NBC News: U.S. Surpasses 400,000 Covid Deaths Nearly One Year After Nation's First Confirmed Case
More than 400,000 people have died of the coronavirus in the U.S., according to an NBC News tally early Tuesday, a milestone that seemed unimaginable at the start of the pandemic a year ago. More than 2 million people have been recorded killed by the virus worldwide, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. death toll is the world's worst, even though it makes up less than 5 percent of the world's population. As of early Tuesday, there have been 400,103 U.S. deaths, according to NBC News' count. The U.S. confirmed its first case of the virus in Seattle on Jan. 21, 2020. (Talmazan and Elbaum, 1/19)

The New York Times: One Year, 400,000 Coronavirus Deaths: How The U.S. Guaranteed Its Own Failure
For nearly the entire pandemic, political polarization and a rejection of science have stymied the United States’ ability to control the coronavirus. That has been clearest and most damaging at the federal level, where Mr. Trump claimed that the virus would “disappear,” clashed with his top scientists and, in a pivotal failure, abdicated responsibility for a pandemic that required a national effort to defeat it, handing key decisions over to states under the assumption that they would take on the fight and get the country back to business. (Mervosh, Baker, Mazzei and Walker, 1/17)

USA Today: 'Blood On His Hands': As US Nears 400,000 COVID-19 Deaths, Experts Blame Trump Administration For A 'Preventable' Loss Of Life
That total is fast approaching the 405,000 U.S. fatalities from World War II – thousands of them recorded when Harry Truman was president after Franklin Delano Roosevelt died in April 1945 – to rank as the third-deadliest event in the history of the republic. About 618,000-750,000 were killed in the Civil War of 1861-1865. Many public health experts and historians blame the Trump administration for the extent of the COVID-19 devastation. (Ortiz, 1/17)

The Washington Post: 400,000: The Invisible Deaths Of Covid-19
In a Connecticut hospital room, a woman less than 48 hours from death posted on Facebook: “It is now just a matter of trying to keep me comfortable till I pass.” A few days before Christmas, less than a week before he died at home, a California man texted his daughter: “Vaccines on the way. Gettin kinda close.” Nearly 400,000 Americans have now died of covid-19. It took 12 weeks for the death toll to rise from 200,000 to 300,000. The death toll has leaped from 300,000 to almost 400,000 in less than five weeks. (Fisher, Rozsa, Kreidler and Gowen, 1/17)

In related news —

AP: Coronavirus Deaths Rising In 30 US States Amid Winter Surge
Coronavirus deaths are rising in nearly two-thirds of American states as a winter surge pushes the overall toll toward 400,000 amid warnings that a new, highly contagious variant is taking hold. As Americans observed a national holiday Monday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo pleaded with federal authorities to curtail travel from countries where new variants are spreading. Referring to new versions detected in Britain, South Africa and Brazil, Cuomo said: “Stop those people from coming here.... Why are you allowing people to fly into this country and then it’s too late?” (Crary, 1/19)

The Hill: Worldwide Coronavirus Deaths Pass 2 Million 
The world passed 2 million coronavirus deaths on Friday, a stunning toll that is continuing to rise as more contagious variants of the virus take hold. The United States has had, by far, the most deaths and cases of any country in the world, at more than 390,000 fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins University. Brazil, India, Mexico and the United Kingdom follow. (Sullivan, 1/15)

AP: A New COVID-19 Challenge: Mutations Rise Along With Cases
The race against the virus that causes COVID-19 has taken a new turn: Mutations are rapidly popping up, and the longer it takes to vaccinate people, the more likely it is that a variant that can elude current tests, treatments and vaccines could emerge. The coronavirus is becoming more genetically diverse, and health officials say the high rate of new cases is the main reason. Each new infection gives the virus a chance to mutate as it makes copies of itself, threatening to undo the progress made so far to control the pandemic. (Marchione, 1/19)

Stat: What We Now Know — And Don’t Know — About The Coronavirus Variants
The coronavirus variants are, in a word, confusing. By now, you have likely heard about different variants that first raised trouble in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, and now maybe California — though the jury is very much out on whether that last one is cause for concern. To make a messy alphabet soup even more jumbled, these variants have unwieldy names, and they each contain mutations with unwieldy names of their own. (Joseph, 1/19)

The Atlantic: The Coronavirus Variants Reveal A Troubling New Pattern
For most of 2020, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 jumped from human to human, accumulating mutations at a steady rate of two per month—not especially impressive for a virus. These mutations have largely had little effect. But recently, three distinct versions of the virus seem to have independently converged on some of the same mutations, despite being thousands of miles apart in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Brazil. (A mutation is a genetic change; a variant is a virus with a specific set of mutations.) The fact that these mutations have popped up not one, not two, but now three times—that we know of—in variants with unusual behavior suggests that they confer an evolutionary advantage to the virus. All three variants seem to be becoming more common. And all three are potentially more transmissible. (Zhang, 1/18)

Also —

Politico: New Coronavirus Variant Identified In German Hospital 
A new variant of the coronavirus has been identified in a hospital in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, a Bavarian ski town, local media reported Monday. Last Tuesday, the hospital discovered an "abnormality" for the first time in a coronavirus test device that indicated it was not one of the variants from the U.K., South Africa, or Brazil, said Clemens Stockklausner, deputy medical director at the hospital, during a press conference. (Gehrke, 1/18)

Bloomberg: South Africa’s New Virus Strain Is 50% More Infectious
South Africa’s genomic scientists have found the new coronavirus variant driving the country’s resurgence of new cases is about 50% more transmissible than earlier versions. The 501.V2 strain identified last month “can attach to human cells more efficiently” than its predecessors, Salim Abdool Karim, co-chair of the Covid-19 ministerial advisory committee, said in a presentation. However, data show it is not more likely to cause hospitalization or death, he said Monday. (Cele and Bowker, 1/18)

In news about the U.K. variant —

Stat: Coronavirus Variant Could Become Dominant Strain By March, CDC Warns
A new, more transmissible variant of the virus that causes Covid-19 could sweep the United States in coming weeks and become the dominant strain as soon as March, leading to a new surge of cases through the spring, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Friday. The CDC believes the variant, known as B117, is still circulating at low levels in the U.S. Only 76 infections caused by the new variant have been detected, in 12 states, though testing for it has not been routinely conducted. (Branswell, 1/15)

The Hill: CDC: More Contagious COVID-19 Variant Could Be Dominant US Strain By March 
A more contagious variant of COVID-19 that originated in the United Kingdom could be the predominant strain in the U.S. by March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned Friday. The new variant could threaten already strained health care resources, require extended and more rigorous use of public health strategies and increase the percentage of the population immunity needed for herd immunity, said authors of a CDC report. (Hellmann, 1/15)

Fox News: UK Coronavirus Variant Identified In Massachusetts For First Time
Massachusetts health officials on Sunday announced the state’s first known case of the more contagious coronavirus variant initially detected in the U.K, known as B.1.1.7. The mutated strain was detected in a female Boston resident in her 20s who had traveled to the U.K., according to a statement from the public health department. Though the woman tested negative before leaving the U.K., she became sick one day after her arrival in the U.S. and later tested positive. The CDC currently requires passengers traveling from the U.K. to the U.S. to provide negative COVID-19 test results within three days of travel. (As of Jan. 26, all international passengers flying into the United States will need to provide the same, per the CDC.) The statement did not specify when the woman was tested. (Rivas, 1/18)

Fox News: UK Coronavirus Variant Seen In Louisiana For First Time: Officials
Yet another state has identified its first case of the more contagious coronavirus variant known as B.1.1.7 that was first discovered in the United Kingdom late last year. Louisiana health officials over the weekend announced the state’s first case of the mutation, which was identified "in an individual in the Greater New Orleans area." No other details were provided. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards urged state residents to "double down" on effective mitigation measures now that the state has identified its first case of the variant. (Farber, 1/18)

The New York Times: Inside The B.1.1.7 Coronavirus Variant 
At the heart of each coronavirus is its genome, a twisted strand of nearly 30,000 “letters” of RNA. These genetic instructions force infected human cells to assemble up to 29 kinds of proteins that help the coronavirus multiply and spread. As viruses replicate, small copying errors known as mutations naturally arise in their genomes. A lineage of coronaviruses will typically accumulate one or two random mutations each month. (Corum and Zimmer, 1/18)

The Washington Post: Another Coronavirus Variant Linked To Growing Share Of Cases, Several Large Outbreaks, In California
A coronavirus variant first identified in Denmark has ripped through Northern California — including outbreaks at nursing homes, jails and a hospital in the San Jose area — prompting state and local officials to investigate whether it may be more transmissible. California officials disclosed the rise of the variant Sunday night after genetic monitoring linked it to a fast-growing share of new cases, as well as to the outbreaks in Santa Clara county, which includes San Jose. (Nirappil, 1/18)

