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A coalition of health professionals is urging the nation's leaders to step back from the push to reopen the economy and shut down nonessential businesses to prevent the loss of more lives from the spiraling pandemic. In an open letter to "decision makers," a group of doctors, scientists, teachers and nurses says leaders need to "shut it down, start over" and "do it right." The letter, which has been signed by more than 1,000 health professionals, says that means more testing and contact tracing, mandatory masks in all situations, more personal protective equipment and a ban on interstate travel. (Bowman, 7/29)

A medical group warned Wednesday that hundreds of thousands of more people could die from the coronavirus in the U.S. unless the nation adjusts its response to the pandemic. “In just six months, nearly 150,000 Americans have lost their lives to COVID-19, with more than 4 million infected by the virus that causes it. Cases continue to rise at an alarming rate across much of the United States. If the nation does not change its course – and soon – deaths in the U.S. could well be in the multiples of hundreds of thousands,” the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) said. (Axelrod, 7/29)

The surge in Florida's coronavirus cases is straining the health care system that's trying to save as many people as possible and protect doctors and nurses from getting sick. (Colombini, 7/29)

A study published yesterday in the Journal of Infection has found that staff working at more than one London nursing home during the peak of the UK COVID-19 outbreak had a quadruple risk of infection. Also, JAMA Network Open today published a research letter showing that US nursing homes that reported COVID-19 cases also had high numbers of deficiencies and substantiated complaints citing failures to comply with federal infection-control requirements. (Van Beusekom, 7/29)

California has extended the special enrollment period for health insurance through the end of August on the state’s Covered California insurance marketplace. The state’s recent surge in coronavirus cases drove the decision to extend the enrollment period, officials wrote in a statement. The California Department of Managed Health Care, which manages the state’s Medi-Cal program, and the California Department of Insurance also extended special enrollment deadlines to August 31, “which applies to all health plans on the individual market.” (Kramer, 7/29)

Gwinnett County will share $13.3 million in federal coronavirus relief money with more than 100 local organizations. The money is going to 104 nonprofit and faith-based agencies. The county plans to distribute a second round of funding as well. The federal CARES Act money will go to assist nonprofits and to help with community needs. Nonprofit assistance will pay for increased staffing, medical and personal protective equipment and supplies and enhancements to technologies and facilities in response to the pandemic. (Kass, 7/29)

After a yearslong advocacy campaign waged by activists, the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago has become the first hospital in the nation to apologize for performing cosmetic genital surgeries on intersex infants. In a statement posted Tuesday to its blog, the hospital said it understood its "approach was harmful and wrong" -- a reference to surgery to make genitalia appear more typically male or female. The hospital said: "We empathize with intersex individuals who were harmed by the treatment that they received according to the historic standard of care and we apologize and are truly sorry." (Neus, 7/29)