 transmission among children are lower than for adults, but that keeping children away from in-person instruction for longer will have negative consequences. (Kohli, 6/3)

CNN: Fauci Weighs The Pros And Cons Of Reopening Schools This Fall Amid Covid-19 
The idea of keeping schools closed in the fall because of safety concerns for children might be "a bit of a reach," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. In a phone interview with CNN Wednesday, Fauci noted that children tend to have milder symptoms or even no symptoms when they are infected with Covid-19. What's not yet clear is whether children get infected as frequently as adults, and whether they often pass the infection on to others. Ultimately, he said, the decision to reopen schools needs to be predicated on the level of infection in each community. (Grayer, 6/3)

ABC News: Reopening Schools In The Fall, An Experiment For College And University Leaders 
With the fall semester approaching, college and university leadership are weighing the risks and benefits of reopening schools. Without a cure or viable vaccine for COVID-19, universities are exploring a range of options, each bearing a hefty price tag and set of compromises. Of 780 colleges tracked by the Chronicle of Higher Education, 67% are planning for in-person classes, 6% online, 7% are proposing a hybrid model, 9% are waiting to decide and the other 11% are considering a range of scenarios. (Taghipour, 6/4)

Politico: Privacy Fears Threaten New York City's Coronavirus Tracing Efforts
Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers will be asked to disclose personal information this month as part of the city’s herculean Covid-19 tracing effort — but suspicions over how the government will use that information are threatening the city’s best chance to crawl out of its coronavirus lockdown. Contact tracing requires handing over intimate personal data — including home addresses, names of friends and relations — to strangers, many of whom were only recently trained and hired to collect the information. (Eisenberg, 6/4)

WBUR: Local Public Health Workers Report Hostile Threats And Fears About Contact Tracing
Jones isn't alone: Other public health workers have encountered resistance, online harassment and even violent threats for conducting contact tracing and other containment strategies in their local communities. State and local health officials say it's a worrisome development as businesses reopen, and they try to build community trust for strategies that will help keep viral transmission in check. (Stone, 6/3)

Houston Chronicle: 1 In 5 Immigrants At ICE Detention In Houston Has COVID-19
More than 1 in 5 immigrants held at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Houston have tested positive with the new coronavirus as the rate of infection has nearly tripled there, raising concerns from health experts. As of the end of May, 78 of the 379 immigrants held at the Houston Contract Detention Facility had tested postive for COVID-19, according to statistics provided by the federal agency. The previous week, 21 immigrants were reported to have been infected. (Tallet, 6/3)

Los Angeles Times: Poll: Californians Don't Want To Reopen Too Quickly Amid Coronavirus
A new poll finds that most Californians surveyed support the current statewide restrictions to stem to spread of the coronavirus, or want tougher safeguards, and remain fearful about contracting COVID-19 and landing in the hospital. The Public Policy Institute of California poll released Wednesday night also found that 69% of likely voters in the state approved of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s handling of the coronavirus crisis, and 65% gave him high marks for the overall job he’s doing as governor. (Willon, 6/3)

The Associated Press: Las Vegas Reopening From Coronavirus Casino Closure
The casino coronavirus closure is ending, with cards to be dealt, dice to roll and slot jackpots to win again starting Thursday in Las Vegas and throughout Nevada. Hotel-casinos in suburban Sin City planned to be first to open at 12:01 a.m., followed later in the morning by a restart of the iconic Bellagio fountain and reopenings of many neighboring resorts on the Las Vegas Strip. (Ritter, 6/4)

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Federal Funds To Buy Supplies; Expand Testing, Tracing 
Nevada will commit roughly $221 million in mostly federal money through 2021 to rebuilding state protective equipment stockpiles, expanding COVID-19 testing and contact tracing, and preparing a mass vaccination program when a vaccine is ready, state health officials outlined in a briefing Wednesday. (Dentzer, 6/3)

The Baltimore Sun: Maryland Reports 807 New Coronavirus Cases, 45 More Deaths; More Than Half Of All COVID-19 Deaths Found In Nursing Homes 
Maryland confirmed 807 new cases of the coronavirus and 45 more deaths, state officials reported Wednesday, but hospitalizations and the state’s testing positivity rate are at their lowest levels in months. The state has reported 54,982 cases of the COVID-19 illness since the pandemic arrived in Maryland in mid-March. The additional deaths push the state’s death toll to 2,519. (Tkacik, 6/3)

