As part of the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ (NACCHO’s) work to support and serve 3,000 local health departments (LHDs) in the United States, NACCHO will be releasing a bi-weekly blog consisting of an up-to-date collection of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) resources for our members working at the intersection of environmental health and COVID-19. During the novel coronavirus pandemic, the organization has been conducting several events, offering funding, and supporting the release of documentation to help LHDs address pressing public health issues in their region, including a spectrum of issues related to COVID-19. For more information on NACCHO’s ongoing efforts to address the pandemic, visit NACCHO’s COVID-19 webpage.

Curated Collection of Resources as of 9/30/2020

NACCHO Resources and Events Related to COVID-19

• Webinar: The Impact of COVID-19 on School Re-Opening
  NACCHO invites local health department leadership and staff to participate in a webinar on “the Impact of COVID-19 on School Re-Opening.” Register to join us on Thursday, October 1 (3:00 – 4:30 pm ET), to gain insight on how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the virtual and in-person return to school, to learn about CDC’s current back to school guidance and recommendations, and more.
• Join NACCHO’s COVID-19 Virtual Community
  NACCHO has set up a dedicated COVID-19 Virtual Community, a secure platform where LHDs can post questions to fellow colleagues, raise issues to NACCHO, and find resources from federal partners and other LHDs. To access the community, you will need to log in using your MyNACCHO account credentials and be affiliated with a local health department.

General Resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for Local and State Health Departments

• CDC released a State, Territorial, Local and Tribal Health Department Search resource webpage.
• CDC’s MMWR on Preventing and Mitigating SARS-CoV-2 Transmission — Four Overnight Camps, Maine, June–August 2020 details strategy to isolate asymptomatic COVID-19 cases..
  • According to the CDC, “During the 2020 summer camp season, four Maine overnight camps with 1,022 attendees from 41 states and international locations implemented a multilayered prevention and mitigation strategy that was successful in identifying and isolating three asymptomatic COVID-19 cases and preventing secondary transmission.”
• You can listen to the MMWR Podcast Series to keep yourself updated!
• Check out COVIDView: a weekly summary of COVID019 activity in the U.S.

CDC’s Contact Tracing Resources

• Notification of Exposure: A Contact Tracer’s Guide for COVID-19
• eCR Now: COVID-19 Electronic Case Reporting
• Contact Tracing: Frequently Asked Questions for Health Departments
• Investigating a COVID-19 Case Guidance
• Contact Tracing for COVID-19 CDC webpage

COVID-19 Resources for Natural Disasters, Climate and Health, Wildfires: Check out the new landing page, Natural Disasters, Severe Weather, and COVID-19 from CDC.

• CDC’s Response and Recovery Activities for Environmental Health (RRA)
• COVID-19 resources are available on the “Educational Materials” page of the Natural Disasters and Severe Weather CDC website

Spanish versions of several EH materials and guidelines are available including the:

• Spanish Natural Disasters, Severe Weather, and COVID-19 landing page
• Spanish version of the Wildfire Smoke & COVID-19 CDC webpage
• Spanish version of the Public Health Strategies to Reduce Exposure to Wildfire Smoke during the COVID-19 Pandemic
• COVID-19 Contact Tracing Scenarios: Disaster Shelters resource to the “Natural Disasters & COVID-19: Resources for Professionals & Emergency Workers” from CDC
• Employer Information for Heat Stress Prevention during the COVID-19 Pandemic from CDC
• Public Health Strategies to Reduce Exposure to Wildfire Smoke during the COVID-19 Pandemic from CDC

COVID-19, Food Safety, and FDA Resources

• Employee Health and Food Safety Checklist for Human and Animal Food Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Recommendations for Modifications of Self-Service Displays in the Retail Food Industry Due to COVID-19 - View the latest guidance document from the Association of Food and Drug Officials.
• Is Your Hand Sanitizer on FDA’s List of Products You Should Not Use? Make sure you let your community know that before they buy hand sanitizer or use hand sanitizer at home, they should check the FDA’s do-not-use list!

Resources on Improving Health Equity During COVID-19

• Refer to CDC’s COVID-19 Response Health Equity Strategy: Accelerating Progress Towards Reducing COVID-19 Disparities and Achieving Health Equity. The strategy seeks to improve the health outcomes of populations disproportionately affected by focusing on four specific priorities.
• CDC also updated their webpage on Health Equity

Resources on Addressing COVID-19 in Refugee Populations

• CDC published guidance for preventing, mitigating and responding to COVID-19 in Newly Resettled Refugee Populations, and other stakeholders close to this population including related health care workers, community organizations, and public health professionals.

Early Childhood Education/Childcare Facility Resources

• CDC updated guidance for Schools and Child Care Programs
• CDC has developed a COVID-19 Parental Resource Kit: Ensuring Children and Young People’s Social, Emotional, and Mental Well-being
• From CDC: Cleaning, Disinfection, & Hand Hygiene in Schools: A Toolkit for School Administrators
• CDC’s ECE General Preparedness and Planning Webpage
• Environmental Health Considerations if Relocating or Starting New ECEs (Set It Up Safe: A Planning Tool)
• From Children’s Environmental Health Network (CEHN): Safer Cleaning and Disinfecting in Child Care Facilities due to COVID-19: General Guidance/Part 1 | Part 2 [Infographic- Eco-Healthy Child Care®]
• From CEHN: COVID-19: Healthy Indoor Air Quality in Child Care Facilities [Infographic- Eco-Healthy Child Care®]

Want more? The Urban Institute database has added 40 new ECE and COVID-19 resources that you can peruse. https://www.urban.org/policy-centers/center-labor-human-services-and-population/projects/list-covid-19-child-care-surveys-and-data-analyses

Wastewater Surveillance Resources

• CDC created a public health tool National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) to understand COVID-19 spread in a community.

Communications Resources for LHDs

• Dealing with Travelers: Use CDC’s Communication Resources for Travelers
• Refer to CDC’s Social Media Toolkit with daily life and guidance including disinfecting, hand sanitizer, and mask wearing!

See any EH and COVID-19 categories missing on this bi-weekly blog? Let us know by emailing [email protected]. Continue to check back with NACCHO’s Essential Elements for COVID-19 events and LHD resources.