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June 25, 2020 - Brief Issue 68

The Coronavirus Daily Brief is a daily news and analysis roundup edited by New America’s International Security Program and Arizona State University.

Starting tomorrow, June 26, the Coronavirus Daily Brief will not publish on Fridays, instead bringing you the latest news four days a week.

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Top Headlines

U.S. Records Its Highest Number of New Coronavirus Cases; South and West Particularly Hard Hit; Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, and California Have Record High Daily Case Totals (Health & Science)

New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut Will Require 14-Day Quarantine for Travelers from Coronavirus Surge States (Health & Science)

WHO Warns of Oxygen Shortage as Many Poorer Countries Already Struggle with Supply (Health & Science)

Debate Around School Reopenings Continues as Infections Rise (Health & Science)

Study Suggests Black Lives Matter Protests Not Linked to General Virus Spread (Health & Science)

Scientists Investigating the Possibility that Coronavirus May Cause Diabetes (Health & Science)

In Some Poorer Countries, Cases of Coronavirus Higher Among Males, Signaling Lack of Testing for Women, says IRC (Health & Science)

IMF Predicts Deeper Global Economic Downturn (Around the World)

Ethnic Minorities and Marginalized Groups Bore Brunt of European Lockdowns, Says Amnesty International (Around the World)

Russia Holds Delayed Victory Parade, Many Attend Without Masks (Around the World)

France’s Contact Tracing App Falters, Half a Million Uninstall It (Around the World)

Canada’s Nursing Homes Struggle to Curb Coronavirus (Around the World)

India to Survey, Test 29 Million People in New Delhi (Around the World)

U.S. Federal Government to End Support for Drive-Thru Testing (U.S. Government & Politics)

States and Cities Halt Reopening Plans as Cases Rise (U.S. Government & Politics)

New York City May Lay Off 22,000 Workers (U.S. Economy)

New York City Marathon Canceled (U.S. Society)

The National Women's Soccer League Kicks Off Season with 'Bubble' Plan (U.S. Society)

Health & Science

There have now been 2,381,361 coronavirus cases in the United States, and 121,979 people have died (Johns Hopkins). Around 656,161 people have recovered, and the United States has conducted 28,567,355 tests. Worldwide, there have been 9,431,973 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 482,805 deaths. At least 4,746,836 people have recovered from the virus.

U.S. Records Its Highest Number of New Coronavirus Cases; South and West Particularly Hard Hit; Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, and California Have Record High Daily Case Totals

As the United States continues to reopen its economy, it recorded its highest daily total of new cases Wednesday, with case numbers accelerating in more than 20 states, mostly in the South and West (NYT). Several states including Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, and California reached new daily highs, while cases in New York and New Jersey continue to fall. On Wednesday, U.S. coronavirus cases increased by 1.6 percent in 24 hours, higher than the average daily increase of 1.3 percent over the last week (Bloomberg). While “hospitalizations typically lag behind increases in cases because it takes time for the disease to progress after people first start showing symptoms,” writes the Wall Street Journal, hospitalizations are rising in at least 14 states, including California, Georgia, Nevada, and Alabama. Individual states, as well as cities and towns, have created hundreds of varied plans for reopening, leading to a patchwork of policies that are often not clear to residents; that confusion is compounded as many local and state governments are forced to reconsider their plans in light of the accelerating numbers of cases. However, there’s “very little appetite among the American public to go backwards,” said Michael Mina, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (NYT). “As reopenings started there were no plans for what would constitute a red flag to close things down. People just said, ‘We’re reopening, everything’s fine, let’s move ahead.’”

Texas reported a record daily increase of more than 6,200 cases Wednesday, and Governor Greg Abbott is urging residents to stay home: “Because the spread is so rampant right now, there's never a reason for you to have to leave your home" (CNN). On Tuesday, Gov. Abbot expanded local officials’ ability to restrict outdoor gatherings of more than 100 people, and he has encouraged residents to wear masks. Houston, which is known for its high concentration of research hospitals and medical schools, is nevertheless running out of ICU (intensive care unit) beds, which are 97 percent full. Peter Jay Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, called on the state to reinstate stronger restrictions and said that rising hospitalizations show that the increased case numbers are not just the result of increased testing, reports the Times. “That means we have to act this week,” Hotez said (NYT).