The Baltimore Sun: Maryland Spending Board Declines To Approve Millions In Coronavirus Contracts 
Maryland’s spending board declined Wednesday to approve hundreds of millions of dollars in emergency spending on the state’s coronavirus response. Members of the Board of Public Works said they have too many questions and not enough information to decide whether the emergency contracts were appropriate. They ordered state officials to return to the next board meeting in two weeks with more information about the contracts. (Wood, 6/3)

The Baltimore Sun: What Can Reopen? What Can’t? What You Need To Know As Maryland Prepares To Lift More Coronavirus-Related Restrictions Friday 
Tattoo and massage parlors, tanning and nail salons and many other nonessential Maryland businesses can welcome back customers beginning this weekend — but only by appointment and at no more than 50% capacity. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Wednesday lifted several more of the coronavirus-related restrictions in his executive order, effective at 5 p.m. Friday, allowing many nonessential businesses to reopen, and state agencies will begin returning to more normal operations beginning Monday. (Campbell, 6/4)

Boston Globe: As Coronavirus Cases Gradually Decline, Mass. Is On The Verge Of Opening Up More Of Its Economy, Baker Says
With progress continuing in the fight against coronavirus, Massachusetts is on the verge of opening up more of its economy and society, Governor Charlie Baker said Wednesday. Baker told reporters that on Saturday he’ll announce a date to start Phase Two of the reopening plan, a landmark that would allow more retailers and restaurants, child care centers and summer camps to open their doors again. Under the state’s plan, the earliest Phase Two can begin is Monday. (Logan, Andersen and Reiss, 6/3)

WBUR: Boston Pours $5M More Into Rental Relief 
The City of Boston will more than double the amount of money offered to help vulnerable residents pay rent amid uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic, officials announced Wednesday. Another $5 million will become available when the next round of applications for the Rental Relief Fund opens Friday, adding to the $3 million with which the fund launched in early April. City officials received 1,600 applications during the first period of eligibility and so far have paid $680,000 in assistance to 210 households. (Lisinski, 6/3)

Boston Globe: DCF Cut Off In-Person Visits In The Pandemic. Parents Are Suing To Get Them Back 
A group of parents barred for months from visiting their children in foster care are suing Governor Charlie Baker, arguing his administration has imposed “excessive” restrictions in its bid to blunt the coronavirus pandemic. The lawsuit, scheduled for a hearing Friday in Suffolk County Superior Court, charges that the Department of Children and Families “unilaterally” decided in April to end most face-to-face interactions between children in state custody and their biological parents. (Stout, 6/3)

NBC News: Latino Immigrant Advocates Bring Crucial Support To Families During COVID-19 Pandemic
In normal times, Diana Moreno helped immigrant workers secure work and get paid... But that was before COVID-19 upended life in the heavily immigrant neighborhood of Jackson Heights, Queens, where NICE is based. Now, with no jobs to be had, Moreno's focus has shifted: She's simply helping immigrant families get access to food. (Vad and Powell, 6/3)

Kaiser Health News: Newsom Likes To ‘Go Big’ But Doesn’t Always Deliver
Gavin Newsom knew it was a political gamble when, as the newly elected mayor of San Francisco, he promised to eradicate chronic homelessness. “I recognize that I’m setting myself up. I’m not naive to that,” he told his hometown newspaper in 2003 as he embarked on a campaign to sell his controversial plan. It hinged on slashing welfare payments for homeless people and redirecting those funds to acquire single-room occupancy hotels, converting them into long-term housing with health and social services. (Hart, 6/4)

San Francisco Chronicle: San Francisco Comes Up With List Of 42 Potential Safe Homeless Campsites 
Two San Francisco city departments have identified 42 parcels of public land that could be used as sites for sanctioned tent camps during the COVID-19 pandemic. The city’s Real Estate Division and the Recreation and Park Department produced two lists of potential locations for what the city calls “safe sleeping sites” at the request of Supervisor Sandra Lee Fewer. (Fracassa, 6/3)

San Francisco Chronicle: State Would Delay Deepest Cuts Under Legislature’s Alternative To Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Plan 
Senate and Assembly leaders issued a joint budget proposal Wednesday, unifying the Legislature against billions in cuts proposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom as a deadline looms to pass a spending plan for California. The legislative proposal closely resembles a framework put forward by the Senate last week, which would delay cuts for months in anticipation of federal bailout. If that aid does not come, the state would dip further into reserves and defer payments to future years to avoid severe reductions to education and safety-net programs. (Koseff, 6/3)

