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COVID-19 Congressional Oversight Commission (COC) [Updated January 6, 2022]
From the Document: "On March 27, 2020, President Donald Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) into law (P.L. 116-136). Section 4020 of Title IV, Subtitle A, the Coronavirus Economic Stabilization Act of 2020, established a five-member Congressional Oversight Commission (COC) as one of several oversight mechanisms. The COC 'conduct[s] oversight of the implementation of this subtitle by the Department of the Treasury and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System,' reports to Congress on the Treasury Secretary's and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors' actions, and reviews the federal government's implementation of the act. Through January 3, 2022, the COC has issued 20 reports [hyperlink]."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Straus, Jacob R.
2022-01-06
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Force Health Protection Guidance (Supplement 18) Revision 1 - Department of Defense Guidance for Protecting All Personnel in Department of Defense Workplaces During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic
From the Document: "This memorandum rescinds and replaces reference (a) and supplements requirements regarding the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in accordance with references (b) and (c). The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Emergency Temporary Standard for health care is addressed in reference (d). All DoD Components will continually implement appropriate procedures to protect all personnel from disease transmission in DoD workplaces. [References are as follows]: a) Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Memorandum, 'Force Health Protection Guidance (Supplement 18) - Department of Defense Guidance for Protecting All Personnel in Department of Defense Workplaces During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic,' March 17,202I (hereby rescinded); (b) Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Memorandum, 'Force Health Protection Guidance (Supplement23) Revision 3- Department of Defense Guidance for Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination Attestation, and Screening Testing, and Vaccination Verification,' December 20, 2021; (c) Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 6200.03, 'Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) Within the DoD,' March 28,2019; (d) Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness Memorandum, 'Implementation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Emergency Temporary Standard for Healthcare During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic,' December 2,2021[.]"
United States. Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness)
2022-01-06
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First 2 Years of COVID-19: Lessons to Improve Preparedness for the Next Pandemic
From the Document: "On December 31, 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in China reported novel 'viral pneumonias of unknown cause' in Wuhan, but China did not confirm case clusters until January 3, 2020. Two years later, more than 285 million cases and 5.4 million deaths have been reported. As of December 2021, more than 800[,] 000 COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] deaths have occurred in the US, surpassing the 675[,] 446 total deaths that occurred during the great influenza pandemic of 1918. The COVID-19 pandemic reduced global economic growth by an estimated 3.2% in 2020, with trade declining by 5.3%; an estimated 75 million people entered extreme poverty, with 80 million more undernourished compared with prepandemic levels. Although the COVID-19 and 1918 influenza pandemics stand alone in morbidity and mortality, evidence suggests the frequency of infectious disease emergencies will increase. What lessons does COVID-19 teach to advance preparedness, detection, and response?"
JAMA Network
Nuzzo, Jennifer B.; Gostin, Lawrence O. (Lawrence Ogalthorpe)
2022-01-06
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Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) on Health Care Employment and Vaccinations and Testing for Large Employers [Updated January 5, 2022]
From the Executive Summary: "On June 21, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) promulgated an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for the prevention of the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2], the virus that causes COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] in health care employment settings. On December 27, 2021, OSHA announced that it was withdrawing all provisions of this ETS, with the exception of certain COVID-19 reporting requirements. On November 5, 2021, OSHA promulgated a separate ETS that requires employers with 100 or more employees to require that all employees either be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by January 4, 2022, or test negative for COVID-19 weekly in order to work onsite. On November 6, 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ordered a stay on the OSHA COVID-19 vaccination and testing ETS pending additional judicial review and reaffirmed this stay on November 12, 2021. On December 17, 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit dissolved the stay. After this ruling, OSHA announced that it would not issue any citations for noncompliance with any provision of the ETS until January 10, 2022, and for noncompliance with the testing requirements of the ETS until February 9, 2022, provided employers are exercising good faith efforts to comply with the ETS. On January 7, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on challenges to the ETS filed by several states and other groups."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Szymendera, Scott
2022-01-05
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COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Acceptance Among Individuals with Cancer, Autoimmune Diseases, or Other Serious Comorbid Conditions: Cross-Sectional, Internet-Based Survey
From the Abstract: "Individuals with comorbid conditions have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. Since regulatory trials of COVID-19 vaccines excluded those with immunocompromising conditions, few patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases were enrolled. With limited vaccine safety data available, vulnerable populations may have conflicted vaccine attitudes. [...] We assessed the prevalence and independent predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and acceptance among individuals with serious comorbidities and assessed self-reported side effects among those who had been vaccinated. [...] In this survey of individuals with serious comorbid conditions, significant vaccine hesitancy remained. Assumptions that the most vulnerable would automatically accept COVID-19 vaccination are erroneous and thus call for health care team members to initiate discussions focusing on the impact of the vaccine on an individual's underlying condition. Early self-reported side effect experiences among those who had already been vaccinated, as expressed by our population, should be reassuring and might be utilized to alleviate vaccine fears. Health care-related social media forums that rapidly disseminate accurate information about the COVID-19 vaccine may play an important role."