San Francisco Chronicle: New Coronavirus Variant Found In Bay Area Linked To Massive Kaiser Outbreak
The variant, which is labeled L452R, is different from the highly-transmissible B.1.1.7 variant that was first found in the United Kingdom. ... Cody confirmed that the variant was identified in the massive outbreak at a Kaiser Permanente emergency room in San Jose, which sickened more than 90 staff and patients people and led to one death. An inflatable Christmas costume, powered by an air pump, may have helped the virus to spread. (Morris, 1/17)

Los Angeles Times: Another New Coronavirus Variant Found Across California 
The new variant has also been reported in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Francisco, San Bernardino, San Diego, Humboldt, Lake, Mono, Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties. Scientists say they don’t know how prevalent the strain is, because viral genomic sequencing isn’t performed everywhere across the state or the country. (Nelson, 1/17)

Deadline: Another New Covid-19 Variant Discovered In L.A. Might Be Vaccine Resistant, Researcher Says; Strain First Identified In Denmark
Dr. Charles Chiu, a virologist and professor of laboratory medicine at UCSF who, in concert with state authorities, has been genetically sequencing test samples to identify new variants said early indications are the L452R might be less susceptible to the currently approved vaccines, but more investigation is needed. “This variant carries three mutations, including L452R, in the spike protein, which the virus uses to attach to and enter cells, and is the target of the two vaccines that are currently available in the United States,” said Dr. Chiu. A spike protein mutation could, then, interfere with the vaccine’s efficacy. (Tapp, 1/18)

The Wall Street Journal: Newly Reported U.S. Covid-19 Infections Fall For Third Day
Newly reported Covid-19 cases in the U.S. were down again from a day earlier, as were deaths and hospitalizations, as the nation ended a three-day weekend. The U.S. reported more than 137,000 new infections for Monday, taking the total to more than 24 million cases, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and made public early Tuesday morning. That represented a decline from the 177,918 cases reported a day earlier and was the third day in a row to register a day-over-day decrease. Monday’s figure was down from a week-earlier 213,304. (Martin, 1/19)

Pennlive.Com: Good COVID-19 News: Pa. Hospitalizations Fall Well Below Post-Thanksgiving Peak 
Fewer than 4,600 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Pennsylvania as of Sunday, one of several hopeful indicators. Hospitalizations are well below the peak of about 6,300 that followed the Thanksgiving holiday, when COVID-19 patients pushed some hospitals near the breaking point. The number in intensive care, 945 as of Sunday, also was well below the peak. (Wenner, 1/18)

Democrat & Chronicle: COVID-19 Cases Fall In New York, But Not As Quickly As The Rest Of The Nation
New York reported 106,969 new cases of the coronavirus in the week ending Sunday, down 4.2% from the previous week. The decline was good news, but it wasn't as steep as the nation as a whole last week as COVID cases fell 11% from the previous week, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data show. (Spector and Stucka, 1/18)

WSYX: New Coronavirus Cases Fall Under 5,000 In Ohio Monday 
New coronavirus cases dropped under 5,000 in Ohio for the first time in at least three weeks. The Ohio Department of Health reports cases increased by 4,312 to 831,066 total. The new case numbers are the lowest on the 21-day average. (White, 1/18)

WRAL.Com: With Holidays Behind Us, NC Reports Fewer New COVID-19 Cases, Deaths 
While the numbers are still high and concerning, North Carolina has reported fewer new COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations, which could indicate that our post-holiday spike is subsiding. According to the state, over 8,000,000 COVID-19 tests have been performed in North Carolina. The state's percentage of positive cases is at 10%, which is still higher than experts want it to be but the lowest percentage reported since Dec. 23. (Patrick, 1/18)

AP: Nebraska COVID Hospitalizations Drop To Lowest Since Oct. 26
The number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus in Nebraska has dropped to its lowest point in nearly three months, according to state statistics. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services’ online virus tracker shows 429 people were hospitalized Sunday with COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. That’s the lowest number since Oct. 26, when 427 people were hospitalized. The number of new daily cases jumped on Sunday, to 1.061 from 741 on Saturday and 672 on Friday, but was still well below the record 3,440 cases recorded on Nov. 16. State officials have confirmed 181,978 cases and 1,837 deaths in Nebraska since the pandemic began. (1/18)

AP: Iowa Virus Hospitalizations Rise Sunday, But Still Under 500
The number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus in Iowa rose over a 24-hour period this weekend, but remained below the threshold of 500 that plagued the state since October. The Iowa Department of Public Health said 484 people were being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals on Sunday, up 10 from Saturday but down from 505 on Friday. Saturday’s number of 474 was the first time since Oct. 18 that the number of people hospitalized was below 500. (1/18)

Anchorage Daily News: With Fewer New Cases And A Bolstered Workforce, Alaska’s COVID-19 Contact Tracing Is Finally Rebounding
Back in November, with COVID-19 cases surging and the state’s contact tracing corps overwhelmed, officials implored people testing positive to reach out on their own to the people they might have infected. But, now Alaska’s contact tracing effort is rebounding after several months of hiring and several weeks of decreased daily cases. At the moment, once contact tracers are notified of the new positive, they’ll reach out within the day, said Tim Struna, who heads up the section of public health nursing for Alaska. It takes on average statewide around three days between the time someone might pull into a drive-through testing site and get their nose swabbed to when a contact tracer calls them. (Krakow, 1/18)

AP: California Becomes First State To Top 3 Million Virus Cases
California on Monday became the first state to record more than 3 million known coronavirus infections. The grim milestone, as tallied by Johns Hopkins University, wasn’t entirely unexpected in a state with 40 million residents but its speed stunning. The state only reached 2 million reported cases on Dec. 24. The first coronavirus case in California was confirmed last Jan. 25. It took 292 days to get to 1 million infections on Nov. 11 and 44 days to top 2 million. (Jablon, 1/18)

CBS News: Backlog Of Bodies Caused By COVID-19 Forces California Air Quality Agency To Suspend Cremation Limits 
The lack of storage space for those who have died of the coronavirus forced the agency which regulates air quality across the Southland to issue an emergency order Sunday night lifting the limit on the number of cremations allowed. The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued the emergency order temporarily suspending permit requirements for crematoriums. CBS Los Angeles reports the order was issued at the request of both the Los Angeles County coroner's office and the L.A. County Department of Public Health. (1/18)

CNN: Air Quality Regulator Temporarily Suspends Cremation Limits For LA County Amid 'Backlog' From Pandemic
As Los Angeles County battles against the unrelenting coronavirus, an air pollution control agency says it has temporarily suspended limits on cremations in order to assist crematoriums in the county with a "backlog" caused by the pandemic. The South Coast Air Quality Management District said in a news release Sunday that permits for crematoriums usually contain limits on the number of human remains that can be cremated each month, based on the potential impact they will have on air quality. (Humayun and Maxouris, 1/18)

Also —

Politico: Pandemic Reveals Tale Of 2 Californias Like Never Before 
The tale of two Californias has never been clearer. As Bay Area tech workers set up home offices to avoid coronavirus exposure, grocers, farm workers and warehouse employees in the Central Valley never stopped reporting to job sites. Renters pleaded for eviction relief while urban professionals fled for suburbs and resort towns, taking advantage of record-low interest rates to buy bigger, better homes. Most of the state’s 6 million public school children are learning remotely, while affluent families opted for private classrooms that are up and running. California has long been a picture of inequality, but the pandemic has widened the gap in ways few could have imagined. (Mays, 1/17)

Los Angeles Times: California Warns Against Using A Batch Of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines After Allergic Reactions
California’s top epidemiologist told healthcare providers on Sunday to stop using a batch of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine after a “higher than usual” number of people had apparent allergic reactions at a San Diego vaccination clinic. Dr. Erica Pan, the state epidemiologist, said Sunday that “out of an extreme abundance of caution,” providers should stop using the doses until federal, state and company officials finish an investigation. (Nelson, 1/18)

San Francisco Chronicle: Allergic Reactions That Caused California To Halt 330,000 Vaccine Doses Occurred At San Diego’s Petco Park
More than 330,000 doses from this batch, or lot, were sent to 287 providers across the state, including some in the Bay Area. The doses, which expire in July, will not be thrown out. They will be kept in storage until public health and Moderna officials who are investigating the cases know more about what caused the allergic reactions. The state hopes to provide more information this week. “It’s probably prudent to hold them, but every time a vaccine isn’t given out, it’s slowing us down,” said Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease physician at UCSF. (Ho, 1/18)