Boston Globe: Meet The Vermont Marijuana Legalization Advocate Running For The Office Of ‘High Bailiff’ 
The irony is not lost on Dave Silberman. The Vermont-based drug policy advocate and lawyer who has been working for years to reform the state’s marijuana laws is running for the office of … high bailiff. No, really. In Vermont, each county elects a high bailiff whose singular responsibility is to arrest the sheriff if they engage in unlawful conduct. (Jaeger, 6/3)

Detroit Free Press: Visitors Now Allowed At Michigan Hospitals, But With Some Caveats
Loved ones can once again accompany people to  doctor's appointments and outpatient clinics and visit friends and family in hospitals, under a directive Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Wednesday. She rescinded an executive order that prohibited visitors at medical facilities (unless the patient was a minor) to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus. Now that the virus is loosening its grip on the state, which has seen a reduction in confirmed COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospital admissions, she said the restrictions can safely be lifted. (Shamus, 6/3)

NPR: Vote By Mail: Ballot Fraud Risk, State Laws And Trump's Claims
Casting a ballot by mail isn't a new way to vote, but it is getting fresh attention as the coronavirus pandemic upends daily life. The voting method is quickly becoming the norm and quickly becoming politically charged, as some Republicans — and specifically President Trump — fight against the mail voting expansion that is happening nationwide. (Parks, 6/4)

The Wall Street Journal: Companies Push For More Access To Mail-In Voting
More than 100 companies have signed an initiative asking congressional leaders to provide additional federal funding so that state and local governments can expand mail-in voting to all eligible voters and extend early, in-person voting by two weeks. Corporations ranging from consumer-goods giant Unilever to eyewear maker Warby Parker are among the signatories. Some of the companies banding together to try to expand voting access were also part of a push earlier this year to give workers time off to vote in the 2020 presidential election. (Cutter, 6/3)

The Wall Street Journal: D.C. Lets Voters Submit Ballots By Email After Mail Problems
The Washington, D.C., Board of Elections, inundated with complaints from voters who said they didn’t receive absentee ballots in the mail, created an unusual workaround for Tuesday’s primary: allowing voters to submit ballots by email. That conflicts with security recommendations typically given by experts, but one local official said she thought it was worth the risk given the unusual circumstances. “I guess there are Russian hackers that can do anything, but I doubt they’re really concerned with the Ward 2 D.C. election,” said Councilmember Elissa Silverman. (Corse, 6/3)

The Hill: Poll: Nearly Half Of Americans 'Uncomfortable' Voting In Person During Pandemic 
A majority of Americans say they'd be comfortable voting in person during the coronavirus pandemic, though deep divides remain over the issue, a new Hill-HarrisX poll finds. Fifty-three percent of registered voters said they would feel "somewhat" or "very" comfortable voting in person, compared to 47 percent who said they'd be uncomfortable. (6/3)

In other election news —

The Washington Post Fact Check: How Specific Were Biden’s Recommendations On The Coronavirus?
In various venues, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee has cited a preliminary Columbia University study that estimated that tens of thousands fewer people would have died of covid-19 if social-distancing measures had been put in place earlier than mid-March. Specifically, the study estimated that orders in effect March 8 would have resulted in nearly 36,000 fewer deaths (through May 3), and orders as soon as March 1 would have resulted in nearly 54,000 fewer deaths. (Kessler, 6/4)

Boston Globe: Joe Biden Already Was Under Pressure To Pick A Black Woman Running Mate. The Outrage Over George Floyd’s Death Adds To It 
Influential Black political organizers and activists are ramping up pressure on presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden to select a Black woman as his vice presidential running mate after days of national unrest over police brutality and the killing of George Floyd. (Ulloa, 6/3)

The Wall Street Journal: Child-Abuse Reports Are Falling, And That’s Bad News For Children
Sitting inside the San Diego children’s hospital, Shalon Nienow said she was awestruck recently as she watched a parent re-enact the abuse that sent an infant to the emergency room—shaking, punching, slapping and slamming the child against a piece of furniture. “It was the most violent force I’ve watched somebody demonstrate,” said Dr. Nienow, medical clinical director at the Chadwick Center at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego. (Paul and Elinson, 6/4)

