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Impact of the Pandemic on New York City's Municipal Workforce
From the Document: "New York City employs the largest municipal workforce in the United States. [...] The City government, like other public employers, was quickly confronted with a number of challenges after the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic took hold in March 2020, including a decline in anticipated resources and a substantial change in the demand for certain municipal services. Largely in response to fiscal challenges, the City's workforce has decreased (through attrition) to 283,809 through November 2021 (5.5 percent), but some agencies and occupations experienced a sharper decline, which may have led to service disruptions in the past and could pose service challenges as normal activity resumes. Overtime has also increased sharply in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022. Only a few days into the new administation [sic], the Mayor directed his agency heads to identify ways to achieve annual savings of 3 percent of City-funded spending beginning in FY 2022, exempting public health agencies and the Department of Correction. The decline in staffing presents an opportunity for the City to re-examine its workforce and to restructure how its programs and services are delivered, in order to achieve efficiencies without the need for layoffs or service cuts."
New York (State). Office of the State Comptroller
Lotridge, Christopher
2022-02
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State of Innovation in Antibacterial Therapeutics
From the Introduction: "Antibacterial drug discovery and development during the 20th century yielded one of the greatest armaments available to physicians, with more than 90% of all antibacterial drugs discovered during this period. Since the introduction of numerous antibiotic classes during the 1940s, deaths from bacterial infections have been reduced significantly. However, this next century is already presenting challenges that may render these older antibiotics obsolete. The COVID [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, which exposed multiple preparedness shortcomings, has elevated attention to the increasing threat of drug-resistant strains of bacteria. More than 1.2 million people worldwide are dying each year from antibiotic resistant infections and it is estimated this number will grow to 10 million per year by 2050. In the U.S. alone, more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur each year, with more than 35,000 people dying as a result. The CDC, EMEA [European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products], WHO [World Health Organization], IDSA [Infectious Diseases Society of America], Pew, and other groups have issued warnings to public policymakers for more than a decade about the reduced effectiveness of last century's antibiotic arsenal."
Biotechnology Innovation Organization
Thomas, David; Wessel, Chad
2022-02
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COVID-19 Related State of Emergency Measures: Impact and Responses
From the Executive Summary: "The American Bar Association (ABA) Center for Human Rights (CHR) undertook this report to analyze the impact of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] emergency measures on HRDs [human rights defenders] and explore the responses of HRDs through the use of strategic litigation and other actions to push back against disproportional restrictions related to COVID-19 states of emergency. This report captures the successes and challenges of such strategies. It examines the viability of such approaches to effectively push back against attempts to normalize restrictive measures that do not meet public health goals and maintain civic space for HRDs and other civil society actors. The report finds that the success of challenges largely hinged on the nature of the authorizing statute and scope of its enforcement. Successful legal efforts challenged the repurposing of statutes originally meant to target activity 'unrelated to public health or public safety.' Further, in cases where litigants focused on separation of powers, courts seemed more receptive to challenges to executive measures without legislative oversight. As the viability and success of strategic litigation largely depends on the degree of respect for rule of law and the independence of the judiciary, the report also examines non-litigation approaches adopted by civil society actors to challenge 'de facto' measures and practices, including the deployment of military forces to enforce lockdown measures, selective or disproportionate enforcement, and police brutality. Through the formation of new coalitions, enhanced coordination with other actors, and pressure on government agencies, civil society actors successfully challenged 'de facto' measures. Finally, the report concludes with a set of recommendations for all stakeholders to help ensure that, in the future, governments effectively respond to public health crises while protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms."
ABA Center for Human Rights
McCourt, Kersty; Nyaundi, Ken; Ndiku, Shalom M. . . .
