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 has been 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. Read the last blog from 12/23/2020.

From NACCHO:

• Share COVID-19-related local food safety tools for the NACCHO Toolbox: NACCHO is actively seeking tools or resources around efficiencies to do routine inspections and/or follow-up calls regarding enteric disease work during COVID-19 and other emergencies! To submit a resource to the Toolkit, please email [email protected].
• Help Us Help You! Complete the Forces of Change Survey
  January is Forces of Change Month at NACCHO. We know safeguarding U.S. communities when the stakes are high and the resources keep shrinking is nothing new for local health departments (LHDs). But with COVID-19, we are up against threats and challenges unlike anything our workforce has seen before. Help NACCHO support your LHD in the fight against COVID-19 by telling us what you need and helping us to reach our feedback goal. Leadership at health departments selected to participate received an email from [email protected]. Check your inbox and junk folder to take the survey. Need the link again? Email [email protected] to request a new link to the survey. https://www.naccho.org/resources/lhd-research/forces-of-change
• NACCHO Webinars:
  • Engaging Communities to Increase Confidence in COVID-19 Vaccines: NACCHO invites LHD leadership and staff to join the Engaging Communities to Increase Confidence in COVID-19 Vaccines webinar on January 7, 3 PM ET. This webinar, co-hosted by the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, will highlight national COVID-19 vaccine efforts, as well as explore local and academic partnerships to engage communities and individuals and address confidence in COVID-19 vaccines.
  • Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Training & Education: NACCHO invites local health department leadership and staff to join the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Training & Education webinar on Tuesday, January 12, 3:00-4:00 pm ET. This webinar provide an overview and education of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID19 vaccine. Hear a review of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID19 vaccine including product packaging, shipping and storage, preparation, administration, adverse event reporting, and resources. Please note, this webinar will not be recorded. Register here.

From the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• Upcoming Webinars of Interest:
  • EPA Homeland Security Research Webinar Series--COVID-19: UV-C Devices and Methods for Surface Disinfection (January 21): EPA Researchers are assessing ultraviolet (UV-C) methods and technologies on multiple materials against SARS-CoV-2 and potential surrogate viruses. Catch up with data on the effectiveness of these products in reducing SARS-CoV-2 on surfaces.
  • EPA Tools and Resources Webinar: Effectiveness of Medical and Cloth Masks for COVID-19 Protection (January 27)

From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• [Updated] Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools, and Homes | CDC
• State, Territorial, Local and Tribal Health Department Searchable database for COVID resources
• Need an environmental health COVID-19- related Resource from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)? Send an email to the CDC COVID-19 Environmental Health Task Force [email protected], and copy Audrey Dowling ([email protected]) and Hope Roobol ([email protected]).

From the Global Network for Health in All Policies (GNHiAP)

• Health In All Policies in Times of COVID-19: Wellbeing Economics And Social Protection: Join the webinar organized by the Tampere University (Finland), in collaboration with the GNHiAP and the World Health Organization. The purpose of this webinar is to address the economic and social inequalities-related factors in Nordic countries and Scotland in times of COVID-19. This webinar will take place on January 26th, 4-5:30 PM EET (Helsinki time).

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 and LHD resources.