The Associated Press: Epidemic Of Wipes And Masks Plague Sewers, Storm Drains
Mayor Jim Kenney kicked off a recent briefing on Philadelphia’s coronavirus response with an unusual request for residents: Be careful what you flush. Between mid-March, when the city’s stay-at-home order was issued, and the end of April, most of the 19 sewer and storm water pumping stations in Philadelphia had experienced clogs from face masks, gloves and wipes residents had pitched into the potty, Kenney said. (Lauer and Flesher, 6/4)

The New York Times: Pandemic Lockdowns Lead To Less Traffic And Better Air
As we now know, the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown has been a silver lining for another global crisis: climate change. Sharp decreases in traffic and better air quality have been reported around the world, and hundreds of jurisdictions from Berlin to Bogotá are reallocating space to make it easier for walkers and cyclists with permanent and emergency solutions, like “pop-up” bike routes. “We are at a moment of change that we have not seen since World War II when cities needed to reinvent themselves,” said Claudia Adriazola-Steil, global director for the health and road safety program at the World Resources Institute’s Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. (Mohn, 6/4)

The New York Times: Airlines Say Everybody Onboard Must Wear A Mask. So Why Aren’t They?
As airlines try to convince Americans to fly again, they have touted their policies for keeping passengers safe, including the requirement that everyone onboard a plane wear a mask. But travelers on recent flights said the rules are not being enforced. And flight attendants said they have been told not to confront passengers who opt to not follow them. Drusilla Lawton flew from South Carolina to Wyoming in May on two American Airlines flights and said the mask rule wasn’t being enforced during boarding or on the plane. (Mzezewa, 6/4)

The New York Times: The Pandemic Is Stressing Your Body In New Ways
If you are feeling a bit off in ways you are pretty sure are not a result of having Covid-19, you are not alone. That’s because living during a pandemic is doing a number to your body. Toni Goodykoontz, assistant professor and section chief of psychiatry for WVU Medicine, has seen just about everything since the Covid-19 outbreak started. “Adults complain of things like headaches, fatigue, just a general feeling of unwellness,” Dr. Goodykoontz said. (Miller, 6/4)

NBC News: Antidepressant Zoloft And Generic Version In Short Supply, FDA Says
A spike in demand for anxiety and depression drugs has led to shortages of some forms of the commonly used antidepressant Zoloft and its generic, sertraline. Reports of the shortage, posted Friday on the Food and Drug Administration's website, come as a new survey published Wednesday from the Johns Hopkins University shows a major increase in the feelings of distress and despair among adults in the United States. (Edwards, 6/3)

The New York Times: When Their Mother Died At A Nursing Home, 2 Detectives Wanted Answers
A little after 1 in the afternoon, Aida Pabey got the call from the nursing home: Her mother was not going to make it. It was April 6, nearly four weeks after the state had barred all visitors to nursing homes, and Aida and her sister, Haydee, had been struggling to get even the most basic information about their mother. Was she eating? Had the coronavirus reached her part of the home? Now this dire call. Just the day before, the sisters had been assured by an aide that their mother was “fine.” They were both detectives in the New York Police Department, 20-year veterans. (Leland, 6/4)

CNN: How To Make Good Decisions When You're Paralyzed By The Stress Of Protests And The Pandemic 
Do you find it tough to make decisions these days? What used to be no-brainers, stopping at the grocery for bread and milk, making a pit stop at the gas station or meeting friends for dinner and drinks are now fraught with dangers. (LaMotte, 6/4)

CNN: Stock Your Medicine Cabinet For The Pandemic 
It could be a cabinet behind your mirror, a kitchen drawer or a first aid kit you carry in a backpack or in the car. Your medicine cabinet is your first go-to in times of illness, and sometimes it gets a little bare. But we're in the midst of a global health crisis. And whether you get Covid-19 or not, it's important to be prepared. (Prior, 6/4)

Kaiser Health News: In Hard-Hit Areas, COVID’s Ripple Effects Strain Mental Health Care Systems
In late March, Marcell’s girlfriend took him to the emergency room at Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital, about 11 miles south of Detroit. “I had [acute] paranoia and depression off the roof,” said Marcell, 46, who asked to be identified only by his first name because he wanted to maintain confidentiality about some aspects of his illness. Marcell’s depression was so profound, he said, he didn’t want to move and was considering suicide. (Platzman and Weinstock, 6/4)