CNN: California Pauses Covid-19 Shots From One Lot Of Vaccine Containing More Than 330,000 Doses 
Health officials in California are telling medical providers across the state not to administer doses from one lot of Moderna's coronavirus vaccine while they investigate possible severe allergic reactions last week in a number of people who got shots at a community vaccination clinic. More than 330,000 doses from the lot were distributed to 287 providers across the state from January 5-12. (Bonifield, 1/18)

In global news about the Pfizer vaccine —

CNN: Norway Reviewing Pfizer/BioNTech Vaccine Deaths Of Frail And Elderly Patients 
Doctors in Norway are investigating the deaths of 23 elderly patients who had received the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, looking into the possibility that adverse reactions to the shot "may have contributed to a fatal outcome in some frail patients. "The vaccine's side-effects are rare and usually mild. But they could include fever and nausea, which could be dangerous in very ill and frail patients. (Kottasova, Dean and Sealy, 1/19)

Bloomberg: Covid-19 Vaccine-Related Deaths: Norway Officials Say No Direct Link To Shot 
Health authorities in Norway sought to allay safety concerns raised by the death of some elderly patients after they were vaccinated against Covid-19, saying there’s no evidence of a direct link. The initial reports from Norway raised alarm as the world looks for early signs of potential side effects from the vaccines. Although doctors say it’s possible that vaccine side-effects could aggravate underlying illnesses, they were expecting nursing-home residents to die shortly after being vaccinated because deaths are more common among the frailest and sickest elderly patients. (Taraldsen and Kresge, 1/18)

The Denver Channel: Amid Alex Azar’s Resignation, He Admits There Isn’t A Reserve Coronavirus Vaccine Stockpile
As copies of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar’s resignation letter was published online on Friday, Azar conceded in an interview with NBC News’ Lester Holt that there is not a reserve coronavirus vaccine stockpile. Earlier this week, the federal government announced that coronavirus vaccine doses would begin being distributed as soon as they were ready. It turns out that has been the case for some time as the government has not been holding back doses for booster shots. The booster shots come three to four weeks after administering the first dose of the vaccine. (Boggs, 1/15)

Vox: Alex Azar’s Resignation Letter Paints A Misleading Picture Of Trump’s Coronavirus Response 
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar this week warned President Donald Trump that, despite what he described as achievements by HHS under his watch, Trump’s “actions and rhetoric following the election ... threaten to tarnish these and other historic legacies of this administration.” “The attacks on the Capitol were an assault on our democracy,” Azar said in a letter released this week ahead of his departure from the government on January 20. “I implore you to continue to condemn unequivocally any form of violence ... and continue to support unreservedly the peaceful and orderly transition of power.” (Peters, 1/16)

The Hill: Governors Say No Additional Vaccine Doses Coming, Despite Trump Admin Promise 
Governors are accusing the Trump administration of lying about the availability of additional coronavirus vaccines, following an announcement from top officials that doses will no longer be held in reserve. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said this week the administration would no longer be holding back the second of two doses, and encouraged states to open vaccination eligibility to more people. But governors say there is no reserve and their limited supply of vaccines will not increase. (Weixel, 1/15)

Newsweek: HHS Secretary Alex Azar Calls Governors' Vaccine Rollout Criticism 'Completely Misleading'
Secretary of Health and Human Services (HSS) Alex Azar fired back at governors who accused the Trump administration of failing to provide a promised stockpile of new vaccine doses this week."The letter and assertions of several Democratic governors are completely misleading and are a debasement to the exceptional partnership the President, Vice President, and I have built with the nation's governors," Azar tweeted Saturday. (Colarossi, 1/16)

ABC 27: Federal Government Isn't "Releasing The Entire Supply" Of COVID-19 Vaccines Says Azar
Several governors are accusing the Trump administration of lying that 20 million more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were about to become available. Earlier this week Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the federal government was “releasing the entire supply” to states “rather than holding second doses” in reserve. “Operation Warp Speed has asked us to start shipping second doses only recently,” Pfizer said in a statement. Pfizer said they are working “to ensure Americans receive their first and second doses of the vaccine on time.” (Brown, 1/16)

Also —

New York Post: ​HHS Chief Alex Azar Criticizes Biden's COVID-19 Vaccine Goal
Health and Human Services administrator Alex Azar said Monday if the incoming Biden administration achieves its goal of 100 million shots in arms in the first 100 days, that would be a “squandering of the opportunity” the Trump White House has laid out for them. Incoming White House chief of staff Ron Klain said Team Biden is “inheriting a huge mess” when it comes to vaccine distribution and that they would set a goal of “100 million inoculations in 100 days.”  (Moore, 1/18)

NPR: CDC Director Robert Redfield Defends Pandemic Response
Redfield's departure on Wednesday, when President-elect Joe Biden will usher in a new administration, comes as a record surge in COVID-19 cases is sweeping across the country. The U.S. has far surpassed all other nations with more than 23 million virus-related cases and more than 391,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. But, even as the pandemic enters its deadliest stage yet, Redfield told NPR on Friday that the country is "about to be in the worst" months of the crisis. As his tenure winds down, the CDC director said in an interview with All Things Considered that he stands by his federal health agency's response to the pandemic despite what he characterized as an early "learning curve" and conflicting public health guidance from President Trump. (Louise Kelly, 1/15)

The New York Times: Without A National Strategy, U.S. States Were Left To Battle The Virus On Their Own.
For nearly the entire pandemic, political polarization and a rejection of science have stymied the United States’ ability to control the coronavirus. That has been clearest and most damaging at the federal level, where President Trump claimed that the virus would “disappear,” clashed with his top scientists and abdicated responsibility for a pandemic that required a national effort to defeat it, handing key decisions to states under the assumption that they would take on the fight and get the country back to business. (1/18)

Politico: The Crash Landing Of 'Operation Warp Speed'
As the nation’s Covid-19 response was careening off the rails in March and April 2020, about a dozen top health and defense department officials huddled in antiseptic meeting rooms to devise what they believed would be the Trump administration’s greatest triumph — a vaccine program so fast, so special, so successful that grateful Americans would forgive earlier failures and business schools would teach classes about it for decades. They dubbed their project "MP2," for a second Manhattan Project, after the race to create the nuclear weapons that ended World War II. Alex Azar, the Health and Human Services secretary who was often at odds with the White House and his own department, sounded like an Army general rallying his troops: “If we can develop an atomic bomb in 2.5 years and put a man on the moon in seven years, we can do this this year, in 2020," Azar would declare, according to his deputy chief of staff, Paul Mango, who helped lead the strategy sessions. (Diamond, 1/17)

WRIC: Translation On Virginia Department Of Health’s Website Told Spanish Readers They Didn’t Need The COVID-19 Vaccine
A Google generated translation on the Virginia Department of Health’s website told Spanish-readers that the COVID-19 vaccine was “not necessary.” The Virginian Pilot first reported the issue on Monday after a member of the Virginia Vaccination Advisory Workgroup raised concerns about a faulty translation. The translation in question was part of VDH’s "Frequently Asked Questions" page that translated “the vaccine is not required” to “la vacuna no es necesaria” — “the vaccine is not necessary.” (Manzanares, 1/18)

Richmond Times Dispatch: Virginia Uses Google Translate For COVID Vaccine Information. Here's How That Magnifies Language Barriers, Misinformation
Immigrant advocates and certified translators said the state’s failure to prioritize adequate translation showed Virginia’s lack of investment in populations already facing a trust gap in the health care system and language barriers that have historically limited access to medical care. (Moreno, 1/14)

In other news about the vaccination effort —

GeekWire: Microsoft Campus Near Seattle Will Be Used To Administer COVID-19 Vaccine 
Microsoft is turning its empty campus into a COVID-19 vaccination site. The Redmond, Wash.-based tech giant is working with the state of Washington and local hospitals to open up buildings at its headquarters for vaccine administration. Microsoft President Brad Smith made the announcement Monday as part of Gov. Jay Inslee’s news conference detailing the state’s new COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan. (Soper, 1/18)

CNN: Washington State Announces Partnership With Companies Including Starbucks And Microsoft To Boost Vaccinations 
Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee announced on Monday a series of new efforts to help boost the state's Covid-19 vaccinations, including partnerships with companies like Starbucks and Microsoft. Inslee revealed in a news conference the state has established a "public private partnership" between the health department and other business, health care and labor leaders, dubbed the "Washington State Vaccine Command and Coordination Center." (Rose and Maxouris, 1/19)