2022-02
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Understanding the Threat of Biological Weapons in a World with COVID-19
From the Introduction: "Threats posed by biological weapons have been evolving for nearly a century. However, the pace of change has been accelerating in recent years due to several intersecting trends, including the accessibility of sophisticated biotechnology tools, plunging costs of sequencing and synthesis, and the convergence of new technology areas (e.g., synthetic biology, AI [Artificial Intelligence]/machine learning, and robotics). In 2020, a new set of dynamics around biological weapons emerged as a result of widespread failures of many nations around the world to effectively respond to the global spread of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 [Coronavirus Disease 2019]. After more than two years of global efforts to contain the spread of this highly transmissible disease, world leaders are still unable to discern the threat parameters of a COVID-19 era. However, one thing remains clear: the ongoing crisis could profoundly alter how countries perceive biological weapons and how these weapons may advance their security interests. For the hopefully-small number of nations that may consider biological weapons, the human, security, and economic toll of the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to shape their views regarding the deliberate use of disease to cause disruption and destruction. [...] In this paper, we present findings from our 'futures research' in which we investigated 1) the incentives and disincentives for the development of biological weapons; 2) historical signals related to biological weapons; and 3) other trends, issues, and problems."
Janne E. Nolan Center on Strategic Weapons
Bajema, Natasha E.; Parthemore, Christine; Rezzonico, Andrea . . .
2022-02
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COVID-19, Mortality, and Nursing Homes: A Literature and Data Review and Policy Discussion
From the Abstract: "It is well established from research studies and basic data analysis that there is an exponential relationship between age and the infection to fatality ratio for COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. Hence, the high mortality of the pandemic has been concentrated among the elderly. The close living arrangements of nursing homes exacerbated that tendency, and mortality from COVID was initially very high there. The vector of infection often came from staff. In the absence of vaccines and effective medical treatment and natural immunity, various nonpharmaceutical interventions were imposed by governments on general society and nursing homes. The evidence on their effectiveness is modest and mixed, although they seemed to have had at least temporary reducing effects. But the price of these socially isolating interventions was high on other causes of death, including in nursing homes. Hence, with the availability of effective vaccines, and more recently boosters, it was essential to the reduction of national mortality that quick and complete treatment focus be on the elderly, nursing home residents, and their caregivers. Although there has been substantial progress here, especially seen with reduced mortality at nursing homes, spikes still occur, and vaccine hesitancy gaps remain. So more needs to be done, especially for boosters and especially for staff, as the US now discusses and implements the return to normalcy. A targeted mix of mandates and incentives and culturally aware effective outreach are appropriate for these groups."
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
Warshawsky, Mark
2022-02
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Rethinking the Police Response to Mass Demonstrations: '9 Recommendations'
From the Document: "Police agencies' management of protests and demonstrations is not a new issue. PERF [Police Executive Research Forum] produced major reports on this topic in 2006, 2011, and 2018 (see pp. 15-17). And yet, the demonstrations of 2020 required PERF to throw out those playbooks and realize that we had to look at demonstrations very differently. 'Police simply did not expect and were not prepared for the level and extent of violence they encountered. It was unlike anything they had seen in 20 years.' Police actually faced three major crises in 2020: 'Crisis 1:' The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, 'Crisis 2:' Thousands of demonstrations following the murder of George Floyd, and 'Crisis 3:' A spike in homicides and shootings. 'This report is mainly about Crisis 2, demonstrations. But I want to briefly discuss all three crises, because each one posed difficult, sometimes unprecedented challenges to law enforcement agencies, and the three crises compounded each other, creating a synergy that made all of the problems worse.' [...] This report is about the second crisis described above: the demonstrations that continued through the summer and into the fall of 2020, and the unprecedented violence that occurred in many cities. This report provides 35 recommendations for actions that law enforcement agencies can take to improve their planning for, and response to, demonstrations in their communities."
Police Executive Research Forum
2022-02
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Assessments of Revenues and Expenses Associated with the City's COVID-19 Response -- Report No. 4
From the Document: "The City of Sacramento will be subject to future audits of State and Federal funds, such as the Coronavirus Relief Fund or the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund. These audits would likely be conducted by an Inspector General's Office or the Government Accountability Office. The key to successfully withstanding any future audit will be the City's ability to provide sufficient and appropriate documentation supporting the use of these funds. [...] The objective of these assessments is to help the City prepare for State and Federal audits of the City's use of emergency funding. This includes pro-active and real-time assistance in complying with regulatory requirements, securing reimbursements, tracking disaster recovery costs, and evaluating whether funds are being used efficiently and effectively."
