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State Policy Actions to Support Long-Term Care Facilities During COVID-19 Response

Blog,

As COVID-19 emerged and spread in the U.S., people working and residing in long-term care facilities have experienced a significant burden of COVID-19 cases and deaths. As of Oct. 8, deaths associated with these facilities account for 40% ...

Health in the 2020 Political Party Platforms

Blog,

In anticipation of the upcoming presidential election in November, the Republican and Democratic National Committees released their platforms. These platforms provide an overview of values, policies, positions, and principles on various ...

Updated Rundown of State and Territorial COVID-19 Mask Requirements

Blog,
Guam,
Ohio,

Several states and territories, as well as many local governments, are going beyond recommendations and requiring individuals to wear face coverings when they are in public settings and spaces (i.e. grocery stores, retail stores, ...

States Leverage Telehealth to Respond to COVID-19

Blog,

To enhance social distancing and reduce healthcare worker and patient exposure to COVID-19, there have been unprecedented expansions in the use of telehealth, supported by both federal and state policy.

Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! Public Health in the Courts

Blog,

There are a number of court cases playing out across the country that could affect the options state and territorial health officials have to limit the spread of disease and promote health and well-being.

What to Know About the American Rescue Plan

Blog,

One of President Biden’s first actions just before being sworn into office was to draft up the American Rescue Plan, a sweeping proposal that ASTHO has committed to working with the Biden Administration on. The proposal offers a national ...

Promoting Health Equity Through State Orders for COVID-19 Testing

Blog,

In order to contain and mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic, widespread, rapid testing is key. Rampant and efficient testing determines who has the virus and who may be at risk of transmitting it, and allows for effective management of ...

Hearing the Hill

Blog,

Hearing the Hill astho, association of state and territorial health officials, opioid crisis, covid-19 funds, public health, public health data and workforce, american rescue plan, promoting health, drug overdose death, coronavirus ...

Getting Creative to Keep Americans Fed During COVID-19

Blog,
Guam,

The COVID-19 pandemic has exasperated challenges around access to nutritious and affordable foods. In response, the federal government has taken action to increase funding and access to programs to strengthen food security.

Recent Federal Actions Spur Changes to Children's Blood Lead Level Screenings and Response

Blog,
Iowa,

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced new challenges for screening children’s blood lead levels, as screening rates across the country dropped during stay-at-home orders. A substantive federal policy change and provisions in the Infrastructure ...

State Public Health Authorities Face COVID-19 Legal Challenges

Blog,

As COVID-19 spread across the country, governors and health officials invoked their emergency powers to order physical distancing measures designed to reduce social interactions and slow the spread of the disease. Several of these ...

Congress Convenes Sectors on School Reopenings

Blog,

As COVID-19 continues to spread across the country, increased attention has been given to how schools, colleges, and universities can safely reopen for the upcoming 2020-2021 academic year. To note, many schools and institutions closed in ...

States Ensure Safe and Accessible Elections During COVID-19

Blog,
Utah,

In 1965, while signing the Voting Rights Act into law, President Lyndon B. Johnson stated that “a man without a vote is a man without protection.” However, voting is a bit more complicated this year as it can increase the chance of ...

How States are Bolstering a Contact Tracing Workforce

Blog,

To help break the chain of COVID-19 infections, state and local health departments are conducting disease investigations and contact tracing, core tools of public health practice used to combat the spread of communicable diseases. This ...

Shifting Legal Landscape of Public Health and Places of Worship

Blog,
Ohio,
Utah,

Reconciling the tension between public health and civil liberties is one of the most significant challenges of public health law and ethics. The Supreme Court of the United States historically upheld state authority to enact and enforce ...

The Legal Framework for Administering COVID-19 Vaccines

Blog,
Iowa,

Anticipating a rapid deployment of COVID-19 vaccines as they are authorized, the CDC developed COVID-19 Vaccination Program Operational Guidance in collaboration with state and local jurisdictions to outline how each jurisdiction will make ...

The Shifting Legal Landscape of COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements

Blog,

As governments and private entities adopt COVID-19 vaccine protocols to protect health and safety, legal challenges are mounting. In some states, policymakers have proactively attempted to limit or prohibit adopting COVID-19 vaccine ...

Courts Considering Challenges to States Blocking School Mask Requirements

Blog,
Iowa,

Recent state laws and governor emergency orders prohibiting universal school mask protocols are complicating the implementation of CDC’s evidence-based guidance for COVID-19 mitigation measures for in-person school. Ten states have enacted ...

Long COVID Causes Health Policy Shifts Across States

Blog,

Data reveals that nearly one third of COVID-19 patients experience one or more post-COVID conditions that linger for weeks or months after infection. The cause, duration, and potential treatments for these conditions are still being ...

The Seven Biggest Public Health Policy Issues on the Hill in 2020

Blog,

As a truly historic year comes to an end, many public health policy issues received a considerable amount of attention in 2020. Subjects such as the pandemic that will live on in infamy, racial health disparities, and the future of the ...