Politico: L.A. Schools Chief Wants To Launch California's Largest Teacher Vaccine Effort
Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner is calling on state and local health officials to immediately allow the district to turn its more than 1,400 schools into Covid-19 vaccination sites, focusing on shots for teachers and school staff in what would become California's biggest education vaccine push. California has prioritized teachers among vaccine recipients but left distribution up to counties, and there is no large-scale effort yet to inoculate school employees in the state. Gov. Gavin Newsom altered the state's vaccine course Wednesday when he announced residents 65 years and older could receive shots in a bid to accelerate vaccinations and protect a high-risk population. (Mays, 1/18)

Boston Globe: Hundreds Of Medical Professionals Call On Baker To Prioritize Vaccine Access For Black And Immigrant Communities
On the day the state’s first mass vaccination site launched at Gillette Stadium, community activists and medical professionals Monday called on Governor Charlie Baker and state public health officials to prioritize access to the COVID-19 vaccine to the Black and immigrant communities in Massachusetts. “Our Black and Latino neighbors have been the hardest hit by the pandemic, and we have failed to implement sufficient measures to protect them,” said a letter signed by more than 250 and delivered to Baker on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. “We cannot afford to neglect our hotspot communities during the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine.” (Krueger, 1/18)

In related news —

KHN: Black Americans Are Getting Vaccinated At Lower Rates Than White Americans 
Black Americans are receiving covid vaccinations at dramatically lower rates than white Americans in the first weeks of the chaotic rollout, according to a new KHN analysis. About 3% of Americans have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine so far. But in 16 states that have released data by race, white residents are being vaccinated at significantly higher rates than Black residents, according to the analysis — in many cases two to three times higher. (Recht and Weber, 1/17)

Courier-Journal: COVID-19 Vaccine: Leaders Look To Build Trust In Black Community
Louisville officials and health care leaders on Monday expressed the importance of addressing the longstanding mistrust of medical professionals by the Black community, especially as more COVID-19 vaccine doses become available. During Mayor Greg Fischer's Martin Luther King Jr. Day virtual panel discussion about COVID-19's disproportionate impact on the Black community, he said the city prioritized underserved communities by setting up more COVID-19 testing sites in those areas. Vaccinations will be prioritized for those most at risk of complications, taking into consideration race, he said. While mortality rates tied to the coronavirus are proportionate to the city's population of Black residents, the infection rate is 25% to 30% higher than that of white residents, Fischer said. (Kachmar, 1/18)

Politico: Who Is ‘Essential’? Food And Farm Workers Left In Limbo In Vaccine Priorities 
The nation’s food workers, hit hard by Covid-19 infections throughout the crisis, are finding resistance in the race to get vaccinated. The industry is clamoring to prioritize frontline food workers who kept Americans fed throughout the worst of the pandemic even as thousands of them fell sick and hundreds died. But limited doses and a haphazard patchwork of distribution plans are leading to fears that thousands more workers will get hit — potentially stymieing food production in the coming weeks and months. (Bustillo and McCrimmon, 1/17)

The New York Times: Trump Orders Lifting Of Virus Travel Ban, But Biden Aides Vow To Block Move 
President Trump on Monday ordered an end to the ban on travelers from Europe and Brazil that had been aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus to the United States, a move quickly rejected by aides to President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr., who said Mr. Biden will maintain the ban when he takes office on Wednesday. In a proclamation issued late Monday, Mr. Trump said that the travel restrictions, which apply to noncitizens trying to come to the United States after spending time in those areas, would no longer be needed on Jan. 26, the date on which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will start requiring all passengers from abroad to present proof of a negative coronavirus test before boarding a flight. (Shear, 1/18)

The Wall Street Journal: Biden Rejects Trump’s Push To Lift Covid-19 Travel Restrictions 
But Mr. Biden’s incoming White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, wrote on Twitter on Monday night that the Biden administration wouldn’t lift the travel restrictions on Jan. 26. “With the pandemic worsening, and more contagious variants emerging around the world, this is not the time to be lifting restrictions on international travel,” she wrote. “On the advice of our medical team, the Administration does not intend to lift these restrictions on 1/26. In fact, we plan to strengthen public health measures around international travel in order to further mitigate the spread of Covid-19.”. (Sider and Restuccia, 1/18)

Bloomberg: Biden Rejects Trump Plan To Rescind EU, U.K., Brazil Travel Bans
President-elect Joe Biden’s incoming administration rejected a move by President Donald Trump to rescind coronavirus-related travel bans for non-American citizens arriving from the European Union, the U.K. and Brazil, which means the curbs will stay in effect. Trump said in a White House announcement Monday that the bans could be lifted because of a decision last week by the administration to require international travelers to present either the results of a negative recent coronavirus test or evidence that they had already recovered from the disease. The change would go into effect starting Jan. 26, six days after Biden takes office. (Sink and Levin, 1/18)

The New York Times: Vaccine Critics Received More Than $1 Million In Pandemic Relief Loans 
The Paycheck Protection Program’s loose rules allowed virtually any small business or company in America to qualify for a government-backed relief loan. ... Now the federal loan program has drawn criticism for giving loans to organizations that have challenged the safety of vaccines. ... The groups that received the loans are Children’s Health Defense, an organization founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; the Informed Consent Action Network; the National Vaccine Information Center; Mercola.com Health Resources and Mercola Consulting Services, both affiliated with the prominent vaccine skeptic Joseph Mercola; and the Tenpenny Integrative Medical Center, a medical practice run by Sherri Tenpenny, a physician and author whose books include “Saying No to Vaccines: A Resource Guide for All Ages.” (Cowley, 1/18)

The Washington Post: The Trump Administration Bailed Out Prominent Anti-Vaccine Groups During A Pandemic
Five prominent anti-vaccine organizations that have been known to spread misleading information about the coronavirus received more than $850,000 in loans from the federal Paycheck Protection Program, raising questions about why the government is giving money to groups actively opposing its agenda and seeking to undermine public health during a critical period. ... Several of the Facebook pages of these organizations have been penalized by the social network, including being prohibited from buying advertising, for pushing misinformation about the coronavirus. (Dwoskin and Gregg, 1/18)

Stat: Trump’s HHS Again Delays Oversight Of Covid-19 Funds For Hospitals
The Department of Health and Human Services acted with lightning speed to send health care providers more than $100 billion in Covid-19 relief grants — but it’s lagging on holding them accountable for how those funds were spent. (Cohrs, 1/19)

In other news from the Trump administration —

Politico: Trump Admin Enlists Private Firm To Review Some Covid-19 Tests 
The Department of Health and Human Services is paying a private firm to review the accuracy of some Covid-19 tests — the latest example of the department’s political leadership attempting to bypass scientists at the Food and Drug Administration. The idea behind the last-minute contract, announced days before President Donald Trump leaves office, is that HHS would use the review to issue emergency use authorizations for the tests without input from FDA. (Lim, 1/17)

The Washington Post: Veterans Affairs Employees Say They Need More Support To Fight Covid-19 
With covid-19 ravaging the nation at record rates, many Department of Veterans Affairs employees say they lack the support needed to fight the disease. A survey conducted by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents VA workers, indicates most staffers were not informed when colleagues contracted the coronavirus, about half were not told patients had covid-19 before health-care providers served them, and some workers did not have adequate personal protective equipment to shield against the infection. (Davidson, 1/18)

NPR: Civil Rights Office At HHS Fights Discrimination Of Disabled People In Pandemic
Civil rights officials at the Department of Health and Human Services issued a series of actions to protect people with disabilities from health care discrimination by medical providers during the pandemic. The actions, by the Office of Civil Rights, or OCR, at the Department of Health and Human Services, specifically address discrimination related to the denial of treatment for people with disabilities who have COVID-19 or the symptoms of COVID-19. (Shapiro, 1/15)

CNBC: Biden Covid Advisor Challenges Cuomo's Letter To Buy Vaccine Directly
President-elect Joe Biden’s Covid Advisory Board member Dr. Celine Gounder slammed the Trump administration’s piecemeal Covid response as some states across the U.S. scramble to get the vaccine doses they need. “I think we’ve already had too much of a patchwork response across the states,” Gounder said in a Monday evening interview on “The News with Shepard Smith.” ... On Monday, Cuomo sent a letter to Pfizer asking if the state of New York could buy vaccines directly from the company. Last week, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made a similar request to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. Gounder told host Shepard Smith that this approach could cause more problems than it solves. (DeCiccio, 1/18)

The Wall Street Journal: New York Seeks To Buy Vaccines Directly From Pfizer
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday asked Pfizer Inc. if it would sell its Covid-19 vaccine directly to New York state, to help alleviate a shortfall of federally allocated doses that he blames on the Trump administration. In a letter to Pfizer Chairman and Chief Executive Albert Bourla, the Democratic governor said he was appealing to the company directly after Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar failed to deliver on a commitment to increase the doses to New York state. (Carlton and West, 1/18)

