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This spring, as countries around the world told people to stay home to slow the spread of the coronavirus, doctors in neonatal intensive care units were noticing something strange: Premature births were falling, in some cases drastically. It started with doctors in Ireland and Denmark. Each team, unaware of the other’s work, crunched the numbers from its own region or country and found that during the lockdowns, premature births — especially the earliest, most dangerous cases — had plummeted. When they shared their findings, they heard similar anecdotal reports from other countries. (Preston, 7/19)

Dr. Michael Saag spends much of his time treating patients fighting for their lives and working with colleagues who are overwhelmed and exhausted by the relentless battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. But he enters a different world when he walks out the door of his Alabama clinic: one where many don’t wear masks, keep their distance from others or even seem aware of the intense struggle being waged against a virus. The disconnect is devastating. (Reeves, 7/18)

Jeffrey Tumlin, who leads San Francisco’s $1.3 billion transit system, is in a hard spot. Ridership on his transit system is down 70 percent citywide, reeling from the effects of a pandemic that has killed over 138,000 in the United States alone and smothered the national economy. His agency predicts $568 million in revenue losses over the next four years, and in an effort to stay afloat, he has had to eliminate half of his city bus lines, unsure if they will ever come back. (Verma, 7/19)

Public health experts and some Trump administration officials are pressuring reluctant governors to close down bars as their states suffer new surges of COVID-19. Bars are seen as one of the largest sources spreading the virus in states, given that they tend to crowd people together indoors, speaking at loud volumes without masks for extended periods of time. (Sullivan, 7/19)

Virginia became the first state in the nation last week to require businesses to protect workers from the coronavirus. The state's new emergency temporary standards obligate businesses to give out personal protective equipment, mandate social distancing guidelines and put in place response plans and training for workers, among other measures. Companies risk up to $130,000 in penalties if they are found to be in violation of the guidelines. (Garcia-Navarro and Silva, 7/19)

About 40 current and former employees of the outdoor equipment store REI in Grand Rapids, Mich., regularly communicate using the messaging app GroupMe. On July 6, they received a jarring note from a colleague. “Hey guys just so everybody knows I tested positive for Covid-19,” the employee wrote. “I was told not to tell anybody and that the store would let everybody know what was going on. I assumed everybody knew but apparently that was not the case. I’m glad the store is now taking it seriously and we are closed for a while. I have no symptoms and am feeling good.” (Maheshwari, 7/19)