Sacramento (Calif.). Office of the City Auditor
Oseguera, Jorge; Bashaw, Lynn; Sweeney, Jordan . . .
2022-02
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US-China Vaccine Diplomacy: Lessons from Latin America and the Caribbean
From the Introduction: "COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] has laid bare the competing strategies and practices of the United States and China to amass further clout in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). In many ways, the pandemic is quickly accelerating a regional trend seen over the last decade: China uses its growing economic and diplomatic muscle to provide an alternative to US activities and interests. [...] Vaccine-related diplomacy also contributes to an evolving discussion about the different ways China and the United States more broadly engage the region--and vice versa. [...] Overall, the region's proximity, shared peoples, history, and borders with the United States provide greater depth and multidimensionality to the relationship. Consequently, vaccine diplomacy represents a greater marginal opportunity for China to broaden and deepen regional ties."
Atlantic Council of the United States. Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center
de Ávila, María Eugenia Brizuela; Insanally, Riyad; Trevisan, Claudia . . .
2022-02
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United States Department of Labor: COVID-19 Workplace Safety Plan [February 2022]
From the Purpose and Scope: "The purpose of this document is to provide minimum mandatory safety guidance for the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the DOL agencies. The health and safety of all DOL employees, onsite contractor employees, and individuals interacting with the DOL workforce is the Department's highest priority. DOL recognizes that COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] is a highly contagious infectious disease. This document is primarily focused on application of relevant guidelines at all DOL facilities to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. These guidelines apply to buildings wholly managed by DOL as well as those buildings (or areas within buildings) controlled by DOL, in combination referred to as 'DOL facilities.' These guidelines also apply to lands under DOL control."
United States. Department of Labor
2022-02
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Plan to Advance Data Innovation
From the Executive Summary: "Executive Order 13994 on Ensuring a Data-Driven Response to COVID-19 [Coronavirus Disease 2019] and Future High-Consequence Public Health Threats calls for development of an improved public health infrastructure to effectively prevent, detect, and respond to future biological threats. Section 4 of the Executive order tasks the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to 'develop a plan for advancing innovation in public health data and analytics in the United States.' The Office of Science and Technology Policy formed a National Science and Technology Council Fast Track Action Committee to develop this plan to enhance data innovation and to ensure that epidemiological modeling and forecasting can support preparedness for and response to high-consequence biological threats, in particular respiratory pathogens. This plan also encourages the development of new and innovative thinking about data sources and their applications, and identifies mechanisms for data innovation that should be applied to public health data needs outside of epidemiological modeling, such as needs in maternal health, mental health, veterans health, and other areas. The objectives and policy recommendations in this plan were designed to guide the new National Center for Epidemic Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics and support contributors and users of robust data sources across multiple sectors. The plan is structured around a four-element data life cycle framework composed of data inputs and acquisition, data management, data use and analysis, and data outputs, including interpretation and communication."
National Science and Technology Council (U.S.); United States. Executive Office of the President
2022-02
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United States-India Strategic Dialogue on Biosecurity: Report from the Eighth Dialogue Session, Focused on the Second Year of COVID-19 Responses in India and the United States and the Pandemic's Impact on Global Biosecurity
From the Executive Summary: "On February 8 and 9, 2022, the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security co-hosted a virtual dialogue session with the Regional Centre for Biotechnology of the Department of Biotechnology in the Indian Ministry of Science and Technology. The meeting focused on successes, challenges, opportunities, and lessons learned in the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] responses in India and the United States, and how COVID-19 responses can continue while also preparing for future health security crises. The dialogue focused on COVID-19 developments that occurred since the last meeting in January 2021. Discussions centered around national response efforts, mass vaccination, surveillance approaches, causes and biosecurity implications of COVID-19 misinformation and disinformation, synthetic biological risks, global biosecurity governance, and the need for future collaboration among countries and within the scientific community. The meeting convened senior thought leaders, scientists, public health practitioners, and medical experts from the United States and India. In accordance with the dialogue format, participants offered insights based on personal expertise and did not represent the government of either country in an official capacity."