In other news about President-elect Joe Biden —

The New York Times: Biden Will Kick Off Inaugural Events At A Ceremony Honoring Victims Of Covid-19 
President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. will arrive in the nation’s capital on Tuesday evening for an inauguration eve ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool honoring the nearly 400,000 people who have died during the coronavirus pandemic that will be his first priority after he is sworn in the next day. The somber remembrance will kick off two days of in-person and virtual events as Mr. Biden takes the oath of office on Jan. 20, becoming the 46th president of the United States at a time of economic struggle and cultural upheaval in the wake of President Trump’s four years in the White House. (Shear and Thrush, 1/18)

Stat: Biden To Mobilize FEMA, National Guard To Ramp Up Vaccine Distribution
President-elect Biden’s newly released vaccine distribution plan promises to dramatically increase the number of vaccination sites in America by mobilizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Guard, relying on low-income community health centers, and pharmacies around the country. Biden unveiled the plan in a Friday afternoon speech in which he doubled down on his long-stated goal: Administering 100 million vaccine doses in his first 100 days in office. (Florko, 1/15)

The Hill: Biden Inherits Big Challenges From Trump On COVID-19 Vaccines 
President-elect Joe Biden and his team are walking a tightrope with their coronavirus vaccine plan, rolling out an ambitious strategy while also tempering expectations as to how quickly it can be enacted. Biden’s plan, officially announced Friday, is a sweeping proposal aimed at dramatically increasing the federal involvement in the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. (Weixel, 1/17)

KHN: Biden Terms Vaccine Rollout ‘A Dismal Failure’ As He Unveils Pandemic Response Plan
In the past 24 hours, President-elect Joe Biden has delivered two speeches focused on the nation’s covid response. Thursday night, he laid out a $1.9 trillion-dollar plan to address what he’s calling the “twin crises” of the covid-19 pandemic and the economy. (Knight, 1/15)

The Hill: Incoming CDC Director Expects 500,000 Coronavirus Deaths By Mid-February 
The incoming Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director said Sunday that she expects the U.S. will reach 500,000 COVID-19 deaths by mid-February. Rochelle Walensky, President-elect Joe Biden’s named CDC director, told CBS News’ “Face The Nation” that she “unfortunately” agrees with outgoing CDC Director Robert Redfield that the pandemic is going to get worse. (Coleman, 1/17)

The Washington Post: The Health 202: It's Still Unclear Who Will Lead HHS After Biden Is Sworn In 
The government’s sweeping health-care agency will lack a permanent secretary tomorrow when President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in. His pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra, is waiting along with other Biden nominees on confirmation from a slow-moving Senate. But no such obstacle exists for Rochelle Walensky, incoming chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Because the position of CDC director doesn’t require Senate confirmation, Walensky will be able to immediately take the reins at the nation’s public health agency at a critical moment. (Cunningham and Ellerbeck, 1/19)

In other news about the incoming Biden administration —

Stat: Genome Sequencing Pioneer Eric Lander To Lead Science Policy For Biden
President-elect Biden on Thursday nominated Broad Institute president Eric Lander to serve as his science adviser and the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, along with a slate of other top science adviser nominations. Biden also announced that he will elevate his science adviser to a Cabinet-level post, marking the first time in history that the OSTP head has served alongside the heads of federal agencies. (Facher and Joseph, 1/15)

The Wall Street Journal: Yellen Calls For More Aid To Avoid Longer, More Painful Recession 
Janet Yellen, President-elect Joe Biden’s choice for Treasury secretary, plans to tell lawmakers that the U.S. risks a longer, more painful recession unless Congress approves more aid and urge them to “act big” to shore up the recovery. Ms. Yellen is set to testify Tuesday before the Senate Finance Committee, which is considering her nomination, according to a copy of her prepared remarks that was viewed by The Wall Street Journal. (Davidson, 1/18)

Stat: Will The FTC Get Tougher On Pharma Business Practices Under The Biden Administration? 
As the Biden administration begins setting priorities, the Federal Trade Commission is poised to take a tougher stand on some pharmaceutical industry practices, given the potential for anti-competitive behavior to influence prescription drug prices. (Silverman, 1/19)

Modern Healthcare: CMS Will Raise Medicare Advantage Plan Payments By 4.08% In 2022
CMS will raise Medicare Advantage plan payments by 4.08%, the agency announced Friday. It also signed off on its controversial proposal to complete a multiyear phase-in of a new payment methodology. The new process will adjust plan payments using diagnoses solely from encounter data—information created by healthcare providers about patients' medical conditions and treatment. The health insurance industry has long railed against the use of encounter data to adjust their payments. They argue that the data is incomplete and often inaccurate and that using it would lead to lower payments to Advantage plans. (Brady, 1/15)

Modern Healthcare: CMS Finalizes Drug Transparency, Pharmacy Quality Rules
CMS on Friday finalized a rule it estimates will save the federal government $75.4 million over the next decade in Medicare Advantage and Part D payments, with the agency crediting cost-savings to several measures enacted to curb prescription drug spending. Under the new rule, CMS expanded drug and medication therapy management programs that require Medicare Part D plans to review potentially-risky opioid use trends with providers and patients. The final law also requires Medicare Part D sponsors to report payment suspensions against pharmacies facing fraud allegations to CMS, falling in line with the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act, also known as the SUPPORT Act. The legislation also mandated Medicare Advantage and Part D plan sponsors report inappropriate opioid prescriptions and insurers' actions to CMS via a secure internet portal. (Tepper, 1/15)

In other news about the price of medications —

Stat: Maryland Senate Overrides Governor's Veto Of Medicine Affordability Board
In response to the rising cost of medicines, the Maryland state Senate overrode a veto issued last year by Gov. Larry Hogan, who objected to funding a so-called ‘Prescription Drug Affordability Board.’ The board was created two years ago to establish maximum prices that the state and local governments will pay for “high-cost” medicines. (Silverman, 1/15)

KHN: ‘An Arm And A Leg’: Host Dan Weissmann Talks Price Transparency On ‘Axios Today’
As we settle into the new year, we have two small doses of good news. First, a new federal rule could help cut through one health care issue. Host Dan Weissmann talked about the rule — which requires hospitals to make public the prices they negotiate with insurers — in a short conversation with his former public-radio colleague, Niala Boodhoo, for the daily-news podcast “Axios Today.” (Weissmann, 1/19)

Houston Chronicle: Doctors, Patients Locked Out Of Heights Hospital
Doctors and patients were locked out of Heights Hospital on Monday after its management failed to pay rent, according to a letter posted on the door of the building. Heights Hospital, once an acute-care hospital, is now largely an outpatient clinic providing office space for primary care doctor and specialist offices. The lockout, which doctors said happened without notice, disrupted care, including COVID-19 tests. Doctors pulled a cart into the parking lot with some medical supplies to treat patients in the parking lot. (Carballo and Wu, 1/18)

KHOU.com: Heights Hospital Locked, Tenant Owes About $1 Million In Rent 
On Monday, doctors and patients at The Heights Hospital arrived to find a baffling scene. They were locked out and a note on the door said the locks were changed because the tenant owed about $1 million in rent. "Please be advised that the door locks to the leased premises have been changed and tenant shall be excluded therefrom due to non-payment of rent," the note read. (McCord, 1/18)

ABC13 Houston: Heights Hospital Closes Because Owners Are Behind On Rent, Notice Says  
Staff members said they were given no warning or opportunity to alert their patients or collect their personal items from inside. "I tried to contact the owners," said Dr. Felicity Mack, who is listed as a physician at the hospital. "They aren't responding. The title company is not responding. We are really not getting any answers, but at the end of the day, my primary concern, like I said, is my patients." Mack attempted to treat patients who needed help with wound care in the parking lot on Monday, but was unable to get any other equipment from inside to treat others, like Linda Fisher. (Hatfield, 1/18)

In other health care industry news —

Modern Healthcare: Federal Regulators Ask Insurers For Claims Data
Antitrust regulators have asked six health insurers for claims data as they study the impact of physician consolidation. The Federal Trade Commission's request late Thursday is part of the FTC's revamp of its merger retrospective program, given the lack of detailed information on how physician practice mergers and hospital acquisitions of physicians affect competition, the commission said. Regulators hope the analysis determines whether the agency's threshold for bringing an enforcement action in a merger case has been too permissive. (Kacik, 1/15)

