Health & Safety

News Brief: Trump Addresses Race, U.S. COVID-19 Testing Goals, Federal Tax Deadline

5:20am July 15, 2020

President Trump made divisive statements on race at his Rose Garden address recently. The U.S. wants to increase testing to control COVID-19. And, the Federal tax filing deadline approaches.

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Adm. Brett Giroir, assistant secretary for health in the Department of Health and Human Services, adjusts his face mask while testifying this month before a House subcommittee on the coronavirus crisis.

Health & Safety

Despite Shortfalls And Delays, U.S. Testing Czar Says Efforts Are Mostly 'Sufficient'

7:16pm July 14, 2020

by Jason Slotkin

Adm. Brett Giroir, who leads the federal testing response, tells NPR that the U.S. is on track to test enough to contain the pandemic, saying newer, point-of-care tests are part of the solution.

Pictured in 2019, Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki on Tuesday questioned U.S. measures to stop the coronavirus from spreading on the island.

Coronavirus Surge For U.S. Military On Okinawa Adds To Soured Relations There

6:09pm July 14, 2020

by David Welna

One hundred newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 among U.S. forces on the small island that hosts about half the Americans stationed in Japan are further testing tense ties with Okinawa.

Kimberley Chavez Lopez Byrd died after testing positive for coronavirus. Other teachers she worked with tested positive as well. "She was a very loving, very faithful person and she was very kind," says her colleague Jena Martinez-Inzunza.

A Teacher Who Contracted COVID-19 Cautions Against In-Person Schooling

5:42pm July 14, 2020

by James Doubek

Three teachers in rural Arizona contracted COVID-19 after working together in a classroom. One of them died. NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Jena Martinez-Inzunza about her experience.

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A Look At Pandemic's Impact On Recovery For Alcoholism And Drug Addiction

4:03pm July 14, 2020

People in recovery for alcoholism and drug addiction have been hit hard by challenges of social distancing. Laura Bratton shares how the pandemic has affected her recovery and her support system.

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Orange County Education Board Member On Her Vote For Schools To Reopen Without Masks

4:03pm July 14, 2020

NPR's Sarah McCammon talks with Lisa Sparks, a member of the Orange County, Calif., Board of Education, about why she approves of the plan to reopen public schools without masks or social distancing.

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NC K-12 Students To Have Mix Of Online, In-Person Classes

3:30pm July 14, 2020

by Associated Press

N.C. Supreme Court Puts Hold On Order That Resumed Bowling

2:13pm July 14, 2020

by Associated Press

Health & Safety

What Happens When A Pandemic And An Epidemic Collide

1:09pm July 14, 2020

by Susan Brink

At the international AIDS conference last week — held virtually — concerns were shared about the impact of the novel coronavirus on efforts to fight AIDS.

A visitor wearing a protective mask walks past a statue of Mickey Mouse at the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort on June 18, the day it initially reopened. The amusement park will close again on Wednesday.

Hong Kong Disneyland Closes Again Because Of Coronavirus

12:40pm July 14, 2020

by Austin Horn

A city health official called the virus's spread in Hong Kong "a bit out of control," according to a report from Asia Times. Hong Kong has reported 1,469 cases of the coronavirus and seven deaths.