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Center for Health Security
Gronvall, Gigi Kwik; Trotochaud, Marc; Cicero, Anita
2022-02
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COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Installation Status Update [As of January 31, 2022]
From the Document: "Travel Restrictions LIFTED at 185 of 230 Installations (80%) (Met: Step 1 & Step 2)[.] Of the 185 installations with lifted travel restrictions this week, 1 reinstated travel restrictions while 0 lifted restrictions."
United States. Department of Defense
2022-01-31
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Has Omicron Changed the Evolution of the Pandemic?
From the Abstract: "Variants of the SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] virus carry differential risks to public health. The Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant, first identified in Botswana on November 11, 2021, has spread globally faster than any previous variant of concern. Understanding the transmissibility of Omicron is vital in the development of public health policy. [...] The aim of this study is to compare SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks driven by Omicron to those driven by prior variants of concern in terms of both the speed and magnitude of an outbreak. [...] The observed Omicron outbreaks in this study reach the outbreak threshold within 5-10 days after first detection, whereas other variants of concern have taken at least 14 days and up to as many as 35 days. The Omicron outbreaks also reach peak rates of new cases that are roughly 1.5-2 times those of prior variants of concern. Dynamic panel regression estimates confirm Omicron has created a statistically significant shift in viral spread. [...] The transmissibility of Omicron is markedly higher than prior variants of concern. At the population level, the Omicron outbreaks occurred more quickly and with larger magnitude, despite substantial increases in vaccinations and prior infections, which should have otherwise reduced susceptibility to new infections. Unless public health policies are substantially altered, Omicron outbreaks in other countries are likely to occur with little warning."
JMIR Publications
Lundberg, Alexander L.; Lorenzo-Redondo, Ramon; Ozer, Egon A. . . .
2022-01-31
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Unemployment Insurance (U) Benefits: Permanent-Law Programs and the COVID-19 Pandemic Response [Updated January 31, 2022]
From the Summary: "The Unemployment Insurance (UI) system is constructed as a joint federal-state partnership, in which the Unemployment Compensation (UC) program and the UC benefit are the foundation of the UI system. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) provides oversight of state UC programs and the state administration of federal UI benefits. Although there are broad requirements under federal law regarding UC benefits and financing, the specifics are set out under each state's laws, resulting in 53 different UC programs operated in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. States operate their own UC programs and administer any temporary, federal UI benefits. Each state's UC laws determine the weekly benefit amount and the number of weeks of UC available to unemployed workers. Most states provide up to 26 weeks of UC to eligible individuals who become involuntarily unemployed for economic reasons and meet state-established eligibility rules. The UI system's two main objectives are to provide temporary and partial wage replacement to involuntarily unemployed workers and to stabilize the economy during recessions. The two permanent-law UI benefits--UC and Extended Benefits (EB)--are countercyclical, with spending and weekly benefit payments that increase automatically during a recession. Congress often supplements these permanently authorized economic stabilization measures by enacting temporary UI benefit expansions during recessions. In response to the recent recession caused by the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, Congress created several temporary, now-expired UI programs through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act[.]"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Whittaker, Julie M.; Isaacs, Katelin P., 1980-
2022-01-31
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NIH RECOVER: A Multi-Site Observational Study of Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Adults
From the Brief Summary: "This is a combined retrospective and prospective, longitudinal, observational meta-cohort of individuals who will enter the cohort with and without SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] infection and at varying stages before and after infection. Individuals with and without SARS-CoV2 infection and with or without PASC [post-acute sequelae SARS-CoV-2 infection] symptoms will be followed to identify risk factors and occurrence of PASC. This study will be conducted in the United States and subjects will be recruited through inpatient, outpatient, and community-based settings. Study data including age, demographics, social determinants of health, medical history, vaccination history, details of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, overall health and physical function, and PASC symptom screen will be reported by subjects or collected from the electronic health record using a case report form at specified intervals. Biologic specimens will be collected at specified intervals, with some tests performed in local clinical laboratories and others performed by centralized research centers or banked in the Biospecimen Repository. Advanced clinical examinations and radiologic examinations will be performed at local study sites with cross-site standardization."