Florida reported a record daily increase of more than 5,500 cases Wednesday and new hospitalizations rose by the largest number in a month (Bloomberg). Governor Ron DeSantis has attributed the rise in cases to increased testing, and, pointing to infections in younger people who are more likely to be asymptomatic, says he does not plan to roll back the state’s reopening. However, “we are already seeing a spike in ICU admissions in a place like Florida," Jeanne Marrazzo, director of infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, told CNN. "And yet, the cases are continuing to climb. So, we're going to be facing another ICU demand surge in not that long a time." Dr. Andrew Pastewski, the head intensive care unit physician at Jackson South Medical Center in Miami, told CNN on Tuesday that he is already seeing a surge in patients. "A week ago we had eight patients, none on a ventilator," he said. "We were feeling like we were handling this well. We had a nice Covid floor, 24 beds with the capability of four ICU ventilators in that unit, so we thought we could use that as our Covid floor going forward. And within 10 days, we're now at over 40-plus patients, four on ventilators. We've had to find a second Covid unit and are looking for a third Covid unit right now." Bonus Read: “As the Virus Surges in South Florida, a Trump Resort Joins the Rush to Reopen,” (NYT).

Oklahoma health officials reported 482 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, the highest single-day increase in the state so far (NPR). In the past week, the state has averaged 409 new infections per day. 

California reported a record daily increase of more than 7,000 new cases Wednesday and its seven-day average is 59.5 percent higher than the previous week (WaPo). California Governor Gavin Newsom said that plans for reopening may change if we “see a big spike in hospitalizations and in ICUs” (LA Times). California has a four-stage reopening plan, with the responsibility resting on counties to decide how quickly to act on reopening within the guidelines of each phase, after they meet the phase criteria. Bonus Reads: “Trump swing state allies break with White House on Covid-19” (Politico) and “The shift of the coronavirus to primarily red states is complete — but it’s not that simple” (WaPo).

New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut Will Require 14-Day Quarantine for Travelers from Coronavirus Surge States

In a tri-state travel advisory issued Wednesday, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut will require travelers from states with coronavirus surges to quarantine for 14 days. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said the travel advisory applies to anyone coming from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents or with a 10 percent or higher positivity rate, calculated as a 7-day rolling average (CNN). The advisory takes effect at midnight and will currently affect travelers from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, North and South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Washington (Bloomberg). “We have to make sure the virus doesn’t come in on a plane again,” Gov. Cuomo said at a news conference Wednesday. “Learned that lesson. Been there, done that” (WSJ). The travel advisory reflects “a stark shift in the course of the outbreak” from the time when New York struggled to contain the country’s largest outbreak (NYT). 

WHO Warns of Oxygen Shortage as Many Poorer Countries Already Struggle with Supply

The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that the world is facing a shortage of oxygen concentrators, saying “demand is outstripping supply” as global cases of coronavirus approach 10 million (Reuters). WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference that the rate of new cases -- about 1 million per week -- has pushed oxygen demand to 88,000 large cylinders per day, or 620,000 cubic metres of oxygen. The sudden increase caused by the pandemic has created a lack of oxygen concentrators needed to support those suffering from respiratory distress. The WHO has purchased 14,000 oxygen concentrators from manufacturers and plans to send them to 120 countries, with another 170,000 concentrators made available over the next six months. The WHO assessment isn’t news for some poorer countries, like Peru, Bangladesh, and Guinea, where oxygen has been found to be in short supply already (AP). In many developing countries, oxygen isn’t available to those in remote areas outside of major cities, which means that many patients suffering from COVID-19 cannot get the help they need in preventing hypoxia, or dangerously low blood oxygen levels. Oxygen is also used to treat pneumonia, which is the single largest cause of death in children. 

