The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) recently issued the Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine to provide an overarching framework for vaccine allocation to assist policymakers and stakeholders in the domestic and global health communities. The report recommends four allocation phases for the COVID-19 vaccine and outlines numerous considerations and factors…
Read More »This week, the Assembly convened two oversight hearings of interest to local health departments. Below, we summarize the hearings: Public Health Guidance and CalREDIE On Tuesday morning, the Assembly Subcommittee No. 6 on Budget Process Oversigth and Program Evaluation hosted state officials from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the California Department of…
Read More »This week, the Department of Finance (DOF) issued its first quarterly report of the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) provided by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Recall, the CARES Act was signed into law in March and provided state and local governments with federal funds for expenditures incurred between March 1…
Read More »The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed H.R. 8406, a revised version of the HEROES Act, on a 214-207 vote. The sweeping $2.2 trillion measure, narrowed from its original $3 trillion price tag, would provide $436 billion in assistance for state, local, territorial, and tribal governments. The measure would also extend the deadline to…
Read More »Today, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced that he renewed the COVID-19 national public health emergency for an additional 90 days, effective October 23. Recall, HHS Secretary Azar initially declared COVID-19 a national public health emergency on January 31, 2020. According to Secretary Azar, the renewal of the national emergency will allow…
Read More »On Wednesday, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released details of the state’s new health equity metric which is part of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy framework. According to the state, the equity metric is intended to help guide counties in their continuing efforts to more effectively fight COVID-19, including through more intensive…
Read More »This week, the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom announced an additional $137 million in awards to 15 applicants for 19 projects totaling 938 units as part of the state’s $600 million Homekey initiative to purchase and rehabilitate housing – including hotels, motels, vacant apartment buildings, and other properties – to convert them into permanent, long-term…
Read More »The Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) will host a webinar on October 21 from 10:00 am to 11:30 am titled, “Ensuring COVID-19 Vaccine Access, Safety, and Utilization: Building Vaccination Confidence in Communities of Color.” The webinar will feature expert panelists to educate policymakers and stakeholders on the historical reasons for vaccine hesitancy in communities of…
Read More »This week, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-80-20 taking action on a series of items related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, the order allows local health officers and other public health officials to participate in the Secretary of State’s Safe at Home Confidential Address Program. The order acknowledges the numerous threats and other harassment…
Read More »This week, the Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that Oregon and Washington will participate with California in piloting a project that notifies individuals if they have been exposed to COVID-19 via a mobile application. Late last week, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the California Department of Technology (CDT) announced the…
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