The Hill’s Coronavirus Report: Fauci says focus should be on pausing reopenings rather than reverting to shutdowns; WHO director pleads for international unity in pandemic response
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY
> Fauci tells The Hill that rather than reverting to shutdowns, we should be thinking about pausing reopening in some states; says young people can get severely ill from COVID-19
> Florida, Texas and California all set new records for the daily number of coronavirus deaths Thursday
> WHO director pleads for unity amid ‘lack of leadership and solidarity’ in fight against pandemic
> WHO reverses, says COVID-19 can be airborne indoors
> Gilead says remdesivir reduces risk of death in some patients
> Autopsies of COVID-19 patients show blood clots in multiple organs, top pathologist says
> Trump says he’ll wear mask during trip to Walter Reed hospital
> Two-thirds of country now disapprove of Trump’s handling of pandemic, poll finds
> Former FDA chief estimates 1 in 150 people in U.S. are infected with coronavirus
Love him or hate him, Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, has become one of the most sought-after voices as the country continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic. On Thursday, Fauci joined Steve Clemons at The Hill’s virtual program, “Health Reimagined: The Future of Healthcare.” A year earlier, he told Clemons at a similar health care summit that his nightmare public health scenario was a “respiratory illness that easily spreads and has a high degree of morbidity and some degree of mortality.” Here we are in July 2020 — and the very nightmare scenario that Fauci said kept him up at night is playing out before the world’s eyes. “I’m so sorry that I was so prescient when we had our last interview, Steve. I really am very sorry about that,” Fauci said Thursday.
For more on Steve’s conversations with Fauci, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield:
Time to shut down again? As coronavirus cases surge, a growing chorus makes the case
Fauci: Partisanship in US has made it harder to suppress coronavirus
CDC director: Keeping schools closed poses greater threat to children than reopening
Azar points to ‘individual responsibility’ as answer to mounting outbreaks
THE INTERVIEW
Anthony Fauci, director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
NIAID Director Anthony Fauci tells The Hill that rather than reverting to shutdowns we need to think about pausing reopening in some states; says young people can get severely ill from COVID-19.
Watch the full interview here.
THE HILL’S CORONAVIRUS REPORT
Welcome to The Hill’s Coronavirus Report. It’s Wednesday, July 8.
Editor’s Note.
I spend a lot of time thinking about bank shot opportunities and bank shot vulnerabilities. While there is a storm brewing about how to safely reopen schools, the bank shot question is really about the safety of teachers who carry with them potential comorbidities. That is something to think about.
Another challenge on the horizon has to do with antimicrobial resistance. PhRMA said Thursday that “1 in 7 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 acquired a dangerous secondary bacterial infection, and 50% of patients who died had such infections.” So in other words, if the coronavirus doesn’t get you, then drug-resistant microbes will. PhRMA and others have teamed up to create a $1 billion fund to ensure a pipeline of new medicines to treat drug-resistant infections. Bank shot challenges often need bank shot responses.
A bank shot opportunity created by COVID-19 is the rethinking of critical supply chains. Some supplies dependent on China might need to move to U.S. allies elsewhere in Asia or perhaps to the United States — but that is going to require more planning and strategic thinking than we have been doing in recent years. And it may require far more respectful and appropriate treatment of key allies than America has been demonstrating.
Opportunities and vulnerabilities require us to think in less linear, more comprehensive ways that anticipate the effects of bank shots that might not have been in our immediate view.
— Steve Clemons
Your Coronavirus Report team includes Steve Clemons, editor-at-large of The Hill, and researcher Andrew Wargofchik. Follow us on Twitter at @SCClemons and @a_wargofchik.
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THE HILL ‘VIRTUALLY’ LIVE
Join us for next week’s programs!
