This week, the California Schools Healthy Air, Plumbing, and Efficiency Program (CalSHAPE) announced a funding opportunity for local educational agencies to upgrade heating, air, and ventilation (HVAC) systems in public schools. In addition, the funding will also cover noncompliant plumbing fixtures and appliances that fail to meet water efficiency standards. The CalSHAPE Ventilation will be…
Read More »On Wednesday, the Senate Health Committee and Special Committee on Pandemic Response convened a joint informational hearing entitled, “The Long Haul: Preparing for the Impacts of Long COVID.” The hearing featured four panels of medical and public health experts, patients, and consumers to discuss the overview of long COVID, the experience of living with long…
Read More »Following its recent update to the National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan, the Biden-Harris Administration announced additional details on its nationwide Test-to-Treat Initiative. Through the program, individuals who test positive for COVID-19 will be able to visit local pharmacy-based clinics and federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), and long-term care facility residents in one stop, be assessed by…
Read More »On Thursday, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), at the recommendation of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), extended its security directive requiring the use of a mask on public transportation and transportation hubs for one month, through April 18, 2022. According to the CDC, during that time, the agency will work with…
Read More »U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has announced a request for information (RFI) on the impact and prevalence of health misinformation in the digital information environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Surgeon General Murthy seeks to understand the impact of COVID-19 misinformation on public health and the health care infrastructure during the pandemic, including quality of care,…
Read More »The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) will host a webinar on Thursday, March 17 entitled “Transitioning Out of the COVID-19 Emergency Phase.” The BPC will host CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky to discuss her COVID-19 forecast for 2022. Other leading public health experts will participate in a discussion of the implications of the eventual end of…
Read More »On Monday, California Governor Gavin Newsom, along with Oregon Governor Kate Brown and Washington Governor Jay Inslee, announced a series of changes to COVID-19 masking guidance. The state leaders, pointing to declining case rates and hospitalizations throughout the West, updated indoor mask policies and mask guidance for K-12 schools. Specifically, in California, as of March…
Read More »On Monday, Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order updating the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) to align the standard with the state’s new indoor masking guidance. Executive Order N-5-22 specifies that as of March 1, 2022, masks will no longer be required for unvaccinated employees indoors but…
Read More »The White House, under the direction of the Biden-Harris Administration, this week issued an updated response and recovery strategy for the COVID-19 pandemic. President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. announced the strategy during his State of the Union Address to U.S. Congress on Tuesday evening, highlighting a series of actions to continue the nation’s response to…
Read More »This week, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to continue its emergency and disaster assistance available to state and local governments due to the COVID-19 pandemic through June 30, 2022. Under the directive, FEMA will continue its 100 percent federal cost share for all work eligible for assistance, including…
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