Our Response Efforts Around COVID-19

A Message from NACCHO on Our COVID-19 Response

These are extraordinary times for public health. Not only are we at heightened concern for the communities we serve, but we’re also extending that concern to our families, friends, and neighbors, to local businesses and restaurants, and our hospitals and clinics. As we redouble our efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, our work, expertise, and actions are needed more than ever. Our roles will be expanding in ways that will rapidly unfold, and NACCHO wants to emphasize that we’re here for our colleagues throughout the country, ready to respond to the best of our abilities.

Below you will find resources, webinars, and funding opportunities developed to assist local health departments in their ongoing COVID-19 response.

We have also 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. The COVID-19 Virtual Community is now open to all local health department staff. To access the community, you will need to log in using your MyNACCHO account credentials and be affiliated with a local health department. If you have any problems accessing the COVID-19 Virtual Community, please make sure your LHD affiliation is correctly listed under the organization field in the ‘My Information’ section of your MyNACCHO profile or email [email protected] with your name, LHD affiliation, and role to be properly added to our system.

We need to hear from you! If you’re with a local health department, please submit your stories on this short form about your COVID-19 response efforts: https://www.naccho.org/programs/coronavirus. This feedback is critical to our work to advocate on your behalf.

Latest COVID-Related Work at NACCHO

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  • Funding Opportunity
  • COVID-19
  • Immunization
  • Partnerships

Request for Proposals: Technical Assistance to Improve...

NACCHO, with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),...

Feb 12, 2024 | Tori Decea

Request for Proposals: Technical Assistance to Improve...

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  • Tools & Resources
  • COVID-19

Lessons Learned from NACCHO’s Wastewater Surveillance...

Read our new report to learn about the background and activities of each...

Jan 18, 2024 | Rebecca Rainey

Lessons Learned from NACCHO’s Wastewater Surveillance...

Wastewater analysis
  • Funding Opportunity
  • COVID-19

Request for Applications: Wastewater Surveillance...

Seeking applications for four mentee and two mentor sites for our next...

Jan 08, 2024 | Rebecca Rainey

Request for Applications: Wastewater Surveillance...

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  • Funding Opportunity
  • Tools & Resources
  • COVID-19
  • Opportunity

Request for Proposals to Develop Training Tools and...

NACCHO is offering a funding opportunity for a consultant(s) to provide expert...

Dec 19, 2023 | Andrea Grenadier

Request for Proposals to Develop Training Tools and...

Cdc flu qa nivw
  • Tools & Resources
  • COVID-19
  • Immunization
  • Influenza

National Influenza Vaccination Week - #FightFlu:...

National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) is a reminder to all Americans six...

Dec 04, 2023 | Victoria Thompson, Clarissa Montes

National Influenza Vaccination Week - #FightFlu:...

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  • Tools & Resources
  • COVID-19
  • ID Featured
  • Immunization

Navigating the 2023-2024 Fall and Winter Virus Season

This resource post consolidates key CDC recommendations for this year’s fall...

Nov 29, 2023 | Irene Halferty

Navigating the 2023-2024 Fall and Winter Virus Season

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  • COVID-19
  • Medical Reserve Corps
  • Research & Reports

Celebrating Two Decades of Service! NACCHO releases the...

This new report shows that while MRC volunteers contributed over 1.1 million...

Nov 21, 2023 | Laura Biesiadecki

Celebrating Two Decades of Service! NACCHO releases the...

At home testing
  • COVID-19
  • Immunization
  • Infectious Disease

Free COVID Tests Available Again to Households

Beginning September 25, households will again be able to order four free tests...

Sep 21, 2023 | Beth Hess

Free COVID Tests Available Again to Households

  • COVID-19
  • Opportunity

Voluntary Opportunity: Participation in a Study on...

Cornell is seeking insight on innovations that county public health officials...

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Voluntary Opportunity: Participation in a Study on...

As illustrated in the map below, as of October 2021, NACCHO has distributed over $9.5 million to support local health departments’ pandemic response through COVID-19 funded projects. This does not include non-monetary supports available to all local health departments, nor programmatic funds distributed for non-COVID-19 related efforts. NACCHO is committed to ensuring we continue to support local health departments in their response and recovery efforts and we encourage you to check back often or subscribe to the COVID19 Response Newsletter for information on future funding opportunities.

Funded Sites Map 10 21 1

[View the full map]

Below please find a collection of some of the resources that NACCHO has published from January 2020 to present.

Community Health

COVID-19 Response for Contact Tracing

This hub highlights the most useful resources to support LHDs in designing, establishing, scaling up, and strengthening contact tracing programs.

