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. See past resource roundups here.

Across NACCHO

• 2021 Preparedness Summit is Now Virtual! Registration is Open: Due to the ongoing public health impacts of COVID-19, NACCHO has decided to transition the 2021 Preparedness Summit from an in-person meeting to a fully virtual experience from April 13 to 15, 2021. As it did in 2020, this year’s Preparedness Summit will offer a much-needed opportunity to share your experiences, learn from others, and mobilize our fields as the enduring COVID-19 pandemic continues to intersect with other crises, from hurricanes to wildfires and beyond. Register today for the 2021 Prep Summit. Early-bird registration is available through February 5, 2021.
• NACCHO COVID-19 Webinar: Increasing Vaccination Coverage Among Racial and Ethnic Groups: Lessons Learned from CDC’s REACH Program: NACCHO invites local health department leadership and staff to join the Increasing Vaccination Coverage Among Racial and Ethnic Groups: Lessons Learned from CDC’s REACH Program webinar on Tuesday, January 26, 3:00-4:15 pm ET. The Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) program is a national program administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reduce racial and ethnic disparities. This webinar features three local health departments discussing their work to increase adult flu vaccination coverage among racial and ethnic groups experiencing disparities and sharing lessons learned and best practices. Register.
• 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].
• Sign Up: NACCHO’s First Virtual Hill Week
  In a truly tumultuous time, the voice of local health departments has never been more important. Throughout 2020, NACCHO has worked to educate federal policymakers on the reality of what local health departments and their communities are experiencing, as well as the support they need from the federal government. Lawmakers need to hear from you! This year, local health department leaders will have the opportunity to virtually engage with Members of Congress and their staff during the week of February 22 – 26. This is an important opportunity to make sure that policymakers understand the challenges faced by local health departments responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, including distribution of the newly authorized vaccines, and what is needed to be successful in the long term. NACCHO will schedule virtual Zoom meetings with Senators and Representatives and/or their staff and provide orientation, training, talking points, and guidance to participants. This opportunity is free of charge to all local health department staff, but space is limited. Participants must register in advance so that we can schedule and confirm meetings with Members of Congress and their staff. To sign up and indicate which days from February 22-26 you would be available, please fill out this form no later than January 27. Please contact Ian Goldstein [email protected] with any additional questions.

From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• COVID-19 Partner Update January 25, 2021: Engaging Faith Leaders to Advance Effective COVID-19 Response: Lessons Learned through Global-Domestic Collaborations
  Date: Monday, January 25, 2021
  Time: 3:00—4:00 PM ET
• Upcoming CDC Partner Webinars (details coming soon)
  • 02/01/2021: One Health Resources to Address COVID-19 in Animals and People
  • 02/08/2021: Tools for Essential Workers
• Check out CDC’s new Home Ventilation page: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/Improving-Ventilation-Home.html

From the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Homeland Security Research

• Upcoming webinars:
  • COVID-19: UV-C Devices and Methods for Surface Disinfection
    January 21, 2021 at 2:00 PM ET
    Learn more and register.
  • EPA Tools and Resources Webinar: Effectiveness of Medical and Cloth Masks for COVID-19 Protection (January 27)
• New publications
  • Evaluation of Cloth Masks and Modified Procedure Masks as Personal Protective Equipment for the Public During the COVID-19 Pandemic., Clapp PW, Sickbert-Bennett EE, Samet JM, Berntsen J, Zeman KL, Anderson DJ, Weber DJ, Bennett WD; US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Epicenters Program.JAMA Intern Med. 2020 Dec 10:e208168. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.8168. Online ahead of print.PMID: 33300948
  • Filtration Efficiency of Hospital Face Mask Alternatives Available for Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic., Sickbert-Bennett EE, Samet JM, Clapp PW, Chen H, Berntsen J, Zeman KL, Tong H, Weber DJ, Bennett WD.JAMA Intern Med. 2020 Aug 11:e204221. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.4221. Online ahead of print.PMID: 32780113

From Brown School of Public Health and Rockefeller Foundation

• A new COVID-19 Testing Communications Toolkit is now available for anyone looking to communicate the importance of COVID-19 testing to communities across the country. Created in partnership with the Brown School of Public Health, Harvard Global Health Institute, and The Rockefeller Foundation, the Toolkit offers easy step-by-step campaigning tutorials, evidence-based handouts, and image library to help translate public health goals into motivating, clear messages that educate Americans about why, when, and where to get tested, even if they feel healthy. All of the materials are open access, completely free to use, and customizable.

From the Bloomberg School

• New Free Online Courses for Practitioners: In collaboration with the Schools of Nursing and Medicine, the Bloomberg School launched two Coursera courses on serving high-risk populations in assisted living and senior housing communities prepare for and respond to COVID-19, covering:
  • emergency preparedness and infection and outbreak prevention
  • housing operations adaptations
  • communicating with stakeholders
  • promoting resident and staff well-being
  • leveraging health department and other agency resources
  • testing strategies, contact tracing, and cohorting

From the Tampere University (Finland), the Global Network for Health in All Policies (GNHiAP), and the World Health Organization

• GNHiAP invites you to join the webinar Health in All Policies in times of COVID-19: Wellbeing economics and social protection 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, 4:00-5:30 PM EET (Helsinki time). To learn more about this fantastic opportunity and to register, visit the GNHiAP website.

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.