JMIR Publications
Johnson, Jennifer; Tsai, Richard; Hervey, John . . .
2022-01-05
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Disaster Zone: Dealing with Pandemic Mental Health Stress [audio]
From the Website: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Pandemic has caused all types of stresses on people and organizations. The guest for this podcast is Dr. Kira Mauseth who is a practicing clinical psychologist, splitting her professional time between seeing patients at Snohomish Psychology Associates, teaching as a Senior Instructor at Seattle University and serving as a co-lead for the Behavioral Health Strike Team for the WA State Department of Health. Her work and research interests focus on resilience and recovery from trauma as well as disaster behavioral health. In this podcast we look at the impacts of the pandemic on behavioral health, for citizens, responders and medical personnel. She also shares the coping measures people can use to deal with the mental stresses coming from the pandemic." The duration of this audio is 47 minutes and 40 seconds.
Disaster Zone
Holdeman, Eric; Mauseth, Kira
2022-01-04
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MMWR Early Release: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, January 4, 2022: Receipt of COVID-19 Vaccine During Pregnancy and Preterm or Small-For-Gestational-Age at Birth -- Eight Integrated Health Care Organizations, United States, December 15, 2020-July 22, 2021
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This early release issue of MMWR contains the following article: "Receipt of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Vaccine During Pregnancy and Preterm or Small-For-Gestational-Age at Birth -- Eight Integrated Health Care Organizations, United States, December 15, 2020-July 22, 2021." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2022.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2022-01-04
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Medical Processes and Communication Protocols Need Improvement at Irwin County Detention Center
From the Highlights: "In September 2020, DHS OIG [Office of Inspector General] received complaints concerning medical care, response to COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] protocols, retaliation against employees and detainees, and specific allegations about detainees referred for gynecological procedures at ICDC [Irwin County Detention Center]. We sought to determine whether ICDC provided detainees adequate medical care and adhered to COVID-19 protections. This inspection did not review the gynecological procedure approval process for detainees at ICDC, which has been referred to our Office of Investigations. [...] We determined Irwin County Detention Center (ICDC) in Ocilla, Georgia, generally met U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention standards, which specify that detainees have access to appropriate and necessary medical, dental, and mental health care."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General
Martell, Tatyana; Lake de Pulla, Kimberley; Farrell, Stephen . . .
2022-01-03
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COVID-19 Rapid Guideline: Managing the Longterm Effects of COVID-19
From the Background: "This guideline has been developed collaboratively by NICE [National Institute for Health and Care Excellence], the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) and the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP). It covers care for people who have signs and symptoms that develop during or after an infection consistent with COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019], continue for more than 4 weeks and are not explained by an alternative diagnosis. This new and emerging condition, which has been described using a variety of terms including 'long COVID', can have a significant effect on people's quality of life. It also presents many challenges when trying to determine the best-practice standards of care based on the current evidence. There is no internationally agreed clinical definition or clear treatment pathway, and there is an evolving, evidence base. This guideline provides clinical definitions of the effects of COVID-19 at different times. It also provides advice on diagnosis and management based both on the best available evidence and the knowledge and experience of the expert panel."