NYU Langone Health
2022-01-28?
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COVID States Project: A 50-State COVID-19 Survey Report #80: Americans' Views on Violence Against the Government
From the Document: "Recent years have seen armed protests, threats, and violence against government officials following mask mandates, COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] related closures [hyperlink], and the 2020 election [hyperlink] (including, most notably, the deadly January 6, 2021 attack on the US capitol). These events have sparked concern about the state of American democracy and the safety of government officials. In this report, we examine Americans' attitudes toward the acceptability of violent protest against the government."
Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.); Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy; Harvard Medical School . . .
Safarpour, Alauna; Santillana, Mauricio; Druckman, James N., 1971- . . .
2022-01-28
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COVID-19: Delays in Providing Disaster Relief Jeopardize $366 Million Disaster Worker Grant Program
From the Document: "On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act stimulus bill was passed by the 116th U.S. Congress. The CARES Act provided additional funding in the amount of $345 million to the Department of Labor (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) under Division B, Title VIII. This audit focused on funds allocated to the Disaster National Dislocated Worker Grants (DWG) reserve. From April to August 2020, ETA awarded 57 grants totaling $366 million. ETA used $248 million provided under the CARES Act, along with $118 million from ETA's regular National Dislocated Workers reserve funds for training and employment services and other necessary expenses directly related to the consequences of the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. Prior Office of Inspector General audits have raised concerns about ETA's grant not achieving performance goals and ETA needing to provide better oversight of DWGs. [...] Lopez [The Lopez Group, LLP] made four recommendations to ETA to provide technical assistance to the states regarding grantee performance, provide close monitoring to ensure performance, establish written timelines for disaster relief action, and enforce existing procedures. ETA generally agreed with these recommendations and stated it has already taken corrective action."
United States. Department of Labor. Office of the Inspector General
2022-01-28
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MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, January 28, 2022
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 issue of MMWR contains the following: "Use of 15-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine and 20-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Among U.S. Adults: Updated Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices -- United States, 2022"; "Effectiveness of a Third Dose of Pfizer-BioNTech [Biopharmaceutical New Technologies] and Moderna Vaccines in Preventing COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Hospitalization Among Immunocompetent and Immunocompromised Adults -- United States, August-December 2021"; "COVID-19 Cases and Hospitalizations by COVID-19 Vaccination Status and Previous COVID-19 Diagnosis -- California and New York, May-November 2021"; "COVID-19 Incidence and Death Rates Among Unvaccinated and Fully Vaccinated Adults with and Without Booster Doses During Periods of Delta and Omicron Variant Emergence -- 25 U.S. Jurisdictions, April 4-December 25, 2021"; "Effectiveness of a Third Dose of mRNA [Messenger RNA] Vaccines Against COVID-19-Associated Emergency Department and Urgent Care Encounters and Hospitalizations Among Adults During Periods of Delta and Omicron Variant Predominance -- VISION Network, 10 States, August 2021-January 2022"; "Trends in Disease Severity and Health Care Utilization During the Early Omicron Variant Period Compared with Previous SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] High Transmission Periods -- United States, December 2020-January 2022"; "'Notes from the Field': Increased Incidence of Fentanyl-Related Deaths Involving 'Para'-fluorofentanyl or Metonitazene -- Knox County, Tennessee, November 2020- August 2021"; "Erratum: Vol. 70, No. 1"; "Erratum: Vol. 70, No. 2"; and "'QuickStats': Percentage of Adults Aged ≥18 Years with Diagnosed Diabetes, by Disability Status and Age Group -- National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2020." 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.)
