The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has extended through April 18 its security directive requiring mask use on public transportation and in transportation hubs.
TSA will work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop a new policy framework for mask use in the public transportation corridor. The new framework will consider COVID-19 community levels, new variant risk, national data, and scientific research.
ASPR Releases Test-to-Treat Fact Sheet
The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) shared a fact sheet with information and frequently asked questions about the Biden administration’s COVID-19 Test-to-Treat program.
Beginning the week of March 7, participating pharmacies, community health centers, and long-term care facilities and clinics became eligible to receive oral antiviral pills from Merck (molnupiravir) and Pfizer (Paxlovid) through direct allocations from the Department of Health and Human Services/ASPR. Patients who test positive for SARS-CoV-2 and are eligible for antiviral treatment will receive a prescription to fill at their testing location.
Additionally, individuals eligible for treatment and who receive COVID-19 testing results through at-home tests or another testing site can receive a prescription and treatment at a Test-to-Treat location.
CDC Highlights Need for Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach
A new CDC report shows an estimated 28 percent of U.S. children ages 5–11 received a first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and 19 percent received a second dose between Nov. 1, 2021, and Jan. 18, 2022.
The report also notes more than half of vaccine providers were in an area with a high social vulnerability index, a metric that measures the potential negative effect that external stresses have on human health and the health of communities. However, completion of a second dose was one-third lower in areas with a high social vulnerability index, illustrating the need for additional vaccine education and outreach in those locations.
Visit the America’s Essential Hospitals coronavirus resource page for more information about the pandemic.
Contact Senior Director of Policy Erin O’Malley at eomalley@essentialhospitals.org or 202.585.0127 with questions.
