Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Uber Requires Masks For Everyone; DeSantis Pardons All Floridians Who Broke Mask Rules
The ride-sharing company detailed its 鈥渘o mask, no ride鈥 policy to app users on Wednesday, saying it will continue to require all customers to wear masks in its vehicles. 鈥淭o help keep each other safe, all riders and drivers are required to wear a mask when using Uber,鈥 it said in an email, adding 鈥渋f you have received the COVID-19 vaccine, you are still required to wear a mask when using Uber.鈥 The app will require customers to complete a safety checklist before using its service. (Vaziri, Beamish and Fracassa, 6/16)
With Gov. Ron DeSantis saying lockdown restrictions and mask mandates meant to stop the spread of COVID-19 did more harm than good, the state clemency board on Wednesday pardoned all Floridians who were arrested or fined for violating local government requirements about wearing masks or social distancing. 鈥淭his action is necessary so that we can recover, have a good transition to normal operations, and also just a recognition that a lot of this stuff was way, way overboard,鈥 DeSantis said. (Sexton, 6/16)
Starting July 1, Baltimore will lift its citywide mask mandate and state of emergency, a decision that came just one day after Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced the same measures for the state. Mayor Brandon Scott and health commissioner Dr. Letitia Dzirasa, speaking at a news conference Wednesday outside the Baltimore City Health Department, said the move validates the 鈥渋ncredible progress鈥 the city has made in mitigating the infections, deaths and hospitalizations caused by the virus. (Miller, 6/16)
After an earlier slowdown, New Mexicans are completing their COVID-19 vaccinations at a faster pace since the Department of Health started offering $100 in cash to get the shot, top health officials said Wednesday. But it isn鈥檛 clear whether New Mexico will reach its goal of vaccinating 60% of adult residents by the end of Thursday 鈥 the target Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham鈥檚 administration said would allow the state to fully reopen July 1. (McKay and Boyd, 6/16)
California regulators on Thursday are set to approve revised worksite pandemic rules that allow fully vaccinated employees the same freedoms as when they are off the job. The revised regulations would conform with general state guidelines that took effect Tuesday by ending most mask rules for people who are vaccinated against the coronavirus. (Thompson, 6/17)
Kimberly Reicks says in the lawsuit that she sent a doctor's note in December聽informing the district that聽her kindergarten-age daughter should be excused聽from wearing a mask. The note said the face mask had caused a staph infection on the child's face. Reicks alleges in the suit that her daughter was removed from a desk she shared with other children and required to sit alone.聽Reicks also claims that after she publicly complained and attended a聽protest outside of the School Board's March 22 meeting,聽 the district聽retaliated by adding聽a plexiglass enclosure聽to the desk.聽(Mercado, 6/16)