Debate Around School Reopenings Continues as Infections Rise 

As we’ve covered before, the issue of schools reopening continues to be a major topic of discussion for many state and local government officials. A majority of American voters -- 54 percent -- say they’re concerned about sending children back to elementary and high schools this fall, according to a POLITICO/ Morning Consult poll. Fifty-eight percent of voters said they were uncomfortable with day care centers reopening and 48 percent said they were very or somewhat uncomfortable with colleges and universities reopening. Many officials have been considering a mix of part-time in-person learning and continued virtual lessons, but as infection rates rise, the in-person portion might not happen. South Carolina’s top education official said on Tuesday that reopening the state’s school buildings will be “extremely difficult” if the infection rate continues on its current path (WaPo). Other states are likely to have similar difficulties, though some states like Florida and Texas, have said they plan to reopen buildings even with the rise in cases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield and Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, have both said that the decision on whether or not to reopen school buildings, and how to do it safely, should be made by local jurisdictions based on their individual situation. If states do decide to restart in-person classes, they could take lessons from some of the child care centers that have stayed open during the pandemic to care for children of front-line workers. For example, the YMCA of the USA and New York City’s Department of Education have been caring for tens of thousands of children since March and both told NPR they have no reports of coronavirus clusters or outbreaks (NPR). In order to slow the spread of the virus, the child care centers put children into “pods” of no more than nine children per adult and utilized spaces like basketball courts and boardrooms to allow more room among the kids. While these centers have had success so far, health experts warn that their experiences shouldn’t be overgeneralized and critical information about how safe schools would be for children with severe illnesses or underlying health conditions, how safe it is for adults, and whether certain school communities are at greater risk than others. Bonus Read: “ What Happens When Kids Don’t See Their Peers for Months,” (Atlantic).

Study Suggests Black Lives Matter Protests Not Linked to General Virus Spread

Black Lives Matter protests have not resulted in a general spread of coronavirus according to a study published this month by the National Bureau of Economic Research (CNN). The study, which looked at protests in 300 of the U.S.’s largest cities found no evidence of such spread, the reason likely being that protests resulted in greater social distancing among the public at large. The report states, “Our findings suggest that any direct decrease in social distancing among the subset of the population participating in the protests is more than offset by increasing social distancing behavior among others who may choose to shelter-at-home and circumvent public places while the protests are underway.” The report does not rule out the possibility of spread specifically among protesters despite an offset among the general public. As we covered in Wednesday’s brief, multiple states have reported that they are not seeing broader spread tied to the protests.

Scientists Investigating the Possibility that Coronavirus May Cause Diabetes

While it is known that diabetes is an important risk factor for developing severe COVID-19, researchers now suspect that the relationship may go both ways: the new coronavirus might also cause diabetes, by destroying the beta cells in the pancreas that produce the hormone insulin (New England Journal of Medicine). “Diabetes is dynamite if you get COVID-19,” says Paul Zimmet, who studies the metabolic disease at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia (Nature). The combination can be devastating, not just to individuals but to populations. “Diabetes itself is a pandemic just like the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Zimmer. “The two pandemics could be clashing.” This growing hypothesis is based on clues from several different sources: other viruses can play a role in causing diabetes; some COVID-19 patients have spontaneously developed diabetes; some COVID-19 patients have high levels of blood sugar and ketones; and most recently a study on organoids—miniature lab-grown organs—showed that the virus can infect beta cells in the pancreas (Cell Stem Cell). However, researchers need stronger evidence to show that coronavirus can cause diabetes. An international group of diabetes researchers have established a global registry of patients with COVID-related diabetes to gather more information about the relationship between the two diseases.

In Some Poorer Countries, Cases of Coronavirus Higher Among Males, Signaling Lack of Testing for Women, says IRC

According to data published Wednesday by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), confirmed coronavirus cases among men are disproportionately higher than those among women in certain conflict-ridden or poorer countries. The aid organization said the difference in infection rates suggests a lack of testing for women in areas of the world where health care and testing is already scarce. Globally, women comprise 51 percent of positive cases. But in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen, Chad and the Central African Republic, they make up less than 30 percent of confirmed cases, the IRC found. In countries like the U.S., Britain, and Germany, women account for closer to half of positive cases. 

Volunteers in Brazil, South Africa Receive First Doses of Experimental Vaccine

Volunteers in Brazil have received a test batch of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University and Astrazeneca (Guardian). According to the Guardian, “The Federal University of Sao Paulo (UNIFESP), which is coordinating the study in Brazil, said in a statement its researchers had begun issuing the first doses on Tuesday to health workers, including doctors, nurses and ambulance drivers, who were deemed to be likely to come into contact with the Sars-CoV-2 virus." The vaccine will be administered to 2,000 volunteers in Brazil and there are plans to start trialing it in South Africa this week, too. 

