Health News Roundup: US to send millions of rapid COVID tests; Delivering super-cooled COVID vaccine and more

New York City delays school start to address unions' coronavirus safety concerns New York City's public school system, the country's largest, will delay the opening of classes by 11 days to Sept.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

U.S. to send millions of rapid COVID-19 tests to states to support school reopening, other tasks

The U.S. government will send an "overwhelming majority" of the rapid COVID-19 tests it purchased from Abbott Laboratories last week to governors of states and territories to support school reopenings and other critical tasks, an administration official said at a press briefing. Other top priorities for the newly purchased tests include day care centers, first responders, and "critical infrastructure," said Admiral Brett Giroir, assistant secretary for health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Delivering super-cooled COVID-19 vaccine a daunting challenge for some countries

Getting a coronavirus vaccine from manufacturing sites to parts of the developing world supply will be an immense challenge, given the need to store some vials at temperatures as low as minus 80 Celsius (-112 Fahrenheit), Deutsche Post warned on Tuesday. The German logistics firm said that distribution of an eventual vaccine across large parts of Africa, South America and Asia would require extraordinary measures to keep deliveries of so-called mRNA vaccines refrigerated.

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:

India leads global rise in new weekly cases Latest on the worldwide spread of coronavirus

New York City's public school system, the country's largest, will delay the opening of classes by 11 days to Sept. 21, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Tuesday.

DEATHS AND INFECTIONS U.S. CDC reports 183,050 coronavirus deaths

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday reported 6,004,443 cases of the coronavirus, an increase of 32,087 from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 428 to 183,050. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by the coronavirus, as of 4 pm ET on Aug. 31 versus its previous report on Monday. (https://bit.ly/3bfXLmq)

Google, Apple roll out built-in COVID-19 exposure notifications to phones

Alphabet Inc's Google and Apple Inc on Tuesday announced a new system that will enable public health authorities to use smartphones to assist in contact tracing without having to build an app. The new system - called Exposure Notifications Express - will allow public health officials to submit a small configuration file to Apple and Google. The two tech companies will then use the file to set up systems that phone owners can opt in to in order to determine whether they have been near someone who has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Trump says he will meet with drugmakers this week over pricing

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he planned to meet with pharmaceutical companies this week regarding his so-called most- favored-nation executive order aimed at lowering drug prices paid by the U.S. federal government. The president signed the executive order this summer which, among other things, would require Medicare to tie the prices it pays for drugs to those paid by other countries. Its implementation, however, has been delayed as the administration seeks to work out a solution with the industry.

Health workers, first responders should be first to get COVID-19 vaccines: U.S. panel

Healthcare workers and first responders who are at the highest risk of contracting COVID-19 should be at the front of the line for vaccines when they become available, an independent expert panel tapped by top U.S. health officials said on Tuesday. The draft report, issued by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, recommends vaccines be rolled out in four phases, with the first "Jumpstart" phase focused on managing what is expected to initially be a scarce supply of vaccines.

White House slams WHO over criticism of push for COVID-19 vaccine

The White House on Tuesday pushed back on concerns expressed by the World Health Organization after a U.S. health official said a coronavirus vaccine might be approved without completing full trials. "The United States will continue to engage our international partners to ensure we defeat this virus, but we will not be constrained by multilateral organizations influenced by the corrupt World Health Organization and China," White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement.

New York City delays school start to address unions' coronavirus safety concerns

New York City's public school system, the country's largest, will delay the opening of classes by 11 days to Sept. 21 under an agreement with unions that pressed for stronger coronavirus safety measures, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Tuesday. The agreement, which comes as school systems across the country wrestle with the pandemic and pressure from the Trump administration to reopen school buildings, would maintain the city's plan for a mix of in-class and remote learning.