This week Governor Newsom released the California State Schools for All Plan, California’s framework to support schools to continue operating safely in-person and expand the number of schools resuming in-person instruction. The framework has four key pillars: Funding to Support Safe Reopening. Governor Newsom’s January budget will propose $2 billion to support safety and mitigation…
Read More »On Monday after months of stalled negotiations, Congress passed a sweeping $2.3 trillion spending measure containing $1.4 trillion in governmental appropriations for fiscal year 2021, as well as $900 billion in additional COVID-19 relief. Over the weekend, Congressional leaders broke the stalemate, ultimately leading to the spending bill’s passage in both chambers of Congress on…
Read More »Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Defense (DOD) announced the federal government will purchase an additional 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer. Under the agreement, Pfizer will manufacture and deliver up to 100 million doses of its SARS-CoV-2 vaccine to government designated locations. Pfizer must…
Read More »Today, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Robert Redfield announced the U.S. jurisdictions have now reported that more than one million people have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine since administration began 10 days ago. During a press conference today, California Governor Gavin Newsom indicated nearly 130,000 Californians have…
Read More »This week, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued a supplement to its State Public Health Officer Order requiring non-essential work, movement, and gatherings to cease between 10:00 pm and 5:00 am in Tier 1 (Purple/Widespread) counties. Recall, the state issued its limited stay-at-home order in mid-November amid rapidly increasing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations….
Read More »Reports recently emerged about a new variant of the COVID-19 virus spreading rapidly in the United Kingdom. According to the U.K. government, the new virus variant appears to transmit more easily than the previous COVID-19 strain, but no evidence exists indicating the new variant causes more severe disease or mortality. The U.S. Centers for Disease…
Read More »This week, the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) issued a policy brief on the COVID-19 vaccine entitled, “Building Trust in and Access to a COVID-19 Vaccine Among People of Color and Tribal Nations.” The policy brief follows a convening this fall among 40 leading health equity, healthcare, civil rights, and public health organizations. The purpose…
Read More »Following the issuance of an emergency use authorization (EUA) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) late last week, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has begun arriving at dispensing points nationwide, including in California. Over the past weekend, the Western States Scientific Review Workgroup confirmed the Pfizer vaccine is safe and efficacious for distribution in…
Read More »This week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for an at-home COVID-19 test, available to individuals without a prescription. The at-home test, Ellume, can be used by individuals ages 16 and older and children over the age of two if administered by an adult. The tests are rapid…
Read More »Upon arrival of the state’s first COVID-19 vaccine shipments, Governor Gavin Newsom launched the “Vaccinate All 58” campaign for safe, fair, and equitable vaccine distribution in all 58 California counties. As part of the “Vaccinate All 58” campaign, various communications tools and resources have been made available to jurisdictions statewide. The full press announcement from…
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