The Washington Post: A Blind Therapy Dog Brings Joy To Assisted-Living Residents With Visits Through The Window 
As Pat Ward drifts from one window to another, she holds a sign to the glass, hoping the residents will notice her arrival rather than startling them with a knock. The poster features a red heart with a smiling face and closed eyes, an homage to the four-legged star of these visits. Baby, an 8-year-old therapy dog, is blind and had her eyes removed long ago. She doesn’t hear well, either. (Giambalvo, 6/3)

Los Angeles Times: Coronavirus Has Delayed Families' Adoption Plans For Months
Finalizing the adoption of Stephanie Rivero and Ryan Cameron’s two foster sons meant more than providing closure for the Merced family. The couple would finally be able to make medical decisions for the 5-year-old, who has a life-threatening genetic condition and is scheduled for surgery this summer. But the procedure may have to be delayed as family courts across the state have largely closed because of the coronavirus crisis. (Mehta, 6/3)

Las Vegas Review-Journal: As Public Restrooms Reopen, How Safe Are They From The Coronavirus? 
Public bathrooms are rarely a picnic. But fecal matter and COVID-19 being carried about by aerosolized toilet water? That’s the sort of thing Ian Ziering should be fighting with a chainsaw. Before you start hoarding adult diapers and swearing off those facilities for good, though, take heart. (Lawrence, 6/3)

The Wall Street Journal: Safety Advice On Commuting To The Office—And Reducing Your Risks Once You’re There
As many states continue their gradual reopening from coronavirus lockdowns, office employees are beginning to venture back to their workplaces. People are likely to see many changes, from spaced out cubicles to mask-required meetings. Some businesses are planning to bring back only a portion of workers to the office or are instituting shifts to allow for social distancing. (Petersen, 6/3)

Stat: Handgun Ownership Vastly Increases Suicide Risk, Large Study Confirms
A large new study confirms what mental health experts and those who research firearms have known for some time: Owning a handgun vastly increases one’s risk of suicide. The research, published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, goes beyond what smaller past studies have shown, however, by capturing suicide risk down to the individual level. (Chakradhar, 6/3)

Fortune: Breast Implant Recalls: FDA Asks Allergan To Track Down Women With 52,000 Recalled Breast Implants
More than 10 months after recalling some of its breast implants, Allergan is making a new effort to find tens of thousands of women who still have the dangerous devices. The pharmaceutical company, now owned by AbbVie, said this week that it will launch a digital and social media ad campaign to alert patients about the July 2019 recall of its textured Biocell implants. Those implants have been linked in academic studies to a sometimes-fatal cancer known as BIA-ALCL, for “breast implant–associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma.” More than 33 women have now died from BIA-ALCL. (Aspan, 6/3)

The Wall Street Journal: Scientist Behind Sweden’s No-Lockdown Policy Says It Wasn’t Strict Enough
The epidemiologist behind Sweden’s controversial decision to forgo a mandatory lockdown conceded for the first time that more restrictions might have helped prevent a surge in coronavirus-related deaths. Sweden, which has kept its economy and society open throughout the pandemic, is seen as a model by U.S. and European critics of restrictions, who argue the lockdowns have unnecessarily harmed economies. (Pancevski and Chopping, 6/3)

Politico: Sweden’s Dr. No-Lockdown Denies ‘Tactical Retreat’
“If we encountered the same disease, with what we know about it today, I think we would end up doing in between what Sweden did and what the rest of the world did," Tegnell told public service radio station Sveriges Radio in an interview broadcast Wednesday. “Clearly there is room for improvement.” (Duxbury, 6/3)

The Washington Post: Sweden Epidemiologist Anders Tegnell Says Covid-19 Policy Allowed Too Many Deaths
Swedish authorities have consistently denied that they were aiming to achieve full-population immunity by keeping much of their public life humming as usual. They said that if they protected the elderly and other vulnerable groups while allowing others to carry on, the country might be more resilient in the face of a second wave of infections and avoid the economic chaos of a total shutdown. Deaths in Sweden, though, have been eight times higher than in Denmark and 19 times higher than in Norway, even though Sweden is only double each neighbors’ size. (Birnbaum, 6/4)

The Associated Press: Wuhan Tests 10 Million People, Finds Few Virus Infections
The Chinese city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus was first detected late last year, has tested nearly 10 million people in an unprecedented 19-day campaign to check an entire city. It identified just 300 positive cases, all of whom had no symptoms. The city found no infections among 1,174 close contacts of the people who tested positive, suggesting they were not spreading the virus easily to others. (6/4)