On Tuesday, July 14, The Hill Virtually Live hosts “Dismantling Systemic Racism.” In this moment of national introspection, The Hill will create a platform to listen and learn about how and where bigotry and racism have become baked into our society. We will discuss the active steps that policymakers and residents should take to create meaningful change. Speakers include Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.), Vanita Gupta, Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, former HUD Secretary Julián Castro and more. RSVP Today.
On Wednesday, July 15, The Hill Virtually Live hosts “New Threats, New Defense: The Future of National Security” featuring an interview with Secretary of State Michael Pompeo by The Hill’s Editor-in-Chief Bob Cusack. What fields of national security work need to be invented or reinvented today? We will host a focused discussion on what programs and assets make sense for the future. RSVP Today.
Have a question for our speakers? Tweet us @TheHillEvents for a chance to have your submission aired live during the summit.
CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS AT A GLANCE
There are 12,337,075 reported cases of COVID-19 throughout the world and 556,211 deaths have been attributed to the virus as of the time of this newsletter.
The U.S. is reporting 3,140,938 coronavirus cases and 133,542 deaths. Brazil 1,755,779. India 793,802. Russia 712,863. Peru 316,448. Chile 309,274. U.K. 293,015. Mexico 282,283. Spain 253,908. Iran 252,720. Pakistan 243,599. Italy 242,639. South Africa 238,339.
Elsewhere throughout the world:
> Leicester, a city of 330,000 in the heart of England, has instituted a second round of lockdown measures to curb the spread of the virus.
> A coronavirus outbreak in Tokyo’s nightlife districts pushed Japan’s capital to another daily record on Friday.
> Jeanine Añez Chavez, a lawmaker who claimed Bolivia’s interim presidency last fall, said Thursday that she had tested positive for the virus.
> Australia will halve the number of citizens and residents permitted to return home each week — to 4,000 from about 8,000 — to ease pressure on quarantine facilities.
> China’s customs authority on Friday said it had suspended imports from three Ecuadorian companies after the coronavirus was detected on a container and on packages of frozen shrimp from Ecuador.
New York is reporting 400,299 cases. California 302,612. Florida 244,145. Texas 236,541. New Jersey 174,270. Illinois 151,572. Arizona 112,671. Massachusetts 110,897. Georgia 106,727. Pennsylvania 98,369. North Carolina 81,472. Michigan 75,063. Louisiana 71,994. Maryland 71,910. Virginia 68,929. Ohio 61,331. Tennessee 57,591. South Carolina 50,691.
Here at home:
> Harvard Global Health Institute researchers say shutdowns should be mandatory in Florida, Georgia, Arizona, Louisiana and South Carolina, where severe outbreaks are unfolding.
> Florida, Texas and California all set new records for the daily number of deaths from the virus on Thursday.
> Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) said Thursday he is issuing an executive order limiting indoor dining to 50 percent capacity to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.
> Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) announced Thursday that the state will reimplement restrictions on bars in some counties amid a spike in COVID-19 cases.
> Mississippi Health Officer Thomas Dobbs issued a dire warning Thursday: The state’s five largest medical institutions are out of intensive care unit beds and are stretched so thin that “Mississippi hospitals cannot take care of Mississippi patients.”
> Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) announced that residents will be required to wear face coverings in many public settings.
> Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) extended New York City’s ban on large public gatherings through Sept. 30.
The U.S. is reporting the results of 38,032,966 COVID-19 tests and 969,111 full recoveries from the virus.
WASHINGTON WATCH
Trump says he’ll wear mask during upcoming trip to Walter Reed. President Trump on Thursday said he’ll wear a mask during an upcoming trip to Walter Reed hospital to meet with staff and injured soldiers, which would mark a rare instance he has done so publicly. “I think it’s fine to wear a mask out if it makes you feel comfortable,” Trump told Sean Hannity on Fox News, citing “certain conditions” where it would be appropriate, such as visiting a hospital. (The Hill)
Two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of coronavirus: poll. Two-thirds of polled Americans disapprove of how President Trump has handled the coronavirus pandemic, the latest ABC-Ipsos poll reveals. In the survey, 67 percent of respondents said that they disapproved of how the president has handled the pandemic, which has killed more than 130,000 people in the country, while 33 percent said that they approved of Trump’s performance. (The Hill)
LAWMAKERS TWEET
Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-Ga.)
