Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Johns Hopkins Reverses — Classes Online Now
Johns Hopkins University will hold its fall semester entirely online for undergraduates, a reversal of plans and the latest sign of the turmoil caused by the coronavirus pandemic. School officials strongly urged students not to return to Baltimore. They also acknowledged the change of plans — coming just weeks before classes resume — would create a real hardship for many families and announced efforts to ease that burden. (Svrluga, 8/6)
Gov. Tony Evers divvied out about $32 million in federal aid Thursday to University of Wisconsin System schools to cover coronavirus tests and personal protective equipment when students return to campuses next month. The money will come from the coronavirus relief bill that Congress passed in May. UW-Madison will receive about $8 million. The other 12 regional campuses will get $24 million. (8/6)
Just days before the fall semester is set to begin, California colleges and universities are scrambling to finalize reopening plans that affect thousands of students as top leaders say the state’s lack of guidance for weeks has frustrated efforts to bring back limited in-person learning and dorm living. Many campuses, including USC and Claremont McKenna, say the lack of clear and timely state guidance has caused them to spend enormous energy and money preparing for varying reopening scenarios — without knowing what will be allowed amid a surge of COVID-19 infections. (Watanabe, Agrawal and Willon, 8/6)
Also —
Thousands of young doctors in South Korea staged a one-day strike Friday against government medical policy, causing concerns about treatment of patients amid the coronavirus pandemic. The striking doctors are interns and resident doctors who oppose the government’s plan to expand admissions to medical schools to resolve the shortage of physicians in South Korea. (8/7)