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Great Britain); Royal College of General Practitioners; Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Great Britain); Royal College of General Practitioners; Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network
2022-01-03
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COVID-19 in the California Workers' Compensation System: A Study of COVID-19 Claims and Presumptions Under Senate Bill 1159
From the Document: "This report describes work undertaken by the RAND Corporation for the California Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation (CHSWC) in the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR). The goal of this study is three-fold: (1) evaluate the overall impacts of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] claims on California's workers' compensation system, (2) evaluate the overall impacts of COVID-19 claims on California's workers' compensation indemnity benefits, medical benefits, and death benefits, including differences in the impacts across differing occupational groups, and (3) assess the overall and cost impacts of the frontline worker and outbreak presumptions created by Senate Bill (SB) 1159 on California workers' compensation system. This mixed-methods evaluation has two main tasks. First, describe the volume and outcomes of COVID-19 claims and estimate the associated costs. Second, document the views and experiences of key stakeholders. The main stakeholder groups were: [1] Workers who contracted COVID-19 and inquired about or used the workers' compensation system for COVID-19 claims and medical care provision [2] Public health officials [3] Claims administrators and employers from frontline and known-outbreak industries across Northern and Southern California."
RAND Corporation
Quigley, Denise D.; Dworsky, Michael; Qureshi, Nabeel Shariq . . .
2022-01
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COVID-19 and Workers' Compensation: Considerations for Policymakers
From the Webpage Description: "Working outside the home during a pandemic brings serious risks. Workers who do so are at a much higher risk for exposure to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) because of their need to interact daily with broad segments of the population. Workers who are exposed to COVID-19 in their workplaces face not only a threat to personal and family health but also the risks of high medical expenses and lost wages. Labor groups argue that covering losses related to COVID-19 through the workers' compensation system offers protection for vulnerable workers whose jobs put them at higher risk of infection than the general public. Business groups argue that given the difficulties in contact tracing and the virus's three- to five-day incubation period, it would be unfair to require insurers to pay benefits (which would ultimately be passed along to employers in the form of higher premiums) to workers who could have contracted the disease outside of work. The authors of this Perspective examine the initial efforts and reasoning of policymakers to grant access to workers' compensation benefits to employees who are required to work outside the home during the COVID-19 pandemic. They briefly assess the potential impacts of continuing to expand such access on workers, employers, and insurers. And finally, they pose further questions that policymakers and others may want to consider when evaluating past policies and crafting new ones to meet future public health emergencies."
RAND Corporation
Dworsky, Michael; Saunders-Medina, Bethany
2022
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Changes in College and Career Readiness Supports During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic
From the Webpage Description: "High schools play a crucial role in helping students plan for and transition to postsecondary education and career pathways. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, supporting all students in their transition to life after high school remains important for postsecondary success. [...] Emerging evidence suggests that high school students' postsecondary aspirations and their engagement with school counselors have changed during the pandemic. In this Data Note, the authors compare nationally representative survey response data from the 2020 and 2021 Learn Together Surveys (LTS) to examine differences in how high school teachers and principals provided supports to students for successful postsecondary transitions before and during the first year of the pandemic. Drawing on responses from 2,126 9th- to 12th-grade teachers and 702 high school principals to the 2021 LTS and responses from 2,279 9th- to 12th-grade teachers and 640 high school principals to the 2020 LTS, the authors compare educators' responses across various school-level characteristics, including student free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, enrollment of nonwhite students, and school locale. The authors found equity gaps in which groups of students reportedly received sufficient supports for postsecondary transitions and recommend strategies for improving students' equitable access to and engagement with such supports."
RAND Corporation
Mulhern, Christine; Steiner, Elizabeth D.