Around the World

IMF Predicts Deeper Global Economic Downturn

The International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday that the global economy faces an even deeper downturn than previously predicted, even as economies reopen around the world. In its update to the World Economic Outlook, the IMF said it now expects the global economy to shrink by 4.9 percent this year, sharper than the 3 percent it predicted in April (NYT). It credited the voluntary social distancing, enhanced workplace safety standards, and “scarring” of the labor force from mass job cuts and business closures as the reason behind the updated projection. 

Europe

Ethnic Minorities and Marginalized Groups Bore Brunt of European Lockdowns, Says Amnesty International

Ethnic minorities and marginalized groups bore the brunt of police “violence, discriminatory identity checks, forced quarantines and fines,” according to a report released Wednesday by Amnesty International. The report looked at the enforcement of lockdowns across 12 European countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Serbia, Slovakia, Romania, Spain and Britain. “Police violence and concerns about institutional racism are not new, but the COVID-19 pandemic and coercive enforcement of the resulting lockdowns have exposed just how prevalent they are,” Marco Perolini, Amnesty International’s Western Europe Researcher, wrote in a statement. “The triple threats of discrimination, unlawful use of force and police impunity must be urgently tackled in Europe” (WaPo). 

Russia Holds Delayed Victory Parade, Many Attend Without Masks

Tens of thousands of people showed up for the annual celebration of Russia’s defeat of Nazi Germany that was delayed due to the coronavirus, but few of them wore masks (NYT). The parade in Moscow was the largest of several scheduled throughout the country and was originally to take place on May 9 to mark the 75th anniversary of what Russia calls Victory Day but was delayed for six weeks. Russia is still battling the coronavirus outbreak and is the world’s third hardest hit country, with nearly 600,000 cases to date.Veterans in their 80s and 90s joined President Vladimir Putin to watch 14,000 troops march in tight formation -- all without masks or any social distancing measures (WaPo). 

France’s Contact Tracing App Falters, Half a Million Uninstall It

France’s new contact tracing app is not doing what it was designed to do -- track coronavirus cases, according to Cédric O, the digital affairs minister (WaPo). In the three weeks since it was launched, the app has alerted only 14 people that they came into close contact with someone who had the virus, the minister said at a briefing. Only 68 users told the app that they had been confirmed to have the virus, and about 460,000 people uninstalled the app. About 1.5 million users remain, out of France’s population of 67 million. Germany’s app has been downloaded by around 10 million of its 83 million people, by contrast. But the health minister credited the different adoption rates to cultural differences, not the app itself, saying: "It's probably more to do with our cultural differences and differing attitudes to the coronavirus" (Yahoo News). European countries have struggled with developing an app that is effective at tracing the virus while still respecting residents’ privacy, as we’ve covered in previous briefs. 

Americas

Canada’s Nursing Homes Struggle to Curb Coronavirus

About 80 percent of coronavirus-related deaths in Canada have occurred in nursing homes, the largest percentage among major economies reporting reliable data (WSJ). The coronavirus has exposed the weaknesses of many of the country’s long-term care facilities, some of which are publicly owned while others are private; they are understaffed and poorly equipped and many are in need of repairs and updates to the facilities. In April, Canada’s armed forces sent a team of medics to nursing homes in Ontario and Quebec at the provincial governments’ request and in late May both governments released reports filed by those medics. Military personnel reported that the staff didn’t take proper precautions in preventing residents who tested positive from interacting with others and that staff did not follow proper protocol on wearing personal protective equipment. The reports also detailed severe staffing shortages, sterile medical supplies being reused after the sterility was compromised, cockroach infestations, and fecal contamination. “This is a huge black eye” for Canada, said Dr. Samir Sinha, head of geriatrics at the University Health Network group of hospitals in Toronto and co-chairman of Ryerson University’s National Institute on Ageing. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the military medics will stay on until late June. 

