Coronavirus: The Hill and the Headlines, May 21, 2021

In Washington:

• House Ways and Means Committee Democrats Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and Steven Horsford (D-NV) introduced a bill Thursday aimed at boosting the hiring of workers hit hard by the pandemic. The legislation would expand the work opportunity tax credit, a tax break designed to encourage employers to hire people facing barriers to employment, such as the long-term unemployed. The International Franchise Association, National Restaurant Association, and American Health Care Association support the proposal.

• Congressman Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) faces two ethics complaints for failing to report roughly $1 million in stock trading in medical companies involved in responses to the pandemic. Malinowski reportedly failed to disclose the trading to Congress as required by law. In an interview, Malinowski admitted the failure, saying it was “a mistake that I own 100 percent.” The congressman claimed that his broker, Gagnon Securities, handles all his trading decisions. No evidence suggests Malinowski acted on insider information.

• Georgia schools that required teachers and staff to wear masks and improved ventilation reported fewer COVID-19 cases, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study released on Friday. The study found that COVID-19 incidence was 37 percent lower in schools that mandated masks. Schools that implemented at least one ventilation strategy saw a 39 percent reduction in cases among students and staff. The CDC recommends schools require or implement masking, better ventilation, social distancing, and contact tracing. 

• A new Education Department Inspector General report finds that at least $1.2  million in Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grants were awarded to and drawn down last year by colleges that had already closed. 

• With the pace of vaccinations in the U.S. down by nearly half this month, health experts worry that there may be spikes this summer as more businesses and states start large-scale openings. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) director Anthony Fauci told the Washington Post leadership summit Thursday that if 70% of Americans get at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine by July 4, the U.S. could avoid a case surge later in the year. Fauci called the COVID-19 vaccine a "positive wild card" that wasn't present in the previous case surges and urged the U.S. to continue aggressively vaccinating its population.

In the news:

• On Thursday the U.S. recorded over 30,000 new COVID-19 cases and 665 deaths from the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The U.S. has reported fewer than 30,000 cases for five straight days, bringing the seven-day average of daily new infections to about 30,300. It’s the first time daily case counts have held below the 30,000 mark for five consecutive days since mid-June 2020. According to the CDC, 48 percent of all Americans have received at least one coronavirus vaccine dose, and 38 percent are full-vaccinated. 

• Gavi, a public-private international organization focused on vaccine distribution, has acquired 200 million Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine doses to distribute to developing countries participating in the U.N. COVAX program. Gavi’s goal is to make the 200 million doses available this year.

• Iowa has joined a handful of Republican-led states in prohibiting local jurisdictions and public schools from implementing mask mandates to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed a bill into law Thursday that bans K-12 schools in the state from requiring students and staff to wear face coverings. The move follows similar actions taken by Texas, Florida, and South Carolina. 

• California officials confirmed Friday that the state would fully reopen on June 15.  The state will not require any capacity limits or physical distancing for businesses but will keep guidance for vaccine verification at large “mega-events” in place.

Authored by Ivan Zapien