2022
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COVID-19 Variants and Evolving Research Needs, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, House of Representatives, One Hundred Seventeenth Congress, First Session, May 12, 2021
This is the May 12, 2021 hearing on "COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Variants and Evolving Research Needs," held before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. From the opening statement of Bill Foster: "[J]ust as we've adapted to life in the pandemic, the virus has mutated as it continues to spread around the globe. Each new variant brings the potential for increased contagiousness, disease severity, and evasion of safety measures and vaccine-induced natural immunity. Today, most of the new variants seem to have evolved from national-natural evolutionary pressure, natural selection for infectiousness. One of the commonly expressed worries is about an escape variant of the virus, a superbug that is resistant to our vaccines and may-might evolve in a partially vaccinated population. In a worst-case scenario, such a variant would require us to start over from zero in our vaccine manufacturing, tests, and deployment." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Salim Abdool Karim, Nathan Grubaugh, Stephen Streiffer, and Caitlin Rivers.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2022
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Housing Finance System: Future Reforms Should Consider Past Plans and Vulnerabilities Highlighted by Pandemic, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "Since 2013, GAO [Government Accountability Office] has designated the federal role in housing finance as a high-risk area because of the significant risks the current role poses. In September 2019, Treasury and HUD [Department of Housing and Urban Development] began implementing housing finance reform plans, which included steps to transition the enterprises from federal conservatorship. But pandemic-related strains on the housing finance system and the transition to a new administration have increased uncertainty about the future of reform. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act includes a provision for GAO to monitor federal efforts related to COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. Congress also included a provision in statute for GAO to annually review financial services regulations. This report examines (1) vulnerabilities in the housing finance system highlighted by the pandemic, and (2) the nature and status of recommendations in the 2019 reform plans and the extent to which they align with system vulnerabilities and GAO's housing finance reform framework (GAO-15-131)."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-01
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Proceedings of the U.S.-Japan Socioeconomic Policy Research Exchange: The Rise of Telework Under COVID-19 and the Growth of Cryptocurrency
From the Document: "In both the United States and Japan, teleworking, or working from home, underwent explosive growth during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, as did the adoption of blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies. To explore the implications of these two phenomena, in early 2021, the RAND Corporation convened a pair of public, online conferences that brought together leading U.S. and Japanese experts to inform the general public and generate potential insights for policymakers in both countries about how each side is responding to these phenomena. Noted economist, public intellectual, and former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich gave the keynote speech at the first conference, 'The United States, Japan, and the Rise of Telework During the COVID-19 Pandemic,' on February 4, 2021, discussing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of telework on employment. At the second conference, 'The U.S.-Japan Socioeconomic Policy Exchange, Year II,' on March 24, 2021, S&P [Standard & Poor's] Global President and Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the U.S.-Japan Business Council Douglas Peterson offered his perspective on the importance of and policy challenges facing the U.S.-Japanese economic relationship. This volume captures insights from the two conferences, reflects some of the exchanges among the participants at those sessions, and is built around the papers that the conference presenters submitted after the conferences concluded."
RAND Corporation
Harold, Scott, 1975-; Bouskill, Kathryn E.; Ichikawa, Hiroo, 1947- . . .
2022
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Global Risks Report 2022, Seventeenth Edition
From the Executive Summary: "As 2022 begins, COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] and its economic and societal consequences continue to pose a critical threat to the world. Vaccine inequality and a resultant uneven economic recovery risk compounding social fractures and geopolitical tensions. In the poorest 52 countries-- home to 20% of the world's people--only 6% of the population had been vaccinated at the time of writing. By 2024, developing economies (excluding China) will have fallen 5.5% below their pre-pandemic expected GDP [gross domestic product] growth, while advanced economies will have surpassed it by 0.9%--widening the global income gap. The resulting global divergence will create tensions-- within and across borders--that risk worsening the pandemic's cascading impacts and complicating the coordination needed to tackle common challenges including strengthening climate action, enhancing digital safety, restoring livelihoods and societal cohesion and managing competition in space. The 'Global Risks Report 2022' presents the results of the latest Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS), followed by an analysis of key risks emanating from current economic, societal, environmental and technological tensions. The report concludes with reflections on enhancing resilience, drawing from the lessons of the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic."
World Economic Forum
Granados Franco, Emilio; Kuritzky, Melinda; Lukacs, Richard . . .
2022
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IDB COVID-19 Response Projects and Gender Integration
From the Introduction: "CGD's [Center for Global Development's] COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Gender and Development Initiative seeks to gather evidence on the gendered impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to ensure policy responses to the crisis reach and benefit women and girls. Research from around the world has shown that women have been hit hardest by the pandemic and economic crisis, suffering major setbacks in employment and entrepreneurship and shouldering more unpaid work than before. Our initiative focuses on low- and middle-income countries, where the impacts may be most damaging but where research is still lacking. The initiative focuses on three research questions: [1] What are the gendered impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis? [2] What are donors and policymakers doing in response to the crisis? [3] What else is needed?"
