Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Fla. Sheriff Says He Can't Provide Security For GOP Convention
The sheriff of Jacksonville, Fla., said he can’t provide security for the Republican National Convention because of a lack of clear plans, adequate funding and enough law enforcement officers. “As we're talking today, we are still not close to having some kind of plan that we can work with that makes me comfortable that we're going to keep that event and the community safe,” Duval County Sheriff Mike Williams told POLITICO. (Caputo, 7/20)
He whiffed on a question about the death of civil rights icon John Lewis. Hecklers disrupted him. And he awkwardly distanced himself from his own administration’s back-to-school order. Faced with a bad and worsening outbreak, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has lost his coronavirus swagger. (Dixon, 7/20)
A Kentucky couple says they've been placed under house arrest for refusing to sign self-quarantine documents. It all started when Elizabeth Linscott planned to visit her parents and decided to get tested for COVID-19 before traveling. After testing positive on July 11, Elizabeth was contacted by Kentucky's Hardin County Health Department. (Roberts, 7/20)
Several Maryland county health officials asked Gov. Larry Hogan (R) to reimpose some coronavirus restrictions in a Monday letter driven by the rise in coronavirus cases the state has seen in the past week. The health officials from Maryland’s five largest counties and Baltimore City sent a letter that was obtained by The Baltimore Sun to Fran Phillips, a deputy health secretary. (Coleman, 7/20)
Gov. Larry Hogan on Monday defended his decision to hold a traditional election in November, despite growing concerns from voting rights advocates and election officials about the impact of his choice amid a global pandemic. Hogan (R) said he opted for a “normal” election instead of a “vote by mail only” because of the chaos that occurred during the June 2 primary, when the state mailed ballots to every voter and opened only a few polling sites in each jurisdiction. Far more voters than expected opted to cast their ballots in person, leading to huge lines and hours-long waits in many places. (Wiggins, 7/20)
Chicago announced Monday it will tighten coronavirus restrictions, including for bars, restaurants, gyms and personal services, as it experiences a rise in COVID-19 cases. The city’s reinstitution of restrictions, which will go into effect Friday at 12:01 a.m., comes as Chicago has seen a boost in its seven-day average of new cases, reaching above 200 per day. (Coleman, 7/20)