Asia

India to Survey, Test 29 Million People in New Delhi

Officials in India said that they will begin carrying out a massive survey and testing campaign in New Delhi, targeting the entire population of the city -- 29 million residents (AP). Officials will visit each household and record residents’ health status and administer a test for those who show or report symptoms of coronavirus. The goal is to complete the survey by July 6. New Delhi is the worst-hit city in the country, with 70,390 confirmed cases. Officials also said that police are being deployed to enforce social distancing measures and CCTV and drone monitoring will be used. India reported a record high 16,922 cases on Thursday, taking the national total to 473,105, with nearly 15,000 deaths.

Some in Myanmar Don’t Know About Coronavirus Due to Internet Ban

Restrictions on mobile internet access that began a year ago in Myanmar have kept some villages from finding out about the coronavirus pandemic, according to human rights advocates (NPR). The internet ban was put in place in eight townships in the state of Rakhine and one in nearby Chin in June of 2019 after fighting between the country’s military and an ethnic minority broke out. Some one million people have been without access to the internet since then, according to Human Rights Watch, which is now calling for an immediate lifting of the ban. "With armed conflict between the Myanmar military and Arakan Army in Rakhine State amid a pandemic, it's critical for civilians to get the information needed to stay safe," Linda Lakhdhir, Asia legal adviser at Human Rights Watch said in the statement. 

Australia and New Zealand

Australia Sees Biggest One-Day Rise in Cases in Two Months

Australia’s Victoria state said that 33 people tested positive for coronavirus in the past 24 hours, the ninth day in a row of double digit new cases in the state and the highest increase in two months (Reuters). Victoria has around 200 of the country’s total 270 cases. Authorities are starting a testing blitz across the 10 hardest-hit suburbs, deploying ambulances and mobile test centers with a goal of testing 100,000 people over the next 10 days. Australian military personnel are expected to arrive on Friday to support Victoria’s efforts to contain the virus.

U.S. Government & Politics

U.S. Federal Government to End Support for Drive-Thru Testing

The Trump Administration is ending federal support for thirteen drive-thru coronavirus testing locations across five states on June 30, shifting operations to state governments. The testing sites were set up by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) early on in the pandemic. The government had previously attempted to turn the operations over to state governments, but governors objected, stating they needed federal support. Seven of the testing sites are located in Texas, which is experiencing a surge of new coronavirus cases. Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) has expressed his criticism of the withdrawal of federal support, stating, "It's pretty clear to me, and I think it's clear to all of us, that with the uptick of cases, now is not the time to retreat from our vigilance in testing. I believe that they need to extend that federal support in Texas, at least until we get this most recent uptick in cases addressed." HHS has responded to the criticism by saying that governments can still use federal funding to support testing operations (Politico).

States and Cities Halt Reopening Plans as Cases Rise

States and cities across the country are halting reopening plans and even reinstituting limits to curb the coronavirus spread. In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott told local governments they could restrict outdoor gatherings to 100 people and urge people to stay at home. In Maine, plans to reopen bars indoor seating has been called off. Kansas has halted the easing of restrictions and in Idaho, bars have been closed and gatherings of over 50 people have been barred. Oregon and Louisiana have also imposed measures to slow the coronavirus spread. Until there is an effective treatment or vaccine for the coronavirus, openings and closing could be the norm to control the pathogen's spread. Julie Gibbs, a health office in Riley County, Kansas, discussed the situation there, stating, "We may have let our guard down a little bit" (NYT). New York postponed its plans to reopen malls, gyms, and movie theaters, which had been scheduled to reopen with a move into Phase 4 that already began in parts of upstate New York (WSJ). Governor Andrew Cuomo stated, “We’re looking at what happened in other states” adding, “There’s some reports that malls, bars, certain social clubs with air conditioning—that air conditioning may not be cleansing the air of the virus, just recirculating the air with the virus.” Bonus Read: “What Are the Phases of New York’s Reopening Plan?” (NYT).