Center for Global Development
Bourgault, Shelby; Ross, Kelsey; O'Donnell, Megan
2022-01
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COVID-19: HHS and DOD Transitioned Vaccine Responsibilities to HHS, but Need to Address Outstanding Issues, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the GAO (Government Accountability Office) Highlights: "Vaccines have played a crucial role in battling the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. The CAG [Countermeasures Acceleration Group] worked with vaccine companies to develop COVID-19 vaccines, and made available a sufficient supply for all eligible people in the nation. An April 2021 memorandum of understanding between HHS [Department of Health and Human Services] and DOD called for the transfer of remaining CAG responsibilities to HHS and for identification of lessons learned. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act includes a provision for GAO to report on its ongoing monitoring and oversight efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This report examines, among other things, the CAG's progress on (1) transitioning its responsibilities to HHS, and (2) developing a process for a joint interagency lessons learned review. GAO reviewed CAG transition and contracting documents and interviewed or received written responses from CAG officials, federal agencies, and representatives from the six vaccine companies that worked with the CAG. [...] GAO is making five recommendations related to workforce needs, scheduling best practices for vaccine-related activities; and lessons learned from key stakeholders. HHS did not concur with GAO's recommendation on workforce needs. GAO revised this recommendation based on updated information, but maintains that it continues to be valid, as discussed in the report."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-01
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Aviation After a Year of Pandemic: Economics, People, and Technology: Proceedings of a Workshop
From the Webpage Description: "Among the various segments of society affected by the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic over the past year and a half, few were hit as hard as the aviation industry. At its worst point, in March 2020, passenger volumes for U.S. airlines had dropped more than 95 percent. Airlines, airports, aircraft manufacturers, and other components of the air travel system faced an unprecedented challenge, with threats to the health of passengers and crews combined with threats to the financial health of the entire system. To address the many COVID-related issues facing the aviation industry, on June 28-30, 2021, the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted a three-day workshop, Aviation After a Year of Pandemic - Economics, People, and Technology. Funded by the National Aeronautical and Space Administration and held remotely via Zoom, the workshop focused on four specific areas regarding the effects of COVID on the aviation industry: economics, personnel, technology, and next steps. This publication summarizes the presentation and discussion of the workshop."
National Academies Press (U.S.)
Pool, Robert, 1955-
2022
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Changes in School Composition During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for School-Average Interim Test Score Use
From the Webpage Description: "School officials regularly use school-aggregate test scores to monitor school performance and make policy decisions. After the U.S. Department of Education offered assessment waivers to all 50 states in 2019-2020, many educators and policymakers advocated for assessment programs to be restarted in the 2020-2021 school year to evaluate the state of teaching and learning and to inform policies for recovery from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, the use of school-aggregate test scores for these purposes relies on the assumption that differences in aggregate scores can be accurately interpreted as representing real and meaningful differences in school progress and performance. There are serious concerns about the accuracy of such interpretations even under routine schooling conditions, but the pandemic may exacerbate these issues and further compromise the comparability of these test scores. In this report, RAND researchers investigate one specific issue that may contaminate utilization of COVID-19-era school-aggregate scores and result in faulty comparisons with historical and other proximal aggregate scores: changes in school composition over time. To investigate this issue, they examine data from NWEA's [Northwest Evaluation Association] Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Growth assessments, interim assessments used by states and districts during the 2020-2021 school year."
RAND Corporation
Schweig, Jonathan David; Kuhfeld, Megan; Diliberti, Melissa . . .
2022
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Changing Workforce: Supporting Older Workers Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond, Hearing Before the Special Committee on Aging, United States Senate, One Hundred Seventeenth Congress, First Session, April 29, 2021
This is the April 29, 2021 hearing on "Changing Workforce: Supporting Older Workers Amid the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Pandemic and Beyond," held before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. From the opening statement of Robert P. Casey, Jr.: "This hearing we are having today comes at a very critical time, as Congress discusses how to get American workers back on their feet and to pull our economy out of the ditch. Over the last year, workers in every occupation and in every corner of the country have felt the effects of the devastating economic recession created by COVID-19. [...] Fortunately, we are beginning to see the light at the end of this very dark tunnel. The American Rescue Plan contained critical investments to defeat the virus and help families, including, just by way of example, an extension of expanded unemployment benefits and a $1,400 direct payment; funding to help ensure employers are keeping workers safe and healthy in the workplace; and, third, a historic investment in vaccine distribution. [...] I believe we must pass the President's American Jobs Plan to make investments in our Nation's infrastructure that are long overdue. The investments in the American Jobs Plan will create millions of middle-class jobs, raise wages and help workers develop the skills that will power economic growth for years to come. Older workers will benefit enormously from this investment. As older workers are looking to return to work safely, it is also more important than ever that Congress dismantle barriers, the barriers that have long made it more difficult for them to succeed in the workplace." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Elizabeth White, Elise Gould, Ramsey Alwin, and David Poston,
United States. Government Publishing Office
2022
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China and COVID-19: Alienation and Its Discontents
From the Summary: "China's responses to COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] reveal an evolving dynamic of (a) containment and control; (b) limited disclosure; and (c) escalating resistance. These stand against a background of historical grievance against the West and alienation from the international health policy community exemplified by the United States and its European allies with whom China has ongoing disputes over trade, human rights, and security. China's COVID-19 response involves reaction to conflicting WHO [World Health Organization] themes of modernization and colonialization that both invite and inhibit participation by developing countries. Proclaiming support for modernization in medical training, equipment, and services, the PRC [People's Republic of China] has also emphasized the role of Chinese Traditional Medicine, while resisting WHO calls for disclosure of raw data, lab records, and case files. China's posture will require a measure of accommodation in global efforts to contain the pandemic and prepare for future outbreaks, combined with renewed efforts to improve cooperation and transparency."
