Public Health Officials Worry About Likely Surge Of Cases In Navajo Nation; Detroit Police Force Hit ‘Overwhelmingly’ Hard

NBC News: Coronavirus Batters The Navajo Nation, And It’s About To Get Worse
On March 17, when the Navajo Nation saw its first COVID-19 case, the reservation’s limited health facilities sprang into action. “We basically changed our hospital from an acute care hospital and an ambulatory care clinic to one that could take care of respiratory care patients,” said Dr. Diana Hu, a pediatrician at one of the reservation hospitals. “And that transition happened over a period of about seven days.” (Abou-Sabe, McFadden, Romo and Longoria, 4/20)

The New York Times: Coronavirus Devastates Detroit Police, From The Chief On Down
At the “Police and Pancakes” breakfast sponsored by the Ninth Precinct on Detroit’s east side, some 90 uniformed officers, activists and students mingled inside a community center. They squeezed into line to reach a long table where four aluminum chafing dishes brimmed with scrambled eggs, Danishes, fruit and, of course, pancakes. Marlowe Stoudamire, a neighborhood organizer, posted a cheerful Facebook video the day after the March 6 event, saying, “The whole conversation was about how to create a better community experience with the Detroit Police Department.” (Eligon and MacFarquhar, 4/20)

The Wall Street Journal: Massachusetts Ranks Third Among States With Most Coronavirus Cases
Massachusetts has climbed to rank third among states with the most cases of the coronavirus as it ramps up testing and faces a surge of people sickened in the world-wide pandemic. As of Saturday, Massachusetts reported 34,402 positive cases, behind New York and New Jersey but ahead of far-more-populous states including California, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The state was fourth in the U.S. among states in tests per capita as of Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins data. (Levitz, 4/18)

Boston Globe: Amid Flurry Of National Coronavirus Data, Massachusetts Remains A Hot Spot Of Infection 
This virus first struck in late February on the Pacific Coast, attacking a nursing home in Washington state where the death toll quickly soared from one to 14 — to 43.It was terrifying, but far away — not here, not us. The one publicized case of COVID-19 in Massachusetts had seemed to fizzle. But today, after seven long weeks, fortunes have dramatically shifted. (Ryan, Lazar and Arsenault, 4/18)

Boston Globe: Walsh Outlines How Construction Might Safely Resume Amid Coronavirus
Boston was the first big city in the country to shut down construction amid the coronavirus crisis. Now Mayor Martin J. Walsh is outlining how work might start up again, safely. The city on Friday issued a series of new safety guidelines for construction projects, including requiring a coronavirus safety plan as part of any building permit, with details for everything from hand-washing stations to elevator usage. Safety plans will be due starting April 27. (Logan, 4/17)

Boston Globe: Patients Start To Fill Field Hospitals Amid Surge In Coronavirus Cases
Boston’s newest medical facility — a pop-up field hospital at the city’s cavernous convention center — has already treated more than 100 coronavirus patients in the past week and could reach capacity in the coming days as the state’s COVID-19 cases peak. The already high demand for beds in the temporary facility known as Boston Hope is a sign of the magnitude of the pandemic, even as doctors and state officials say social distancing measures are helping to slow spread of the virus. (McCluskey, 4/18)

Boston Globe: As Cyber Attacks Grow, Doctors And Hospitals Struggle To Update Security Measures
Cyber criminals are increasingly launching malicious software attacks against health care organizations, including those in Boston, disrupting medical treatment and threatening the vast amounts of private patient information housed at doctors’ offices and hospitals. And even as health care providers are a growing target for hackers, the health care industry as a whole is lagging in security measures to prevent and respond to attacks, according to cybersecurity experts. (McCluskey, 4/19)

Boston Globe: As Rhode Island Tops 4,000 Coronavirus Cases, Raimondo Talks About Preparing For Surge 
As the spread of coronavirus increases in Rhode Island, state health officials have made recommendations to all acute-care hospitals to help decide how they will ration medical equipment and treatment if they are overwhelmed by patients with COVID-19. The crisis standards of care will make sure Rhode Island is ready “if we get to a place where we have to make difficult decisions for health supplies and hospital beds,” Governor Gina M. Raimondo said during a news conference Friday at the State House. (Milkovits, 4/17)