Community Health

COVID-19 Response for Contact Tracing

Environmental Health

Environmental Health and COVID-19 Resource Library

View NACCHO and partner resources at the intersection of Environmental Health and COVID-19.

Environmental Health

Environmental Health and COVID-19 Resource Library

Public Health Preparedness

Public Health Workforce Resilience Resource Library

Access resources to help public health workers build resilience.

Public Health Preparedness

Public Health Workforce Resilience Resource Library

Community Health

Addressing Vaccine Confidence, Hesitancy, and Uptake

Use this page to find resources related to vaccines and public uptake.

Community Health

Addressing Vaccine Confidence, Hesitancy, and Uptake

Community Health

Infectious Disease

Our program to support local health departments prevent and control infectious diseases.

Community Health

Infectious Disease

Public Health Preparedness

Community Resilience

Enhancing local health department’s coordination of health and human services through partnerships.

Public Health Preparedness

Community Resilience

  • Tools & Resources
  • COVID-19
  • Immunization
  • Research & Reports

Vaccine Community Assessment: A Tool to Understanding...

Local health departments (LHDs) are uniquely and ideally situated to conduct an assessment to better understand and respond to the COVID-19 vaccine needs of local communities.

Vaccine Community Assessment: A Tool to Understanding...

Take Action

Increasing Vaccine Confidence: A Resource Guide for LHDs

This resource guide for best practices and guidance to address vaccine confidence across the lifespan for routine and COVID-19 vaccines.

Take Action

Increasing Vaccine Confidence: A Resource Guide for LHDs

Take Action

Wastewater Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2: An Infographic

See how implementing wastewater surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 can have the potential to help local jurisdictions prevent community spread of COVID-19.

Take Action

Wastewater Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2: An Infographic

Tell Us Your Story

Submit Your Stories About COVID-19 Response Efforts

If you're with a local health department, please share your stories with NACCHO to help us advocate for you.

Tell Us Your Story

Submit Your Stories About COVID-19 Response Efforts

Read

NACCHO’s COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ provides various resources and guidance for questions that NACCHO frequently receives.

Read

NACCHO’s COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions

Read Now

NACCHO News Coverage

See articles featuring NACCHO staff members.

Read Now

NACCHO News Coverage

Read

Policy Statements and Letters

NACCHO's policy development process guides NACCHO's public health advocacy.

Read

Policy Statements and Letters

Learn More

Find Official Resources on the CDC Website

For official information about COVID-19, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at cdc.gov.

Learn More

Find Official Resources on the CDC Website

Read

News Releases

See our latest press statements related to the COVID-19 response.

Read

News Releases

NACCHO has hosted many webinars related to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. If you have any questions about particular webinars, please reach out to [email protected].

