Free Republic

Opioid-related deaths in Cook County have doubled since this time last year, and similar increases are happening across the country. “If you’re alone, there’s nobody to give you the Narcan,” said one coroner.

Though requirements vary from state to state, many of them are hiring thousands of contact tracers in an effort to curb coronavirus spread. Here’s a brief quiz to check your knowledge. States across the country are scrambling to hire tens of thousands of contact tracers, who will play a key role in keeping the coronavirus contained. Many experts I interviewed said that a high school diploma should be sufficient for a basic contact tracing job, though teams should be led by an experienced public health worker. Indeed, this could be an opportunity for the U.S. to provide employment for thousands...

The purchase orders include requests for disposable cuffs, gas masks, ballistic helmets, and riot gloves, along with law enforcement protective equipment for federal police assigned to protect Veterans Affairs facilities. The orders were expedited under a special authorization “in response to Covid-19 outbreak.” The Veterans Affairs department, which manages nearly 1,500 health care care facilities around the country, has also extended special contracts for coronavirus-related security services.

WATCH: A drone was seen flying over a Manhattan park on Saturday, urging pedestrians to “maintain social distancing.”

Kentucky officials are warning residents of fake coronavirus testing sites in the Louisville area, according to the Louisville Courier Journal. Medical marketing companies offering coronavirus tests, including one that promises results in 24 hours, have charged people up to $250 per test. "It's a scam," Metro Council President David James told local broadcaster WDRB. "They would test somebody and use the same gloves they used on the person before. They get your $240 dollars plus they can turn in fake Medicaid claims."