Reuters: Brazil Sets Record For Daily Coronavirus Deaths, Beating Tuesday
Brazil registered a record number of daily deaths from the coronavirus for the second consecutive day, according to Health Ministry data released on Wednesday. The nation recorded 1,349 new coronavirus deaths on Wednesday, and 28,633 additional confirmed cases, the data showed. Brazil has now registered 32,548 deaths and 584,016 total confirmed cases. (6/3)

Politico: ‘The Wrong Answer’: Norway’s Prime Minister Rebukes Trump On Leaving WHO
The prime minister of Norway rejected President Donald Trump’s claim that the World Health Organization (WHO) is controlled by China and criticized Trump’s May 29 decision to withdraw the United States from the organization. Prime Minister Erna Solberg is the first world leader to publicly rebuke Trump on the move, which has drawn a muted global political reaction. While more than 65 international health organizations today criticized the move, Trump's fellow leaders have until now publicly ignored his dramatic Rose Garden announcement. (Heath, 6/3)

Reuters: Coronavirus Frustrates Saudi Women's Push For Financial Independence
Abeer al-Howayan despaired of ever working after spending eight years trying to find a job that would put her chemistry degree to use in the Saudi Arabian town of Al Ula. She eventually abandoned her scientific ambitions and turned to selling homemade cakes, before she was chosen last year for a government training programme to support a $20 billion flagship tourism project in the kingdom’s northwestern region. (Rashad, 6/4)

Reuters: Uganda Health Workers Say They Lack Vital Equipment To Fight COVID-19
Ugandan medical workers say they lack adequate supplies of personal protective equipment for tackling COVID-19 and the risk of infection is making some reluctant to treat patients. The complaints follow revelations on Sunday that seven health workers including two doctors and two nurses had contracted the virus. (Biryabarema, 6/3)

Reuters: Mortality Spiked 155% In Spain In Worst Week Of Epidemic
New official data in Spain showed on Wednesday that many more people have died than usual this year than the recorded number of coronavirus fatalities and revealed a shocking 155% spike in mortality at the epidemic’s peak in early April. Experts believe the additional deaths include cases where the cause is hard to establish due to underlying conditions, and fatalities among people who avoided hospital treatment for other problems due to the fear of contracting COVID-19. (Pinedo, 6/3)

The Washington Post: Yemen Coronavirus: Outbreak's Toll Is Being Covered Up
As the coronavirus epidemic sweeps through Yemen, rebels who control the north of the country have been threatening medical workers to keep them quiet, part of an effort to cover up the true toll of the outbreak, humanitarian officials say. In southern Yemen, ill-equipped hospitals are turning away patients with coronavirus symptoms, leaving them uncounted and at risk of dying at home, say international aid workers, local health officials and postings on social media. (Raghavan, 6/3)

Reuters: COVID-19 Death Toll Among Nurses Doubled In Past Month, Says Nurses Group
More than 600 nurses worldwide are known to have died from COVID-19, which has infected an estimated 450,000 healthcare workers, the International Council of Nurses said on Wednesday. (Mantovani, 6/3)

Reuters: Mexico Overtakes U.S. Coronavirus Daily Deaths, Sets Records
Mexico overtook the United States in daily reported deaths from the novel coronavirus for the first time on Wednesday, with the health ministry registering a record 1,092 fatalities it attributed to improved documenting of the pandemic. (6/3)

The Washington Post: Latin America Is New Global Hot Spot For Coronavirus Epidemic
For a time, early in the pandemic, when Latin America was mostly a spectator watching outbreaks in China, then Europe, then the United States, there was hope that when the coronavirus arrived here, things would be different. The climate was warmer. The people were younger. The governments had more time to study the mistakes made elsewhere, and to prepare. Weeks later, more than a million people have been infected, tens of thousands are dead, and those hopes are gone. (McCoy, 6/3)

Health Affairs: Varying Trends In The Financial Viability Of US Rural Hospitals, 2011–17
The financial viability of rural hospitals has been a matter of serious concern, with ongoing closures affecting rural residents’ access to medical services. We examined the financial viability of 1,004 US rural hospitals that had consistent rural status in 2011–17. The median overall profit margin improved for nonprofit critical access hospitals (from 2.5 percent to 3.2 percent) but declined for other hospitals (from 3.0 percent to 2.6 percent for nonprofit non–critical access hospitals, from 3.2 percent to 0.4 percent for for-profit critical access hospitals, and from 5.7 percent to 1.6 percent for for-profit non–critical access hospitals). Occupancy rate and charge markup were positively associated with overall margins: In 2017 hospitals with low versus high occupancy rates had median overall profit margins of 0.1 percent versus 4.7 percent, and hospitals with low versus high charge markups had median overall margins of 1.8 percent versus 3.5 percent. (Bai, 6/1)