Title Description Recording
Infection Prevention and Control in Homeless Shelters (11/23/21) During this webinar, the Corrections and Homelessness Section within CDC’s COVID-19 Response present tools and resources for infection prevention and control in correctional facilities and homeless service sites. They share experiences related to infection prevention in these settings and considerations for assessing when prevention strategies can be modified in these settings. Watch now
The Critical Role of Monoclonal Antibodies as the COVID-19 Pandemic Continues (9/9/21) Dr. Michael Anderson with the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response shared the latest information on the available COVID-19 therapeutics and address important updates such as the efficacy of the medications, new administration routes and novel treatments in the pipeline, fee reimbursement resources, provider and patient tools and fact sheets, and much more. Watch now
Cultural Contexts of Resilience and Vulnerability: Global Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic (9/2/21) A health-in-all-policies approach is essential to addressing the compounding risk factors that lead to vulnerability. Assessing the factors that produce resilience and vulnerability should be ongoing to prepare for future emergencies. During this webinar, you will hear more about: 1.) The Cultural Contexts of Health approach 2.) Vulnerability, Resilience, and Vaccines in the COVID pandemic 3.) Highlight: Addressing health vulnerabilities in Houston Watch now
“Upstream Approaches” to Build Resiliency: Organizational and Leadership Strategies (8/24/21) This interactive webinar explores workforce stressors and how organizations have been impacted by anxiety, brain fog, and burnout in workforce environments. Participants explore evidence-informed strategies and resources for organizations, teams, and leadership to build resilience in the workplace and explore communication strategies and methods to build team cohesion and healthy workplace culture. Watch now
CDC Federal Snapshot: K-12 Guidance Update (8/17/21) On July 9th, CDC released updated Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools as well as their COVID-19 Guidance for Operating Early Care and Education/Child Care Programs. To support this guidance, the Science Brief has been updated as well to include the evidence behind these recommendations. Watch now
Improving Adolescent Vaccine Coverage – Situation Assessment, Insights, and Tools You Can Use (7/29/21) Unity Consortium presents current adolescent immunization data reflecting the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and related insights on adolescent and parent preventive healthcare beliefs, intentions and behaviors. Watch now
Strategies for Building and Maintaining Relationships with Nursing Homes to Reduce MDROs and COVID-19 Case Burden (7/20/21) Dr. Susan Huang from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) discusses the UCI team’s experience working with 27 nursing homes in Orange County, California to implement the Shared Healthcare Intervention to Eliminate Life-Threatening Dissemination of multidrug-resistant organisms in Orange County (SHIELD OC) Program. NACCHO is supporting UCI through its Healthcare-Associated Infection and Antibiotic Resistance (HAI/AR) demonstration site project. Watch now
Regional Approach to Infection Prevention and Control of COVID-19 (6/24/21) COVID-19 continues highlighting the critical role of infection prevention and control (IPC) in healthcare settings. Two local health departments, Pima County (AZ) and Hamilton County (OH), discussed their efforts to build a regional approach to IPC and share lessons learned and successes. Watch now
Infection Prevention and Control in Schools (6/10/21) As more schools return to in-person learning, the work of balancing the best possible education while keeping students and staff safe has become even more challenging. The Infection Prevention and Control in Schools Task Force, led by Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor and Director of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University, discussed a roadmap that will support education and public health leaders in building the organizational capacity and partnership needed for maintaining healthy schools in this pandemic and the next. Watch now
COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Text Messaging Strategies (6/8/21) Safety net organizations throughout the country are using text messaging to execute their vaccine communication strategy for their underserved patients. This session is focused on helping NACCHO members maximize the power of text messaging for both COVID-19 vaccine patient communication and additional clinical workflows. Watch now
Community-Led COVID-19 Messaging that Supports Vaccine Confidence (5/11/21) The National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants (NRC-RIM) worked with IDEO.org, a nonprofit design studio to build vaccination campaigns in genuine partnership with RIM communities. During this webinar, learn how to develop a community-led, hyperlocal communications strategy and learn about templates and tools available from NRC-RIM that will allow you to customize the campaign for your community. Watch now
Global, Regional, and Local Approaches to COVID-19 Vaccine Equity: Sharing lessons for World Immunization Week (4/27/21) The NACCHO Immunization and Global Health teams hosted a webinar to connect global, regional, and local experiences related to COVID-19 immunization equity. Through presentations from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Global Health Protection, the Pan American Health Organization’s Regional Immunization Program, and the Virginia Department of Health’s Eastern Shore Health District, the speakers provided a multi-level exchange of information and share lessons learned to better facilitate effective strategies that support equitable uptake of, access to, and demand for COVID-19 vaccines, among refugee, immigrant and migrant populations. Watch now
Federal Response to COVID-19 with FEMA, HHS, and CDC (4/6/21) FEMA, HHS, and CDC joined NACCHO to discuss the role of each agency in the COVID-19 response. This presentation highlights several programs and efforts by the CDC to support equitable vaccine access. Watch now
A safe return to in-person learning for students nationwide with a simple, easy COVID-19 testing solution (4/1/21) Schools have successfully implemented safety precautions, such as social distancing, hand washing, and screeners, but it is more important than ever to be aware of COVID-19 cases on campus that are not detected by temperature or symptoms. This is achieved through a regular and comprehensive testing protocol. This webinar discusses the Thermo Fisher-Color Health partnership and simplified solution that makes on-site student testing accessible to schools. Watch now
Nursing Home TeleICAR Training (3/25/21) This webinar covers a high-level overview of the TeleICAR process, including scheduling and outreach, conducting the ICAR, providing feedback, documenting observations, and follow-up. This training is recommended for jurisdictions that are new to the Tele-ICAR process or are onboarding new staff that will be tasked with conducting ICARs in nursing home settings. Watch now