The Washington Post: After Months Of Trauma, Vaccinated Health-Care Workers Welcome A Surprising Emotion: Hope
For weeks, the long-term care facility where Linda Green works as a nurse looked to her like a battlefield hospital, swathed in plastic drapes separating the ill from the uninfected. The coronavirus ripped through the western Maryland facility like wildfire at the end of 2020, deepening Green’s fear that she, at 73, might bring the virus home to her husband, who is 84.Then she received a coronavirus shot. It felt like any other vaccination, leaving her with mild upper arm soreness but no other physical side effects. The emotional effects, however, were remarkable. Even thinking of the vaccine, Green said two weeks after receiving the Moderna shot, makes her practically “cry with relief” as she pictures a brighter future for herself and those she cares for. (Brulliard, 1/18)

The Hill: Health Workers Refusing Vaccine Is New Growing US Problem 
Scores of health care workers are still declining to take the COVID-19 vaccine, presenting problems to the pandemic response by sending the wrong message to the public and risking staff shortages if workers become sick. It’s all happening as a more contagious variant of the virus begins spreading in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday warned this strain could be the dominant one hitting the United States by March. (Hellmann, 1/18)

The New York Times: Some Medical Students Wait In Line For Covid Vaccine, While Others Share Selfies Of Shots 
In early January, Nali Gillespie watched her social media feeds fill with vaccine selfies: Photo after photo of her peers at other medical schools around the country posed proudly next to a syringe with their dose of either the Moderna or Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. But Ms. Gillespie — who is in her third year at Duke University School of Medicine and is focused on research rather than clinical training — knew she wouldn’t be able to join them yet. (Goldberg, 1/14)

Philadelphia Inquirer: COVID-19 Vaccine Rules Spark Confusion For Some In Philly. Others Are Jumping The Line
A partnership between Rite Aid and the City of Philadelphia, intended to help get the vaccine to health-care workers, has enabled ineligible people to jump the line and get protection ahead of that top-priority group, called 1a, which is at high risk of exposure to the coronavirus. Complaints “are coming to us from all angles that these [Rite Aid vaccine scheduling links] are being shared and people are using them even when they aren’t in 1a,” James Garrow, spokesperson for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, said Friday. (McCullough, 1/17)

In related news about health care personnel —

AP: Exhausted Hospital Chaplains Bring Solace To Lonely, Dying
Inside hospital rooms across America, where the sick are alone without family to comfort them, the grim task of offering solace falls to overworked and emotionally drained hospital chaplains who are dealing with more death than they’ve ever seen. Last week nearly a dozen died on a single day at the 377-bed Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, a gleaming, modern medical facility that is tucked into the northwest corner of Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley. Three more passed — within a span of 45 minutes — the next day. (Rogers, 1/19)

AP: Military Nurses, Tests Coming To Help Hard-Hit Arizona City
Exhausted nurses in rural Yuma, Arizona, regularly send COVID-19 patients on a long helicopter ride to Phoenix when they don’t have enough staff. The so-called winter lettuce capital of the U.S. also has lagged on coronavirus testing in heavily Hispanic neighborhoods and just ran out of vaccines. But some support is coming from military nurses and a new wave of free tests for farmworkers and the elderly in Yuma County — the hardest-hit county in one of the hardest-hit states. (Snow, 1/18)

Houston Chronicle: Job Offers Of Up To $12,000 A Week Lure Houston Nurses To COVID-19 Hot Spots
The recruitment goes over much better with the hospitals that hire the nurses than those who lose them. Hospital associations across the nation report receiving many complaints from member institutions about agencies “poaching” their staff. One hospital spokesman compares the landscape to one in which vendors hawked exorbitantly priced bottled water after Hurricane Harvey. Texas has indeed become one of the hottest destinations for nurse recruiting. Krucial, which in the spring led the effort to bring nurses to New York, is now focused on Texas, exemplified by recent travel job advertisements on its Facebook page for a Texas gig. Methodist reports a significant increase in nurses taking such offers in December. (Ackerman, 1/16)

The Seattle Times: COVID-19 Contact Tracers In Spokane Are Now Trained To Give Mental Health Assistance 
Calling to tell someone they have tested positive for the novel coronavirus is like being a bearer of bad news over and over again. In recent months, those calls have been met with more strained responses, especially around the holidays, where a positive test result could mean winter holidays alone or even isolated from members of one’s immediate household. That work is done on a daily basis by workers at the Spokane Regional Health District and the Public Health Institute, which the district contracted with to support its contact-tracing efforts earlier in the pandemic. By the end of November, the Public Health Institute prepared for the combination of both seasonal depression and depression brought on by the pandemic’s disillusionment phase, and trained all of its workers in mental health first aid. (Dreher, 1/18)

In other news —

Stat: Family Medicine Residents Are Interacting With Pharma Less, Analysis Finds
Amid concerns about pharmaceutical industry influence on physicians, a new survey finds fewer family medicine residents are interacting with drug makers over the past dozen years. A growing majority of residency programs report that their residents are not allowed to accept food, gifts, or product samples, that they have limited the access that sales reps have to residents, and that they do not permit activities sponsored by drug companies. (Silverman, 1/19)

Axios: Kids’ Screen Time Up 50% During Pandemic
When the coronavirus lockdowns started in March, kidstech firm SuperAwesome found that screen time was up 50%. Nearly a year later, that percentage hasn't budged, according to new figures from the firm. Why it matters: For most parents, pre-pandemic expectations around screen time are no longer realistic. The concern now has shifted from the number of hours in front of screens to the quality of screen time. (Fischer and McGill, 1/17)

The New York Times: Children’s Screen Time Has Soared In The Pandemic, Alarming Parents And Researchers 
The day after New Year’s, John Reichert of Boulder, Colo., had a heated argument with his 14-year-old son, James. “I’ve failed you as a father,” he told the boy despairingly. During the long months of lockdowns and shuttered schools, Mr. Reichert, like many parents, overlooked the vastly increasing time that his son was spending on video games and social media. Now, James, who used to focus his free time on mountain biking and playing basketball, devotes nearly all of his leisure hours — about 40 a week — to Xbox and his phone. During their argument, he pleaded with his father not to restrict access, calling his phone his “whole life.” (Richtel, 1/16)

WTKR: Local Ophthalmologist Explains Potential Effects Of Excessive Screen Time On Kids
A local ophthalmologist is talking about potential effects of excessive time that children are spending on electronic devices. Dr. Shannon McCole, an ophthalmologist with Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, says she’s not just concerned about eye health. She warns of sleep problems related to exposure to blue light. (Bohon, 1/18)

In other pediatric news —

KOLD: New Study Shows Children Hospitalized With COVID Has Increased 4,000% In Six Months
With alarming COVID numbers in Arizona comes a rise in child hospitalizations. A new medical study shows Arizona has one of the most significant spikes in COVID pediatric hospitalizations over the past six months in the entire country. Now parents and doctors are speaking out. “It’s heart-wrenching because there’s absolutely nothing you can do as a parent, but just sit there and pray and hope and have faith,” said Marissa King. It was one of the hardest things her and her family have been through. King’s now 13-year-old daughter, Joelle, was hospitalized with COVID-19 and multi-system inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) for two weeks in July. (1/16)

News9.com: Oklahoma Doctors Seeing More Cases Of Dangerous COVID-19 Side Effect In Kids
Doctors at OU Health said they are seeing more and more cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. The condition is considered a side effect of COVID-19 and causes different body parts to become inflamed including the heart, lungs and kidneys. The doctors with OU Children's told News 9 the condition is still rare to the general public, but their hospital has now seen about two dozen children with MIS-C. As the COVID-19 cases increase, the doctors think they are seeing an increase in the condition as well.  (Holden, 1/18)

Also —

CIDRAP: COVID-19 Occasionally Associated With Serious Childbirth Complications
Pregnant women with COVID-19 are more likely to experience complications such as heart attacks or blood clots, though the absolute increased risk is small, according to a JAMA Internal Medicine research letter [Friday]. These findings highlight the need for risk mitigations, the authors write, adding that pregnant women should also be included in COVID-19 vaccine and treatment trials. (1/15)

Stat: Covid-19 Vaccine Guidance For Lactating Individuals Is Flawed, Experts Say
Maggie Anthony didn’t have much time to deliberate before getting her Covid-19 vaccine. A labor and delivery nurse at Cambridge Hospital in Massachusetts, she suddenly heard from her manager that shots would be available the next day. But with an 8-month-old breastfeeding baby at home, she wasn’t sure whether to accept. Those who are pregnant and lactating haven’t been included in clinical trials for the Covid vaccines, so there’s no data on the vaccines’ safety for these groups. (Preston, 1/19)

WCPO: Breast Milk Could Help In Fight Against COVID-19 In Young Children
New research is looking at if antibodies found in breast milk could help fight off and treat severe cases of COVID-19. "There's a lot of chatter about that, and I think that's exciting," Dr. Laura Ward M.D., a neonatologist at the University of Cincinnati Children's Hospital, said. The research is still in its infancy, but Ward said there is evidence that breast milk contains antibodies which help protect against lower respiratory issues. (Kraemer, 1/19)

