NACCHO has been releasing bi-weekly blogs 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. See past resource roundups here.

Across NACCHO

Getting a Pulse Check on Local Vector Programs: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, NACCHO has gathered information on how the pandemic was affecting local vector surveillance and control activities. We are reaching out once more to do a pulse check on any continuing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on local vector program activities.

Please consider completing this brief (5 min) survey to assess the current impacts on local vector programs!

Opportunity for LHDs to Partner with Barbers and Salons on “Shots at the Shop” National COVID Initiative: A part of the Biden Administration’s National Month of Action, the “Shots at the Shop” initiative provides $1,000 to enrolled and trained barber shops and beauty salons in communities all across the nation to support local vaccine education and outreach efforts. A partnership of the Black Coalition Against COVID, the University of Maryland Center for Health Equity, and SheaMoisture, NACCHO has established a webpage with project information, including how shops can contact their LHD to coordinate efforts, and, wherever feasible, support shops in serving as temporary vaccination sites. Learn more.

NACCHO 360 Conference: Put These COVID-Related Sharing Sessions and Workshops on Your Schedule

The 2021 NACCHO 360 Conference, scheduled for June 29–July 1, will offer several sharing sessions and educational content related to COVID-19 response, best practices, and lessons learned. From equitable vaccine distribution to COVID’s impact of HIV and STI programs, NACCHO 360 will offer tons of COVID-related content that you can take back to your agencies and put into practice.

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

Click on the image below to register for EPA’s new webinar!

Updated Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• Requirement for Face Masks on Public Transportation Conveyances and at Transportation Hubs (Updated June 10): According to the guidance, “CDC will be amending its Face Masks Order to not require people to wear a mask in outdoor areas of conveyances (if such outdoor areas exist on the conveyance) or while outdoors at transportation hubs. Until it can amend the Order, it will exercise its enforcement discretion to not require wearing a mask in outdoor areas of transportation conveyances (if such outdoor areas exist on the conveyance) or while outdoors at transportation hubs.”
• Health Equity in Action (Updated June 22): All of CDC’s COVID-19 Health Equity Projects can now be viewed in one page!
• Guidance for Operating Child Care Programs during COVID-19 (Updated June 10): CDC recommends schools continue to use the COVID-19 prevention strategies outlined in the current version of CDC’s Operational Strategy for K-12 Schools for at least the remainder of the 2020-2021 academic school year.

From the Rockefeller Foundation

Will Students Come Back? Parent’s Attitudes to School Re-Opening: The analysis shows that more than 8 in 10 parents plan to send their children in person for the 2021-2022 school year.

Updates from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

• According to their latest update, FDA has issued a Drug Safety Communication for hand sanitizers, “warning that symptoms such as headache, nausea, and dizziness can occur after applying alcohol-based hand sanitizers to the skin and inhaling the vapors that linger. This is based on case reports submitted to FDA and cases from calls to U.S. poison control centers of adverse events after applying alcohol-based hand sanitizers to the skin. These reports have occurred after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
• FDA issued a warning letter to Umbrella for selling an unapproved product with unproven COVID-19 claims.

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 local health resources.