COVID-19 Vaccination Stories from the Field: Local Health Department Practices to Facilitate Equitable Vaccine Distribution and Access (3/18/21) This webinar features local health departments as they discussed their work to identify communities at the highest risk for COVID-19 infection and complications. It highlights their best practices and lessons learned in ensuring equitable COVID-19 vaccine distribution within their community. Watch now
COVID-19 Vaccination Stories from the Field: Local Health Department & Pharmacy Partnerships (2/25/21) The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) and the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) organized a webinar with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to discuss the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program. It also highlights two examples of pharmacies and local health departments as they discuss their efforts to ensure equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccination within their community. Watch now
Hygiene-related behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic among U.S. populations: A review (2/18/21) A range of hygiene-related behaviors have been promoted as part of the COVID-19 pandemic response, including frequent handwashing, frequent use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and frequent cleaning and disinfection of surfaces. To help understand who is engaging in these behaviors and what influences their decisions to engage in these behaviors, researchers in the Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch of the Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have engaged in a range of quantitative and qualitative studies. This webinar describes some of these findings. Watch now
Contact Tracing Prioritization (2/11/21) Local health departments have been leading this charge in contact tracing during the COVID response and have implemented a variety of strategies to manage ever-growing caseloads, including contracting, working with volunteers, and shortening interview scripts. Despite these efforts, the number of cases is increasingly difficult to handle and many LHDs may need to begin prioritizing case investigations and contact tracing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released recommendations to guide the prioritization process and support health departments’ abilities to implement the most impactful public health activities. Participants will hear a presentation from Dr. Melanie Taylor with the CDC’s Division of STD Prevention. Watch now
Increasing Vaccination Coverage Among Racial and Ethnic Groups: Lessons Learned from CDC’s REACH Program (1/26/21) 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. Watch now
Understanding Diverse Communities to Support Equitable and Informed COVID-19 Vaccination Decision-Making (1/21/21) National surveys and polls have shown concerning low percentages of adults who intend to get a COVID-19 vaccine once available to them. These findings have fluctuated over time and varied by factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, age, education, and political affiliation. They also underscore the need to further explore individuals’ perspectives and better understand the factors influencing decisions among diverse communities to be vaccinated against COVID-19.  This webinar features findings and insights on public views of COVID-19 vaccination from (1) a national panel survey conducted November 25 – December 7; and (2) 25 online community conversations conducted December 2 – 14, including local conversations with African American, Latinx, and Tribal communities and regional conversations with people undecided about vaccination. Watch now
Engaging Communities to Increase Confidence in COVID-19 Vaccines (1/7/21) This webinar, hosted by the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), highlights national COVID-19 vaccine efforts. It also explores local and academic partnerships to engage communities and individuals and address confidence in COVID-19 vaccines. Watch now
Technology Approaches to Managing COVID-19 Vaccination (12/17/20) Health departments are navigating a myriad of electronic systems, applications, and solutions aimed to support COVID-19 vaccination planning, distribution, administration, tracking, and reporting. This webinar highlights themes emerging jurisdictions’ COVID-19 vaccination plans on use technology for managing COVID-19 vaccination and feature efforts in Maryland to electronically prepare for COVID-19 vaccination. Watch now
NYC Contract Tracing (12/8/20) This webinar explores the development of the country’s largest citywide contact tracing program including navigating language barriers and cultural competencies, using contact tracing to promote adherence to isolation and quarantine, and identifying contacts while also pinpointing likely sources of infection. Watch now
Changing the COVID Conversation (12/3/20) This webinar is a special VIP briefing with Dr. Luntz. He will review the new research and the implications for political and health leaders. As our country heads into initial and then broader vaccine availability, this webinar may help you and your local elected leaders understand current public sentiment around COVID messaging. Watch now
Drive-thru Vaccination Clinics and Local Health Departments (11/12/20) Local health departments (LHDs) often use drive-thru vaccination clinics as a model to provide rapid and effective mass vaccination to communities. During the pandemic, LHDs have also utilize this model for COVID-19 testing and combined vaccination clinics. Lessons learned and best practices can be leveraged for the delivery of a potential COVID-19 vaccination. Watch now
Public Health Official Safety, Existing state protections for public health officials (11/5/20) This webinar includes a discussion of the ongoing threats that many public health officials are experiencing as they work to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. The presenter describes the existing legal landscape in states with criminal statutes which may provide protection for public health officials. Watch now

As of May 2023:

With the end of the national public health emergency declaration on May 11, NACCHO has de-escalated from our Incident Management Team. Read reflections on the pandemic response and where we go from here, in this statement by NACCHO CEO Lori Tremmel Freeman.

For future updates, we invite you to subscribe to our subject matter newsletters. Use your MyNACCHO account (log-in and click on “My Subscriptions”) to subscribe to:

  • Preparedness Brief Digest, a monthly newsletter providing updates and information on a range of projects that influence preparedness policy with federal decision makers and offering practical solutions that help local health departments build resilient communities.
  • The Transmission Digest, a monthly digest featuring news and resources related to infectious disease, immunization, and epidemiology.

We also encourage you to continue to connect and share resources with your peers through the Virtual Communities platform.

As you transition COVID-19 response in your communities, the following resources may be of interest:

For more information regarding our COVID response or resources, please email us at [email protected].

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