Bloomberg: Covid Trials For Kids Get Underway With First Results By Summer
In the U.S., more than 14 million Covid-19 shots have been given since mid-December, mainly to health workers, the elderly and those at high risk. To defeat the pandemic and fully revive the economy, children will also have to be immunized, experts say. To that end, trials to make sure vaccines are safe for the young are beginning in earnest. Pfizer and Moderna Inc. started recruiting participants at the end of last year, and could have data from studies by summer. The University of Oxford, which developed a vaccine with AstraZeneca Plc, is planning initial tests in 12- to 18-year-olds next month. “If you want to get this under control, you need to vaccinate kids,” said Paul Stoffels, chief scientific officer at Johnson & Johnson. He estimates J&J will start trials for children four to six weeks after receiving results from its adult studies, which are expected by early February. (Ring and Griffin, 1/19)

AP: Judge Orders Company To Take 3M's Trademarks Off N95 Masks
A federal judge has ordered a Florida company accused of selling counterfeit N95 face masks with 3M’s name on them to stop using the Minnesota company’s trademarks and representing itself as a distributor or authorized retailer for 3M. 3M sued Nationwide Source Inc. in late December, accusing the company of selling more than 10,000 of the counterfeit respirators to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. The hospital allegedly paid more than six times above 3M’s standard price for the mask used by medical workers and others to help protect against the coronavirus. (1/18)

The Wall Street Journal: Covid Face Masks Are Disrupting A Key Tool Of Human Communications, New Research Shows 
In a world of masks, it’s harder than ever to read the faces around us. Only now are scientists learning how we manage without the revealing tells of smiles, sneers, dimples and frowns that signal our state of mind, as masks in public settings become common in more than 50 countries. While a public health necessity, masks challenge our skill in understanding facial expressions, confusing our ability to distinguish disgust from anger or happiness from indifference, several new studies say. Scientists worry about the implications for infants and children who may lag in learning to recognize subtle facial signals of anger, fear, doubt, delight and sorrow. While data is sparse, one new study suggests that children have as much trouble reading facial expressions when people are wearing masks as when they are wearing sunglasses. (Hotz, 1/18)

In other public health news —

CNN: The Rise Of The Fake Commute, And Why It's Good For Your Mental Health
If the blur between work and home is still a struggle, mimicking your route from the Before Times may be the solution you need. For many people, commuting to work can be the worst part of their day: There is the chance of sitting in standstill traffic. Or, railway problems might leave you disembarking and on an unexpected journey. For others, however, commuting may have been a ritual that was critical for their mental health and work-life balance. Enter the rise of the "fake commute," wherein people replace that daily transition with walks, runs, bike rides and more. (Rogers, 1/18)

The New York Times: Phil Spector Spent Last Days Suffering With Covid-19
Covid-19 has taken the life of Phil Spector, one of the most influential and successful record producers in rock ’n’ roll, who spent the last chapter of his life in prison for murder. Mr. Spector, 81, died on Saturday of complications from Covid-19, according to his daughter, Nicole Audrey Spector. (Richtel, 1/17)

NPR: Homeless Populations Won't Be Counted In Many Areas In 2021
Every January, in the middle of the night, thousands of volunteers and outreach workers spread out across the country to count the nation's homeless population. They search highway underpasses, wooded areas, abandoned buildings and sidewalks to locate those who are living outside. But this year, because of the pandemic, the annual street count has been canceled or modified in hundreds of communities, even as the nation's unsheltered population appears to be growing. (Fessler, 1/18)

Modern Healthcare: Wildfires Producing More Harmful Pollution
Wildfire smoke accounted for up to half of all health-damaging small particle air pollution in the western U.S. in recent years as warming temperatures fueled more destructive blazes, according to researchers at Stanford University
and the University of California at San Diego. Even as pollution emissions declined from other sources, including vehicle exhaust and power plants, the amount from fires increased sharply. “From a climate perspective, wildfires should be the first things on our minds for many of us in the U.S.,” said Marshall Burke, an associate professor of earth system science at Stanford and lead author of the study. (1/16)

KHN: Are Public Health Ads Worth The Price? Not If They’re All About Fear 
The public service announcement showed a mother finding her teenage son lifeless, juxtaposed with the sound of a ukulele and a woman singing, “That’s how, how you OD’d on heroin.” It aired locally during the 2015 Super Bowl but attracted national attention and has been viewed more than 500,000 times on YouTube. (Berger, 1/19)

CBS News: Fired Florida COVID-19 Data Scientist Rebekah Jones Arrested And Charged With Illegal Access To State Computer 
Rebekah Jones, Florida's former COVID-19 data scientist, turned herself in to police after a warrant was issued for her arrest for illegal use of the state's computer system, CBS Miami reports. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced the arrest of Jones, 31, on Monday morning. The agency said she is charged with one count of offenses against users of computers, computer systems, computer networks and electronic devices. Court records show that Jones posted a $2,500 bond following an initial appearance hearing in Tallahassee on Monday morning.  ... The DeSantis administration fired Jones in May after she accused state health officials of manipulating data to suppress the number of reported COVID-19 cases and deaths. After her dismissal, Jones set up a competing COVID-19 dashboard to display data about the virus. (1/19)

In news from New Mexico, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Carolina and Maine —

KRQE News 13: Health Alert Issued For Albuquerque Due To Blowing Dust 
The City of Albuquerque has issued a Health Alert due to blowing dust that will be in effect from Monday, January 18 at 7 p.m. through Tuesday, January 19 at 5 p.m. Individuals with respiratory conditions in the City of Albuquerque as well as Bernalillo County are urged to limit outdoor activity during this time. (1/18)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Health, Safety Officials Pledge To Work On Violent Crime
More than a dozen public safety and health officials gathered on Milwaukee’s west side Friday to restate their commitment to addressing violent crime as a public health issue in 2021. After an unprecedented year in homicides, nonfatal shootings and other fatal incidents, leaders implored the public to think about all the destructiveness that violence causes: from the trauma and physical injuries felt by gunshot victims, to the emotional pain felt from families missing their loved ones, and to the stress placed on first responders, violence interrupters and medical personnel. “They cannot do this alone,” Mayor Tom Barrett said. “We need more people in this community to have the sense of urgency that this is a pandemic, just as the COVID-19 crisis is a pandemic.” (Hughes, 1/15)

Des Moines Register: 'Save Your Brain' Campaign Aims To Help Iowans Prevent Dementia
Iowa’s retired state epidemiologist is coordinating a new effort to help Iowans prevent dementia. Dr. Patricia Quinlisk spent 24 years as Iowa’s top public health expert before retiring in 2018. She is now helping lead the “Save Your Brain” campaign, which will start offering dementia prevention classes Jan. 28. The program emphasizes how factors such as poor diet, social isolation, lack of exercise and untreated hearing loss can raise people's risk of developing dementia. (Leys, 1/15)

North Carolina Health News: EPA Rejects NC Groups’ PFAS Petition 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has rejected a petition from six North Carolina environmental groups that would have forced the Chemours chemical company to fund health studies on 54 types of “forever chemicals” released from its Fayetteville Works plant. The EPA said in a Jan. 7 response that the petitioners failed to prove the requested data was needed. (Barnes, 1/19)

Bangor Daily News: Flu Cases In Maine Are Down Significantly This Season
Maine has seen 85 percent fewer flu cases so far this season than it’s typically seen by this point in the year, likely the result of COVID-19 mitigation measures such as masks and social distancing and indications that more people received flu shots. There have been no hospitalizations or deaths because of influenza, pneumonia or related illnesses so far this flu season, according to weekly reports from the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. From Oct. 10, 2020 — the start of the current flu season — to Jan. 9, health care providers reported only 80 cases of the flu statewide. (Pendharkar, 1/19)

AP: Panel: China, WHO Should Have Acted Quicker To Stop Pandemic
A panel of experts commissioned by the World Health Organization has criticized China and other countries for not moving to stem the initial outbreak of the coronavirus earlier and questioned whether the U.N. health agency should have labeled it a pandemic sooner. In a report issued Monday, the panel led by former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said there were “lost opportunities to apply basic public health measures at the earliest opportunity” and that Chinese authorities could have applied their efforts “more forcefully” in January shortly after the coronavirus began sickening clusters of people. (1/19)

The Hill: WHO Head Blasts Vaccine Inequalities, Hits Drugmakers Over Profits 
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) condemned what he called inequity in global vaccine distribution during the international group's executive board meeting on Monday. The Associated Press reports WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus bemoaned that one poorer country, identified by a WHO spokesperson as Guinea, had only received 25 coronavirus vaccines doses thus far while almost 50 wealthier nations had already administered around 40 million doses. (Choi, 1/18)