JAMA Network: Effect Of Convalescent Plasma Therapy On Time To Clinical Improvement In Patients With Severe And Life-Threatening COVID-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial
In this randomized clinical trial that included 103 patients and was terminated early, the hazard ratio for time to clinical improvement within 28 days in the convalescent plasma group vs the standard treatment group was 1.40 and was not statistically significant. (Li et al, 6/3)

Urban Institute: Cutting Through The Jargon: Health Care Reform Design Issues And Trade-Offs Facing Us Today
The intersection of the presidential election and the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to make health care reform a frequent subject of conversation in the coming months. Yet for many voters, the proposals and their implications remain hard to decipher, whether in typical years or in the midst of economic crisis. This paper describes the central issues at the heart of current health care reform proposals, with a focus on understanding that each proposal requires society to make difficult choices and appreciating the trade-offs of each choice. Evaluating the trade-offs inherent in the answers to each of five core questions is critical to understanding the philosophical underpinnings and general implications of health reform proposals. (Blumberg, 6/2)

American Academy Of Pediatrics: Epidemiology Of COVID-19 Among Children In China
Children of all ages appeared susceptible to COVID-19, and there was no significant sex difference. Although clinical manifestations of children’s COVID-19 cases were generally less severe than those of adult patients, young children, particularly infants, were vulnerable to infection. The distribution of children’s COVID-19 cases varied with time and space, and most of the cases were concentrated in Hubei province and surrounding areas. Furthermore, this study provides strong evidence of human-to-human transmission. (Dong et al, 6/1)

American Academy Of Pediatrics: ED Visits And Readmissions After Follow-Up For Mental Health Hospitalization 
Although more than half of patients received follow-up within 7 days, variations across patient population suggest that care improvements are needed. The increased hazard of subsequent use indicates the complexity of treating these patients and points to potential opportunities to intervene at follow-up visits. (Bardach et al, 6/1)

CIDRAP: US Study Finds Small Decline In Inappropriate Outpatient Antibiotics
The proportion of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions issued by US physicians' offices and emergency departments (EDs) decreased minimally from 2010 through 2015, driven mainly by a decrease in unnecessary prescriptions for children, researchers reported yesterday in Clinical Infectious Diseases. For the study, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the University of Utah, and Boston Children's Hospital used the National Ambulatory Medical Care and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care surveys to identify visits to physicians' offices and EDs and antibiotic prescriptions for 2010-11, 2012-13, and 2014-15. (6/3)

The New York Times: Who Is Most Likely To Die From The Coronavirus?
Months into the coronavirus pandemic, scientists have identified some clear patterns in which people who suffer from Covid-19 are most likely to die. Pre-existing medical conditions are one important factor. As of June 3, roughly nine in ten New Yorkers and Chicagoans who died of Covid-19 suffered from underlying chronic conditions. But those underlying conditions don’t affect everyone equally. They are much more prevalent among lower-income workers, according to researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, kidney disease and diabetes, for example, among the poorest 10 percent of New Yorkers are estimated to be more that 40 percent higher than the median rate. (Yaryna Serkez, 6/4)

The Wall Street Journal: How WHO Really Feels About China
International agencies like the World Health Organization often praise misbehaving regimes publicly while pushing for improvement privately. Bureaucrats say this is the best way to get cooperation, but the Covid-19 outbreak shows how this undermines an agency’s credibility. “The speed with which China detected the outbreak, isolated the virus, sequenced the genome and shared it with WHO and the world are very impressive, and beyond words,” WHO director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus declared on Jan. 30 after returning from Beijing. “I left in absolutely no doubt about China’s commitment to transparency.” While Dr. Tedros was gushing in public, WHO officials were privately fretting about Beijing’s secrecy—and its deadly consequences. (6/3)

