This week, amid record spikes in COVID-19 cases nationwide, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a series of actions to support full-time in-person instruction in K-12 schools. These actions include: Sending Five Million No-Cost Point-of-Care Tests Per Month to Schools – The Biden-Harris Administration will distribute five million free, rapid tests to schools each month to help…
Read More »The Biden-Harris Administration announced this week that it is requiring health insurance companies and group health plans to cover the cost of over-the-counter (OTC), at-home COVID-19 tests, enabling individuals with private health insurance coverage to obtain tests for free beginning January 15, 2022. The new coverage requirement will allow beneficiaries to purchase tests online or…
Read More »Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday issued Executive Order N-3-22 to provide staffing flexibility for schools to support continued safe, in-person instruction for students. The Governor’s order addresses barriers that delay the hiring of qualified short-term substitute teachers, permit substitute teachers to have their assignments extended, and provide additional flexibility to support retired teachers who have…
Read More »On Saturday, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-2-22 establishing consumer protections against price gouging on at-home COVID-19 tests. The order comes as the state and nation continues to grapple with significant surges in COVID-19 cases, largely due to the omicron variant. The order prohibits sellers from increases prices on COVID-19 home test kits by…
Read More »The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) over the past several weeks has taken a series of steps to mitigate the surge in COVID-19 cases, including those cased by the Omicron variant, throughout the state. Below, we highlight these changes in guidance. Booster Doses Required for Certain Occupations Just prior to the winter holidays, state…
Read More »Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday issued Executive Order N-1-22 to protect residents against increasing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations largely driven by the COVID-19 omicron variant. The order extends the sunset of AB 361 that the Governor signed in September to extend flexibilities provided in a prior executive order enabling public agencies to meet remotely during…
Read More »Early this week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took steps to expand the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine among key populations throughout the country. The FDA amended the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the vaccine to: Expand the use of a single booster dose to include use in individuals ages 12-15 Shorten…
Read More »Amid a 47 percent increase in COVID-19 cases since the Thanksgiving holiday, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) on Monday announced masks will be required to be worn in all indoor public settings irrespective of vaccination status. The public health order, issued by CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragón, took…
Read More »The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) this week officially recommended mRNA COVID-19 vaccines over Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine. ACIP, in a unanimous vote, issued its clinical preference following a robust review of the latest evidence on vaccine effectiveness, safety, and rare events. At issue is…
Read More »On Tuesday, California reached its one-year anniversary of administering its first vaccine against COVID-19. Since beginning administration on December 14, 2020, California local health departments and providers have administered more than 62 million doses to residents, leading the nation in vaccination efforts. To mark the occasion, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) held a…
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