In other global developments —

AP: India’s Homegrown Vaccine Developer Warns Some To Avoid Shot
India’s homegrown coronavirus vaccine developer Bharat Biotech on Tuesday warned people with weak immunity and other medical conditions including allergies, fever or a bleeding disorder to consult a doctor before getting the shot — and if possible avoid the vaccine. The company said those receiving vaccinations should disclose their medical condition, medicines they are taking and any history of allergies. It said severe allergic reactions among vaccine recipients may include difficulty breathing, swelling of the face and throat, rapid heartbeat, body rashes, dizziness and weakness. (Saaliq, 1/19)

The Hill: Pakistan Becomes Latest To Approve AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine For Emergency Use 
Pakistan on Saturday gave the green light to the country's first coronavirus vaccine with the approval of AstraZeneca’s inoculation for emergency use. The country’s health minister, Faisal Sultan, informed Reuters of the emergency approval, which the nation hopes will be the first of many as it battles a rising number of COVID-19 cases. (Castronuovo, 1/16)

AP: Israel Trades Pfizer Doses For Medical Data In Vaccine Blitz
After sprinting ahead in the race to inoculate its population against the coronavirus, Israel has struck a deal with Pfizer, promising to share vast troves of medical data with the international drug giant in exchange for the continued flow of its hard-to-get vaccine. Proponents say the deal could allow Israel to become the first country to vaccinate most of its population, while providing valuable research that could help the rest of the world. But critics say the deal raises major ethical concerns, including possible privacy violations and a deepening of the global divide that enables wealthy countries to stockpile vaccines as poorer populations, including Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza, have to wait longer to be inoculated. (Zion, 1/18)

Reuters: China's COVID Outbreak Worst Since March 2020 
China is battling the worst outbreak of COVID-19 since March 2020, with one province posting a record daily rise in cases, as an independent panel reviewing the global pandemic said China could have done more to curb the initial outbreak. State-backed tabloid the Global Times on Tuesday defended China’s early handling of COVID-19, saying no country had any experience in dealing with the virus. “Looking back, no country could perform perfectly in facing a novel virus... No country can guarantee they won’t make mistakes if a similar epidemic occurs again,” it said. (1/18)

AP: Slovakia Wants Tests For Nearly All In Nine Days
Slovakia is launching a project to test almost all citizens for the coronavirus in nine days. The government hopes the nationwide testing will speed up a recovery from the latest wave of the infections, make it possible for students to return to school in February, help the health system and ease restrictions that harm the economy. The nationwide testing is set to start Monday and will be completed on Jan. 26. It’s not mandatory, but all people who want to go to work will need to have a negative test for the coronavirus beginning Jan. 27. (1/17)

The New York Times: Biden’s Covid-19 Plan Is Maddeningly Obvious
I wish I could tell you that the incoming Biden administration had a genius plan for combating Covid-19, thick with ideas no one else had thought of and strategies no one else had tried. But it doesn’t. What it does have is the obvious plan for combating Covid-19, full of ideas many others have thought of and strategies it is appalling we haven’t yet tried. That it is possible for Joe Biden and his team to release a plan this straightforward is the most damning indictment of the Trump administration’s coronavirus response imaginable. (Ezra Klein, 1/18)

Stat: Staying Safe During The Covid-19 Era: Pay Attention To 'The Guy You Know'
For the last nine months, my team of anthropologists and I have been asking people across the United States to tell us their experiences of living during a global pandemic. We have seen a dangerous theme emerge: the belief that dangers of the virus come from strangers and that friendship and family ties can cancel contagion. Though logical, these interpretations of biology are wrong — sometimes dead wrong. (Lisa J. Hardy, 1/18)

The Washington Post: Biden's Covid Vaccine Plans Are Good. What Matters Now Is Acting On Them Quickly.
When he takes office, President-elect Joe Biden will inherit a ragged and stumbling vaccine rollout. Mr. Biden understands the gravity of this crisis and has a solid proposal to speed up vaccination and bolster the creaky U.S. public health system. But hanging over it all is the question of whether Mr. Biden’s package can be executed fast enough to brake the out-of-control pandemic. (1/18)

The New York Times: When Biden Becomes … Rooseveltian!
In some ways, F.D.R. had it easy. That’s the context of President-elect Joe Biden’s “America Rescue Plan,” a far-reaching effort to revive the American economy — and to do much more. Like Roosevelt, Biden is employing a crisis to try to address long-neglected problems in our country. This is Big Policy. You might even call it Rooseveltian. Of course, what was significant about Roosevelt was the scale not of what he proposed but of what he achieved, and even if Biden’s initial proposal gets through Congress, it does not add up to anything close to the 12-year revolution that was the New Deal. But after years of hesitation and half-steps, it’s thrilling to see truly bold efforts to tackle some of America’s deepest underlying problems. (Nicholas Kristof, 1/16)

ABC News: Why Wait? If You Can Get A COVID-19 Vaccine, Do It Now
The vaccine the world has been waiting a year for is now available to the general public, but research shows many of those eligible to receive it would rather wait. In a recent Axios-Ipsos poll, only 43% of respondents said they would immediately get the vaccine when it becomes available to them, with the remaining 57% waiting weeks to a year -- or refusing altogether. (Dr. Adjoa Smalls-Mantey, 1/17)

NPR: COVID-19 Vaccine's Chaotic Early Rollout Echoes Past Inequities
On April 12, 1955, a wave of public relief resonated across the United States as news arrived of a vaccine that could successfully prevent polio — one of the most feared diseases in the U.S. at the time, causing "more than 15,000 cases of paralysis a year," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To the terror of parents, many of those paralyzed or killed by polio were children. Jonas Salk and his research team announced that their vaccine against the virus was safe and effective; the federal government quickly gave official approval, and vaccination distribution began across the U.S. within weeks. But collective relief soon gave way to frustration. There were simply not enough doses of the vaccine to go around at the start. Even worse, the available doses weren't going to the groups deemed most in need; instead, people who were socially well-connected and wealthy were finding ways to jump the line. (Hazar Khidir, 1/16)

Los Angeles Times: A Single Dose Of COVID Vaccine May Help, But It's Not Enough
The all-important push to vaccinate Americans against COVID-19 faces a true dilemma: Two doses are required for the vaccines available right now. But because Americans — like people in many countries — would not refrain from holiday gatherings and keep their masks on, cases are surging higher than they’ve ever been. A single dose of vaccine would provide significant protection, but it’s not enough for long-term immunity. (1/19)

The Oregonian: Oregon Must Clean Up Own Vaccine Messes
The news that the federal government doesn’t actually have any extra vaccines on hand despite pledging to ship such fictional doses to states is beyond astonishing. Even recognizing the Trump Administration’s track record of lies and incompetence, this false promise sold to millions of desperate Americans is incomprehensibly heartless. As Gov. Kate Brown noted on Friday, the revelation sets back the state’s plan to expand its vaccine program to teachers and older Oregonians as planned. The news means that many seniors who have been anxiously awaiting vaccines as a path out of isolation will have to wait even longer and could delay some schools’ plans to provide in-person instruction. (1/17)

Arizona Republic: COVID-19 Vaccine Needs A Fine-Tuned Message And A Better Messenger
The two COVID-19 vaccines rolling out across the country are keys to first managing and then ending the pandemic. But to achieve herd immunity, the level at which the novel coronavirus is considered under control, it is likely that 7 to 9 people out of 10 need to be inoculated. Once the logistical issues of delivering the vaccines are resolved we will need to overcome a vexing challenge: the resistance and distrust that many Arizonans have against the vaccine. Less than half of Arizonans say they’ll get the vaccine for sure, far below the level needed to achieve herd immunity. Almost as many are unsure, and 23% say they won’t get the shots. (Sybil Francis, 1/17)

Stat: Startups: Focus On Innovations That Truly Improve Mental Health
An unexpected side effect of the tragedy of the Covid-19 pandemic is unprecedented opportunity for innovation in mental health care, largely due to the rapid expansion of telehealth and the increased demand for mental health services. (David Mou and Thomas R. Insel, 1/19)

The Wall Street Journal: The Flint Water Indictments
There’s plenty of blame to go around for the Flint disaster, and there can be reasonable arguments about how much falls on Mr. Snyder. His party paid a price in the 2018 election. But not every tragedy, to say nothing of every government foul up, is a crime. One prosecutor said Thursday that the case is about “simply giving a damn about all of humanity.” Is that language in a statute somewhere? Let’s see the evidence. But if these prosecutors are trying to shoehorn political failure into the criminal code, they will compound the Flint injustice and deter good Michiganders from ever seeking public office. (1/18)