The Washington Post: Trump Irresponsibly Abandons The WHO While The Pandemic Surges In Less Developed Nations
The Coronavirus pandemic is surging into the less developed parts of the world, nations with few intensive care beds, scarce personal protective equipment, little or no testing capability, dense living conditions and weak governance. The prospects for health care are grim, as are the possible collateral effects: schools disrupted, routine immunizations postponed, hunger and extreme poverty spreading. For now, Latin America has become the epicenter of the disease. Cases in Brazil are surging, in part because President Jair Bolsonaro has opposed lockdowns and rejected advice from public health experts. Health-care systems in poor regions are collapsing. Cases are also shooting up in Peru and remain high in Chile and Argentina. (6/3)

The Wall Street Journal: Save Your Kids From Covid’s Digital Deluge 
Parents used to feel guilty when our children overused phones and tablets. But during Covid-19, experts gave us a pass. We’ve been told that in extraordinary times, it’s OK to be more lenient. Social media may be just the thing to connect your teen to her friends. These words of reassurance eased our consciences and helped us make sense of the new world of working from home, distance learning and being cooped up. Going online for absurd lengths of time was a stopgap measure to keep us sane. Teens have been surfing the night shift, sleeping away the day. Younger kids are glued to YouTube, and tweens are getting social media accounts and watching crazy amounts of TikTok. (Arlene Pellicane, 6/3)

The Washington Post: The Strange New Quiet In New York Emergency Rooms 
Craig Spencer is director of global health in emergency medicine at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center. When you walk into the emergency room now, there is silence. It’s not just fewer patients. Fewer monitors. Fewer dying. There is an actual emptiness. The space seems the same. So do the colleagues you see. And all the patients look like they did before this pandemic upended our lives. But there’s an unshakable unease. Something isn’t right. Something is missing. We don’t talk about it much. Maybe we are all trying to forget? (Craig Spencer, 6/2)

Boston Globe: As Telemedicine Takes Hold, What Are Doctors Like Me Missing? 
Despite its limitations, telehealth is here to stay, and there are some benefits. There’s a lot to learn from seeing a family’s home environment, and the endorsement of my treatment plan by what I call “the voice of God” — the grandmother speaking off-camera — is invaluable. Virtual appointments work for simple health ailments and are convenient for working parents or those recovering from childbirth or surgery. But continuing this service will require more fiscal support for innovative measures such as our vaccine van; infant care videos translated into many languages; more support staff such as social workers and patient navigators with diverse language capabilities; and appropriate reimbursement from insurers for the novel, but not lesser, clinical management involved. Cyndie Hatcher, 6/3)

The Wall Street Journal: The Lancet, HCL And Trump 
One of the tragedies of the Trump era is how opposition to the President has caused some institutions to drop their standards. The FBI’s FISA warrant abuse is one example, and the overt media “resistance” is another. Now it may have contaminated the fight against Covid-19. (6/3)

The Washington Post: In France’s Coronavirus Crisis, The Undocumented Are Being Left Behind 
The coronavirus crisis has upended France’s political establishment. As a public health emergency evolves into what looks set to be a grueling recession, President Emmanuel Macron has seen his recent bump in approval slip, and his party’s high brass is openly preparing a change of tack. Pro-business reform appears off the table — at least for now — and a more socially conscious agenda has taken its place.It may not last long, but the shift is real: The government has launched talks with labor unions over how to improve the health sector, it’s expected to unveil new environmental measures, and it may even scrap unpopular pension reforms that sparked one of the longest strike movements in French history. But one absence from the national conversation is especially glaring: the lack of support for undocumented immigrants. (Cole Stangler, 6/3)

The Washington Post: Cities Will Make A Comeback After The Coronavirus. They Almost Always Do.
In the long run, the cities will almost certainly bounce back, because in the long run, the cities always seem to bounce back. No matter how unlikely that may seem at the moment. Rome endured through centuries of plague and sackings, even though for some time its population diminished to the point where goats were grazed and vineyards planted inside the Aurelian walls. It’s now bigger than ever. Individual cities can fall, or even vanish, but over the course of human history, The City has only grown, despite the predictions of countless generations of pastoral fantasists. (Megan McArdle, 6/3)

San Francisco Chronicle: What New York, San Francisco Should Learn From Each Other’s Pandemic Response 
Where New York can learn from San Francisco is the way it started to tap back into its progressive core. It was the first major city to offer free testing to all residents and essential workers. It instituted the first rent relief protocols and suspended evictions. It was the first to mandate protections to some gig workers who have become a lifeline to those sheltering in place. Recognizing jails would be prone to outbreaks, it cut its prisoner population by nearly half. (Cary McClelland, 6/4)