California Plans to File Injunction Against Uber and Lyft Over Worker Classifications

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra plans to file an injunction against Uber and Lyft to force these tech companies to classify drivers as employees rather than independent contractors. Becerra cites the new law, CA AB5 (19R), as a reason for his injunction. The law was passed in 2019 and created standards for workers to be classified as employees and eligible for guaranteed wages and benefits. Uber, Lyft, and other big tech firms that take part in the gig economy have spent over $110 million to pass legislation that would continue to allow their workers to be independent contractors, contrary to the law. Uber, Lyft, and the rest of California's gig economy have stated that classifying drivers as employees upends their entire business models. As we covered in prior briefs, because of the pandemic, Uber and other ride sharing apps have seen a decrease in demand and many of their drivers have sought access to benefits unavailable to independent contractors, raising the salience of the issue. Uber spoke out against the injunction, stating, "When over 3 million Californians are without a job, our elected leaders should be focused on creating work, not trying to shut down an entire industry" (Politico).

U.S. Economy

New York City May Lay Off 22,000 Workers

On Wednesday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio warned that the pandemic constrains the city's finances and may force extensive layoffs. The pandemic is tapping over $9 billion in tax revenue from New York City, and the city might have to cut over 22,000 municipal workers in the fall to make up for the difference. Mayor de Blasio discussed the pandemic's economic effects, stating, "We are running out of options here. That is the blunt truth" (NYT).

Gold Prices Hit Highest Level in Nearly 8 Years

Driven by fears over coronavirus, the price of gold has risen to its highest level in nearly eight years (CNN Business). The price of gold hit $1,776 per ounce. Gold is often perceived as a safe investment when there’s economic trouble as is the case currently with the pandemic.

Bonus Read: “Tale of Quad Cities: Different Reopening Policies Split Economy of Border Communities,” (WSJ). 

U.S. Society

New York City Marathon Canceled

On Wednesday, the New York City Marathon, one of the world's most renowned races, was canceled due to the coronavirus's concerns. The race was going to mark its 50th-anniversary and usually attracts over 50,000 runners and millions of fans. Instead it joins other races that have been canceled due to the pandemic including the Boston Marathon. New York Road Runners, the owner of the race, put out a statement discussing the cancellation: "New York Road Runners (NYRR), the event organizer, in partnership with the Mayor's Office of the City of New York, have made the decision to cancel the world's largest marathon due to coronavirus-related health and safety concerns for runners, spectators, volunteers, staff, and the many partners and communities that support the event" (WaPo)

The National Women's Soccer League Kicks Off Season with 'Bubble' Plan 

On Wednesday, the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) began hosting eight teams in Herriman, Utah, to play a month-long tournament under coronavirus precautions, which will begin on Saturday. The NWSL is instituting a “bubble” in which players and staff live under strict precautions to stop the virus from spreading. The League's commissioner, Lisa Baird, discussed the plan, saying, "We have been in multiple calls with all of our teams in terms of observing the village protocols. That's what we call them—the tournament protocols—which is social distance, making sure you are caring not only for your own health but are responsible for your teammates' health" (WSJ).

The Pandemic Complicated an Effort for an Environmentally Friendly Plastic Water Bottle

Nestlé, Coca-Cola, and Pepsi had set targets to use more recycled plastic in their beverage bottles to curb concerns over the environmental impact of single-use plastics. However, amid the pandemic, these targets were not reached due to the suspension of some recycling programs and cheaper oil prices. Oil has seen all times lows in prices, even reaching negative prices, which has made making a bottle out of recycled plastic more expensive than new plastic. Further, recycled plastic has been more difficult to procure as 100 municipalities in the U.S. stopped curbside recycling programs amid the pandemic. Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey discussed the initiative to use recycled plastic and the pandemic's effects, stating, "Maybe we'll have to make adjustments to the process, but it will resume" (WSJ).

Analysis & Arguments

Ari Schulman examines the conservative backlash against science amid the pandemic (New Republic).

Jeff Salmon speaks with two Texan science fiction writers about whether today’s seemingly dystopian times will inspire utopian stories (Texas Monthly).

Carl-Johann Karlsson argues that Sweden’s failures on coronavirus started before the pandemic (Foreign Policy).

 Readers can send in tips, critiques, questions, and suggestions to coronavirusbrief@newamerica.org.

The Brief is edited by Melissa Salyk-Virk and David Sterman and co-edited by Emily Schneider and Narisara Murray, with Brenden McMullen and Senior Editor Peter Bergen.

Read previous briefs here: https://www.newamerica.org/international-security/blog/new-america-coronavirus-daily-brief/

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