@RepDrewFerguson I’m proud to join @RepTedBudd and @RepHarley in introducing the bipartisan Drug-Free Communities Pandemic Relief Act. This important bill would ensure community-led drug treatment coalitions can remain operational during the #COVID19 pandemic.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
@SenSanders Remdesivir costs less than $10 to manufacture. @GileadSciences is charging $3,100 for it. Taxpayers spent $70 million to develop this drug. Coronavirus has killed 130,000 Americans. It’s time to take control of this patent and provide remdesivir to all who need it.
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas)
@RepDanCrenshaw Politicians have blamed a rise in cases across the country solely on reopening the economy. It’s their justification for calling for total lockdowns. But as Dr. Shah explains, it’s a “layering effect” that’s causing the uptick. We need to recognize this as we look for solutions.
ACROSS THE NATION
As many as 1 in 150 people in the U.S. are infected, Gottlieb estimates. Scott Gottlieb, the former Food and Drug Administration commissioner, said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” he believes as many as 1 in 150 people in the U.S. are infected with the coronavirus. (CNBC)
Wyoming to test all inmates, corrections officials for coronavirus. Wyoming will test all inmates and employees at its five correctional facilities next week, the state Department of Corrections announced Wednesday. On Monday, Wyoming will start a one-time testing of all inmates and employees at the state’s five correctional institutions in rotation. (The Hill)
Arizona governor issues executive order limiting indoor dining to 50 percent. Gov. Doug Ducey (R) said Thursday he is issuing an executive order limiting indoor dining capacity to 50 percent capacity to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. “The objective here is if you are going to eat inside to make sure there are as few people as possible inside that establishment,” Ducey said at a press conference. (The Hill)
Nevada governor recloses bars in effort to slow coronavirus spread. Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) announced Thursday that the state will reimplement restrictions on bars in some counties amid a spike in COVID-19 cases. Sisolak confirmed that bars in Washoe and Clark counties must return to the state’s phase one restrictions Friday, meaning bars that do not serve food will have to close again on Friday at midnight. (The Hill)
WORLD VIEW
Emotional WHO director calls for unity amid ‘lack of leadership and solidarity’ in fight against pandemic. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Thursday gave an emotional plea for international solidarity in fighting the coronavirus pandemic after the U.S. this week formally moved to withdraw from the global health body. “We must come together in a global conversation, to take these hard-won lessons and turn them into action. My friends, make no mistake, the greatest threat we face now is not the virus itself. Rather, it’s the lack of leadership and solidarity at the global and national levels,” Tedros said during a news conference Thursday with tears in his eyes. (The Hill)
Australian police trace large KFC order to birthday party that violated ‘stay home’ measures. When two people visited an Australian KFC on Friday and purchased around 20 meals, their order raised eyebrows, particularly among two ambulance workers who were ordering food at the outlet and reported the duo to police. With cases of the coronavirus surging in Melbourne, the country’s second-largest city has been ordered back into lockdown. That prompted police to follow the vehicle — leading to a fast-food-fueled birthday party in a nearby townhouse. (Washington Post)
An increase in cases in Tokyo is attributed to young people and the city’s nightspots. A coronavirus outbreak in Tokyo’s nightlife districts pushed Japan’s capital to another daily record on Friday as it recorded 243 new cases, topping Thursday’s high of 224. Gov. Yuriko Koike said at a news conference that about three-quarters of the cases were among people in their 20s and 30s and that the overwhelming majority of them exhibited mild symptoms. (New York Times)
SCIENCE
WHO reverses, says COVID-19 can be airborne indoors. The World Health Organization (WHO) formally recognized Thursday that the coronavirus can be transmitted indoors by droplets in the air, marking a reversal for the United Nations agency. The WHO said in a scientific brief that people who spend time in crowded settings with poor ventilation run the risk of being infected by the coronavirus as the droplets circulate throughout the air in indoor gatherings. (The Hill)
