#28 COVIDCalls 4.22.2020 – Public Health Update + COVID & the Law

How much legal power does the U.S. federal government have to regulate states during pandemic? How are various issues related to the pandemic, from shelter-in-place orders, state specific quarantines, limits on religious gatherings, and deportations being litigated? How is Philadelphia dealing with the pandemic in late-April 2020? Dr. Esther Chernak, professor at the Drexel University School of Public Health, rejoins to provide an update on the state of the pandemic in Philadelphia and the local public health response as of late-April, 2020. In particular Dr. Chernak discusses the vulnerability of elderly in nursing homes, the continued inadequacy of testing, asymptomatic transmission, and various reopening plans. Then, Professor Kathy Bergin, adjunct professor of law at Cornell Law School and member of the steering committee for Project Blueprint, discusses the emerging field of disaster law and legal issues surrounding COVID-19 in America. In addition Professor Bergin talks about her work in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. She breaks down some of the recent legal filings and cases related to COVID-19. Professor Bergin also discusses the constitutional limitations on federal and state powers when it comes to pandemic response. For further reading: Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti “Missouri Sues China, Commuist Party Over The Coronavirus Pandemic” “Kansas Supreme Court Upholds Governors Order Limiting the Size of Easter Services”