East-West Center
Potter, Pitman B.
2022-01
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Road to Recovery: Ramping Up COVID-19 Vaccines, Testing, and Medical Supply Chain, Virtual Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, One Hundred Seventeenth Congress, First Session, February 3, 2021
This is the February 2, 2021 virtual hearing on "Road to Recovery: Ramping Up COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Vaccines, Testing, and Medical Supply Chain" before the House Subcommittee on Health, Committee on Energy and Commerce. From the Opening Statement of Frank Pallone, Jr: "There is no more pressing issue to begin with than the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, our response so far, and our need to increase vaccinations, testing, and mitigation, and building a robust supply chain. This pandemic is taking a devastating toll on families and communities all around our nation. More than 440,000 Americans have died from this terrible virus, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has projected that number will grow to more than 500,000 before the end of the month. As Americans, we mourn every loss. As Members of Congress, we must do everything we can to ensure this new Administration has all the tools and resources it needs to crush COVID-19." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Luciana Borio, Julie Morita, Michael O. Leavitt, and Greg Burel.
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Energy and Commerce
2022
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Freedom of Information Act: Selected Agencies Adapted to the COVID-19 Pandemic but Face Ongoing Challenges and Backlogs, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "FOIA [Freedom of Information Act], enacted into law more than 50 years ago, seeks to improve the public's access to government information and promote the principles of openness and accountability in government. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to monitor and oversee the federal government's response to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. GAO also was asked to review how the pandemic affected FOIA processes and procedures. This report examines (1) how key measures of FOIA administration changed from fiscal years 2019 to 2020 and over time since fiscal year 2012; (2) how selected agencies adapted their FOIA operations during the pandemic; and (3) how selected agencies' backlog reduction plans aligned with standards for internal control and performance management practices. GAO selected five agencies based on a variety of factors including the number of FOIA requests received, processed, and backlogged. GAO reviewed documents and interviewed officials from the selected agencies and the National Archives and Records Administration."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-01
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Rental Eviction and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Averting a Looming Crisis
From the Webpage Description: "As the federal moratorium on rental eviction is set to expire on July 31st, 2021, actionable guidance is urgently needed on how to ensure that renters can stay in their homes and housing aid reaches the communities that need it most. This report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends that the Executive Office of the President of the United States should consider establishing a task force to prevent rental evictions and mitigate housing instability caused by the pandemic. 'Rental Eviction and the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Pandemic: Averting a Looming Crisis' recommends actions to be taken both urgently and over the next three years aimed at addressing the immediate crisis as well as long-standing needs related to housing choice, affordability, and security across the United States. These include: building on existing social programs that support those struggling with poverty and housing instability; efficiently channeling emergency relief to renters and landlords; increasing the availability of housing choice vouchers; reforming unemployment insurance; and reducing discriminatory practices and systemic inequities."
National Academies Press (U.S.)
Briere, Rona
2022
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Parents with Low Incomes Faced Greater Health Challenges and Problems Accessing and Affording Needed Health Care in Spring 2021
From the Document: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic has added hardships and stress to the burdens parents face in meeting their families' needs. Parents with low incomes, in particular, have faced greater difficulties meeting their and their families' basic needs than other parents. In this report, we use data from the April 2021 Health Reform Monitoring Survey (HRMS) to assess health status, health insurance coverage, health care access and affordability, and worries about other basic needs in spring 2021 among nonelderly parents. We examine these outcomes among three income groups: at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL); 139 to 399 percent of FPL; and at or above 400 percent of FPL. We find that though parents at various income levels faced health challenges and problems accessing and affording health care, parents with low incomes faced particularly steep challenges."