Gilead says remdesivir reduces risk of death in some patients. Gilead Sciences announced new findings on additional clinical benefits of its antiviral drug remdesivir, saying that it cut the risk of death for severely ill coronavirus patients by 62 percent compared with standard care alone. (CNBC)
Autopsies of COVID-19 patients show blood clots in multiple organs, top pathologist says. Autopsies of patients who have died from COVID-19 have shown a “dramatic” increase in the number of blood clots affecting major and minor blood vessels as well as “almost every organ” in the human body, according to a top New York pathologist. (The Hill)
BUSINESS
Fed official: Economy would improve ‘if we all wore a mask’. A top Federal Reserve official said Friday that widespread mask wearing is the best way to help the economy recover from the downturn driven by the coronavirus pandemic. “If we all wore a mask, it would substantially mute the transmission of this disease and we would grow faster. We would have a lower unemployment rate. We’d grow faster. And would be far less likely to slow some of our reopenings,” said Robert Kaplan, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, in a Friday interview with Fox Business Network’s Maria Bartiromo. (The Hill)
Starbucks to require customers at company-owned stores to wear masks beginning July 15. Starbucks will require customers at all of its U.S. locations to wear face coverings starting July 15, the company announced Thursday. At select locations where local mandates for masks are not in place, customers without face coverings can use Starbucks drive-thrus, curbside pickups or delivery options, according to the statement. (The Hill)
Catholic Church received at least $1.4 billion in COVID-19 relief aid. The U.S. Roman Catholic Church received at least $1.4 billion in federal COVID-19 relief aid, making it one of the largest beneficiaries of federal assistance during the pandemic. An analysis by The Associated Press found that the church could have received as much as $3.5 billion since figures provided by the government were in ranges instead of exact amounts for loans distributed through the Paycheck Protection Program. (The Hill)
ISSUES, CAUSES, PASSIONS
Coronavirus unveils the digital divide in our education system. Leading educators and policymakers have been forced to implement new and innovative ways to teach our children from kindergarten to earning advanced degrees. The coronavirus has exposed a deeply rooted problem in childhood education that could damage our national economy long after the pandemic subsides. (Francis Taylor for The Hill)
Congress must act to prevent a full-blown housing crisis. The COVID-19 public health pandemic has quickly precipitated into an economic crisis, weakening the financial footing of American households across the country. This is particularly true for Black and Latino households, for whom racial divides in housing access and homeownership rates long preceded the current economic fallout. (Marc Morial and Janet Murguía for The Hill)
Quarantine into New York, New Jersey and Connecticut? Good luck. Governors in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have imposed a 14-day quarantine of travelers from COVID-19 hot spots — states with high average infection rates over a rolling window. What are they thinking? The quarantine, labeled as “advisory,” gives each state responsibility for enforcement. However, governors provide no guidance on how to enforce such an advisory. The reason is that such an advisory is unenforceable, and hence, serves no useful purpose. (Sheldon H. Jacobson for The Hill)
GENEROUS SPIRITS
Student who collected garbage to pay for college is headed to Harvard Law. Rehan Staton took a job as a garbage collector to pay to attend the University of Maryland. Now the 24-year-old is headed to Harvard Law School. (Today)
ICYMI: STEVE’S INTERVIEWS, 15 MINUTES EACH
> Steve interviews Rep. MARK TAKANO (D-Calif.)
> Steve interviews Sen. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-Minn.)
> Steve interviews Rep. RODNEY DAVIS (R-Ill.)
> Steve interviews The Hill’s REID WILSON
> Steve interviews Washington, D.C., Mayor MURIEL BOWSER
> Steve interviews American Federation of Teachers President RANDI WEINGARTEN
Watch all Coronavirus Report interviews here.
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