States begin scaling back daily Covid-19 data reporting as federal officials try to vaccinate more Americans
JOE LAMBERTI/USA TODAY NETWORK A
About two dozen states have decided to scale back their daily tracking of Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths as President Joe Biden’s administration and other federal officials continue trying to get more Americans and the rest of the world vaccinated.
Some health officials are calling the scaleback premature, and the National Association of County and City Health Officials urges daily Covid-19 data tracking to continue.
“As far as I know, we’re still in a public health emergency as a country,” Lori Tremmel Freeman, the association’s chief executive officer, told CNN on Wednesday. “That has not been downgraded yet.”
Health tech s pandemic-fueled funding bonanza
The Big Idea
DEALS APLENTY: A torrent of venture capital is rushing into digital health, the latest sign of how the pandemic is speeding widespread adoption of technology-enabled care.
Analysts at the investment firm Rock Health say some $6.7 billion flowed into startups during the first quarter of this year a new record for a sector already accustomed to making and breaking milestones. The question is whether the business fundamentals justify the spending, or whether we’re seeing the makings of a bubble.
The huge economic stimulus from the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve pushed down interest rates and meant “capital was looking for returns,” said Bob Kocher, an investor with Venrock and former Obama administration health and economic policy official. And they found one good spot to invest in health care, as Covid policies forced steep uptake of virtual care.