Forbes - Voting During A Pandemic

Plus: Vice President Pence keeps traveling after Covid-19 exposure

The director of the World Health Organization said today that the world is at a dangerous moment as multiple countries struggle with spikes in Covid-19 cases. The United States is having as much trouble as anywhere else; last week, the nation’s rolling seven-day average of new cases was almost 70,000, higher than the previous record that was set in July. And this spike couldn’t be happening at a worse time. The 2020 Presidential Election is in eight days, and millions of people across the country will need to line up and go indoors to vote. While some states have increased mail-in voting, others are still planning on most voting turnout happening in person. In Texas for example, a court just ruled that if people want to vote absentee at the last minute due to being diagnosed with Covid-19, they will need a doctor’s note.

Business

The IRS has announced an extension to the deadline for caretakers to claim a $500 child stimulus payment. 

Hospitals across the country, including the nation’s largest hospital operator HCA Health, are still losing money due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the cancelation of elective surgeries.

The Rockefeller Foundation has pledged $1 billion to help efforts that are fighting Covid-19.

Science & Health

Dry air indoors could increase the transmission of Covid-19 in the wintertime. 

A new study shows that reopening schools and having relaxed gatherings lead to the most number of new Covid-19 cases. 

Organizations that have fought polio for decades are using their infectious disease experiences to fight Covid-19. 

Social isolation from the pandemic can make mental health worse, but group therapy can help.

On The Upside

Hospitals Of The Future: Two hospital design experts discuss the inevitable shifts in healthcare delivery as technology leads to new care settings and rethinking hospitals.