Boston Globe: Latino Leaders Alarmed By Report That 45 Percent Of Rhode Islanders With Coronavirus Are Latino 
Latino leaders say they were shocked to hear the state health director say that 45 percent of those who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Rhode Island are Latino. But they are questioning whether that figure overstates or understates the proportion of Latinos with the coronavirus. While it’s clear Latinos make up 16 percent of the state population, they say it’s unclear what percentage of all of those who have been tested are Latino — a key to putting the 45 percent figure in context. (Fitzpatrick, 4/17)

Modern Healthcare: Michigan Investigating Dead Bodies Piled Up At DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital
State regulators are investigating photos that surfaced this week of dead bodies piled together at DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital in Detroit, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Friday. CNN aired a photo the cable news network said it obtained from a Sinai-Grace emergency room worker of multiple bodies in body bags piled in a storage room. (Livengood, 4/17)

The Washington Post: Inside D.C.’s Emergency Child-Care Centers
Nacole Thrower was running late, and her 3-year-old son was still snuggled in his sheets, his limbs sticking to the mattress. “Hudson, time to get up. Hudson,” Thrower said. She lifted her half-sleeping toddler and carried him to the bathroom. He sat on a stepping stool, his eyes still mostly closed, and brushed his teeth. It was just before 7 a.m., on a rainy weekday in April. (Stein, 4/19)

San Francisco Chronicle: Coronavirus Puts Gavin Newsom In Tough Spot On California Progressives’ Biggest Priorities
A soaring economy gave Gov. Gavin Newsom wide latitude during his first year in office to set California on a path to the sweeping liberal agenda he outlined during his campaign. Now, as the coronavirus pandemic plays havoc with the state budget, Newsom suddenly faces tough and unexpected choices that may require him to temporarily abandon key policy goals and disappoint allies. (Koseff, 4/18)

San Francisco Chronicle: SFO Workers Still On The Job Face Coronavirus Risks
Many workers are still on the job at San Francisco International Airport, facing potential exposure to the coronavirus to keep the facility running at a fraction of its normal capacity. Workers screening bags, preparing meals for flight crews and cleaning airplanes said they are concerned about their employer’s failure to properly protect them from infection. (DiFeliciantonio, 4/19)

KQED: Senators Want To Know If ICE Detainees Were Pepper Sprayed After Requesting Masks 
Both U.S. senators from California are calling for an investigation into reports that detained women at a federal immigration facility in San Diego were pepper sprayed and handcuffed by guards after demanding protective masks. Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris sent a letter Wednesday asking the U.S. Department of Homeland Security inspector general to look into “alarming reports of conduct by staff” during a recent incident at the Otay Mesa Detention Center. (Hendricks, 4/17)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: More Georgians Rushing To Write Wills During Coronavirus Pandemic
With COVID-19 cases in Georgia skyrocketing, Daniel decided to act immediately when he saw a Facebook post from a Marietta attorney, Dawn Levine, offering free wills and advance directives for first responders and medical workers in Cobb County. Before the pandemic, only 32% of adults surveyed said they had a will, according to a 2020 study done by Caring.com. However, in the past few weeks, there’s been a surge in the number of people seeking out lawyers who specialize in end-of-life affairs, such as wills and advance directives, local attorneys said. (Oliviero, 4/17)

WBUR: With Senior Year In Disarray, Teens And Young Adults Feel Lost. Here’s How To Help 
For many young people sheltering at home means missing milestones and public recognition of their achievements. This is especially true for seniors graduating from high school and college. Kendall Smith, a high school senior who lives in Tallahassee, Fla., says her school has many traditions leading up to graduation. But this year things are very different. (Neighmond, 4/19)

WBUR: After Texas Abortion Ban, Clinics In Other Southwest States See Influx Of Patients 
Planned Parenthood clinics in Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada are reporting an influx of patients from Texas, after an order from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott suspending most abortions in that state during the coronavirus pandemic. New data provided to NPR by Planned Parenthood show a more than sevenfold increase in patients traveling from Texas to clinics across the Southwest for abortions since the order took effect in late March. (McCammon, 4/17)