Urban Institute
Haley, Jennifer M.; Long, Julia; Kenney, Genevieve M.
2022-01
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Support for Mask and Vaccine Policies in Schools Falls Along Racial and Political Lines
"As the omicron variant roils school reopening plans, local educational leaders are again faced with tough decisions about COVID-19 policy. Do they open for in-person learning in the face of the omicron wave? What happens if too many teachers or students have COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] to safely open? What policies around masking should be required for schools operating in person? And should they consider vaccination or booster requirements for teachers or students? Some of these questions can be answered in part by science--evidence is overwhelming that full vaccination including a booster shot offers extremely high levels of effectiveness against the currently circulating strains, so of course we should do everything possible to encourage vaccination. The evidence on masking for children in school is more ambiguous, but government agencies recommend wearing high-quality masks to reduce transmission of the virus. But both claims ignore the persistent political divisions that govern common COVID-19 protocols. [...] Our research team analyzed data [...] to gain insight into parents' positions on various masking and vaccine policies available to educational decisionmakers. Specifically, we asked a nationally representative sample of approximately 1,500 parents of K-12 students in October 2021 (before omicron but during the long-lasting fall delta wave) the extent to which they support (1) mask mandates for all unvaccinated students and teachers, (2) mask mandates for all students and teachers, (3) vaccine mandates for all teachers, (4) vaccine mandates for students 12 and older, and (5) vaccine mandates for all students. In reporting here, we treat parents who 'support' or 'strongly support' a policy as in support and parents who 'oppose' or 'strongly oppose' a policy as not in support."
Urban Institute
Silver, Dan; Fienberg, Michael; Polikoff, Morgan
2022-01
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2022 Policy Agenda: Restore Fiscal & Public Health
From the Overview: "Almost two years after the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic plunged the United States and the world into economic and social disruption, the nation is recovering. But challenges--some from the pandemic itself, and others revealed and exacerbated by it--remain. Our nation's calling at this defining moment in our history is startlingly clear: to demonstrate that we can work together to address serious challenges and achieve common goals at home and provide leadership abroad; in short, to deepen faith that democracy functions. For 80 years, starting with our founders' seminal role in the Marshall Plan and the Bretton Woods agreement, the Committee for Economic Development, the public policy center of The Conference Board (CED), has been dedicated to solving problems through nonpartisan policy solutions from business leaders in the nation's interest. The nation will advance enduringly and sustainably only if all Americans have equal opportunity to prosper in a society that is civil and just. In this spirit, we offer these nonpartisan priorities to build a stronger, more resilient, sustainable economy providing opportunity and prosperity for all Americans."
The Conference Board, Inc.
2022
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Flying in the COVID-19 Era: Science-Based Risk Assessments and Mitigation Strategies on the Ground and in the Air
From the Webpage Description: "The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a workshop on February 4th and 5th, 2021 to review the issues related to safety of passengers and employees in commercial air transportation, for domestic and international travel, during the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. The workshop explored best practices to assess and mitigate COVID-19 transmission risks experienced during the travel chain, from the departure airport entrance to the destination airport exit. The workshop also identified areas where more research is needed to address gaps in understanding. This publication documents the presentations and discussions held during the workshop, and is presented as a synthesis of the workshop."
National Academies Press (U.S.)
Pool, Robert, 1955-
2022
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Pandemic Response, Recovery, and Preparedness Planning for Airport Security Operations: Phase 1
From the Introduction: "A team consisting of Ross & Baruzzini, Tidal Basin, and TransSolutions conducted research on behalf of PARAS [Program for Applied Research in Airport Security] to identify lessons learned during the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, and to provide preparedness guidance for pandemic response and recovery in airport security operations. The Research Team used principles for developing After-Action Reports and Improvement Plans (IP), including use of the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP), to guide the development of this document. The National Preparedness Goal was used to identify pandemic core capabilities and summarize measures used to control pathogenic exposure among passengers and employees. This document identifies lessons learned and best practices relating to exposure control, security integrity, and operational impact. It summarizes actions that were beneficial to security operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as opportunities for improvement. Focus group feedback and literature review data were used to support Observations, Analysis, and Recommendations for each of the research objectives."
National Safe Skies Alliance, Inc. Program for Applied Research in Airport Security
Steinle, Michael; Zoia, Michael; Crosby, Mark . . .
2022-01