ProPublica: Chicago Lakeshore Hospital Closes After Years Of Abuse Allegations But Cites ‘The COVID-19 Pandemic’
A Chicago psychiatric hospital that has faced repeated allegations of abuse and neglect of patients has closed, although a spokesman for the hospital said Friday the move is temporary. Once one of the largest behavioral health providers in Illinois, Chicago Lakeshore Hospital in Uptown discharged its last patient this week and notified employees of the closure, the spokesman said. “Chicago Lakeshore Hospital has temporarily discontinued providing services,” said Guy Chipparoni, a spokesman for Signature Healthcare Services, which owns Chicago Lakeshore Hospital. “Skeletal staff” remain at the hospital, he said. (Eldeib, 4/17)

Oklahoman: Coronavirus In Oklahoma: Chinese Community Helping In The Fight Against COVID-19
Before the virus ever made its way to the United States, many Chinese Americans had a sneak preview of the danger as they watched it threaten family and friends in their home country. Now many of those same people are working to help protect their new home. (Kemp, 4/19)

Oklahoman: Mental Health Care Providers Plan For Increased Need Even After Oklahoma’s COVID-19 Peak
Mental health care services are in high demand in Oklahoma, and providers expect the increased need to continue well into the months after the initial flurry of COVID-19 activity. Police departments across the metro have said calls related to suicide have increased, and in Oklahoma City, domestic violence has also trended up compared to this time last year. (Branch, 4/20)

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Nevada’s 1st Coronavirus Patient Recovering
The retired Marine private was the first of many Nevadans to go through the ordeal. As of Thursday, the state had reported more than 3,300 cases of COVID-19 and 142 deaths. Pipkins’ battle with the disease was hard won, and he still has a ways to go to fully recover. But doctors say his condition has drastically improved: He has now tested negative for the virus twice and has been moved out of the intensive care unit. He’ll soon be discharged and moved to a rehabilitation facility. (Erickson, 4/17)

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Coronavirus Killing Black, Asian Clark County Residents At High Rates 
The coronavirus is killing Clark County’s black and Asian residents at a disproportionately high rate compared to their white and Hispanic counterparts, according to new health data released Friday. The death rate among Asian, non-Hispanic people was about 9-per-100,000 people. Among black, non-Hispanic people, the death rate was about 8-per-100,000. (Davidson, 4/17)

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Nevada May Be Near Peak Of Coronavirus, But 2nd Wave Feared 
Although Nevada and Clark County might be near a peak in COVID-19 cases — or possibly even have passed it — local health authorities say that doesn’t mean the worst is over. After sharp increases, new cases have shown signs of slowing in recent days, while some prominent forecasting models suggest that the state may have passed the outbreak’s peak. (Hynes, 4/18)

Billings Gazette: Shelby, Home Of The Most Montana COVID-19 Deaths, Won’t Go Down Without A Fight 
Per capita, no Montana community has been hit harder by the virus. As of Saturday, Toole County (pop. 4,800) had 29 confirmed cases, four of the state’s 10 deaths and 14 recovered — all but the most recent infection directly linked to Shelby’s 38-apartment Marias Heritage Center assisted-living facility and by extension the 21-bed Marias Medical Center. Beyond the tragedies is economic upheaval most conspicuous in Shelby’s surreally sedate Main Street. Shelter-in-place and social distancing have shuttered cafes, taverns and retail businesses typically abuzz with social connectivity. (Welsch, 4/19)

Detroit Free Press: Detroit Area Hospitals Resuming Surgeries, Procedures After Red Ink
For the first time in a month, Henry Ford Health System resumed outpatient surgeries in specially designated operating rooms at its five hospitals, Senior Vice President Dr. Steven Kalkanis announced Thursday. Other health systems, including Detroit Medical Center and Michigan Medicine, said they are also easing into more surgeries. The announcements follow a dispiriting series of layoffs and furloughs of doctors, nurses, administrative staff and other hospital personnel across metro Detroit in the last week, which hospital administrators had blamed largely on their inability to generate revenue from medical procedures unrelated to the coronavirus crisis. (Dixon and Shamus, 4/17)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: New Orleans Area’s First In-Hospital Hospice Unit For Dying Coronavirus Patients Opens
The area’s first hospice unit for dying, hospitalized coronavirus patients opened at Metairie’s East Jefferson General Hospital this week, a move that allows loved ones of people fatally stricken with the disease to be at their bedsides — in protective gear — during their final moments. (Vargas, 4/18)