2022-01-28
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Unemployment and Crime in US Cities During the Coronavirus Pandemic
From the Abstract: "In this ecological study of large US cities with repeated measures from January 2018 through July 2020, we estimated the association between acute changes in unemployment during the coronavirus pandemic and crime. We aim to provide empirical evidence on the unemployment-violence association during the pandemic, adding to our understanding of what factors likely contributed to the substantial increase in violence in the US in last year. For comparability with prior research, we also examine acquisitive crimes. While the pandemic poses challenges with regard to confounding and generalizability, the abrupt, exogenous change in unemployment may also help separate the association of interest from chronically poor economic conditions and from long-term, potentially bidirectional relationships between the exposure and outcomes, both of which may be limitations of prior studies."
Springer Nature (Firm)
Schleimer, Julia P.; Pear, Veronica A.; McCort, Christopher D. . . .
2022-01-27
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COVID-19: Significant Improvements Are Needed for Overseeing Relief Funds and Leading Responses to Public Health Emergencies, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "At the beginning of January 2022, the U.S. had about 56 million reported cases of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] and over 830,000 reported deaths, according to CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]. The country also experiences lingering economic repercussions related to the pandemic, including rising inflation and ongoing supply chain disruptions. Six relief laws, including the CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act, have been enacted to address the public health and economic threats posed by COVID-19. As of November 30, 2021 (the most recent date for which data were available), the federal government had obligated a total of $4 trillion and expended $3.5 trillion, 88 and 77 percent, respectively, of the total COVID-19 relief funds provided by these six laws. The CARES Act includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to report on its ongoing monitoring and oversight efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This report, GAO's ninth, examines the federal government's continued efforts to respond to, and recover from, the COVID-19 pandemic. GAO reviewed federal data and documents. GAO also interviewed federal and state officials and other stakeholders."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-01-27
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Main Street Lending Program Survey Results
From the Document: "The Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR) was established by Section 4018 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Under the CARES Act, SIGPR has the duty to conduct, supervise, and coordinate audits and investigations of the making, purchase, management, and sale of loans, loan guarantees, and other investments by the Secretary of the Treasury under any program established by the Secretary under the Coronavirus Economic Stabilization Act of 2020 (CESA), as well as the management by the Secretary of any program established under CESA. SIGPR also has the duties, responsibilities, powers, and authorities granted inspectors general under the Inspector General Act of 1978. The role and mission of SIGPR is to safeguard the people's tax dollars appropriated by Congress through the CARES Act. SIGPR strives to ensure that the American taxpayer gets the best return on investment by efficiently rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse. In carrying out its mission, SIGPR's goal is to treat everyone with respect, to operate with the utmost integrity, and to be fair, objective, and independent. [...] SIGPR is currently examining Treasury's investment in the Main Street Lending Program [MSLP]. As part of our examination, we surveyed both MSLP lender banks and borrowers to gain an understanding of how they viewed the program. The purpose of this report is to provide the results of SIGPR's survey of MSLP lenders and borrowers."
United States. Office of the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery
2022-01-27
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COVID-19 State of Vaccine Confidence Insights Report 21 (November 30 - December 20, 2021)
From the Summary: "The major theme for this report is that some consumers express distrust for the authorization of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] vaccines after CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] updated its recommendations with a preference for the Pfizer-BioNTech [Biopharmaceutical New Technologies] and Moderna vaccines over the Johnson & Johnson's Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine. A second theme is that consumers and news outlets continue to have questions and concerns about the SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] Omicron variant. Third, consumers and parents continue to discuss concerns surrounding COVID-19 vaccines for children. The final finding from this report is that consumers have questions and concerns about the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 booster dose, mixing vaccine brands and types, and the potential need for additional booster doses. [...] Federal, state, and local partners should continue to work together to explain the rationale for updated guidance, respond to gaps in information, and confront mis/disinformation with evidence-based messaging. These efforts aim to increase confidence in COVID-19 vaccines and expand vaccine uptake more broadly. Create, disseminate, and amplify messages, especially on social media, that explain why the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are preferred over the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine in most cases, including what has changed since the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine pause lifted on April 23, 2021."
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2022-01-26
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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 26, 2022]
From the 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. After earlier actions by the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Sixth Circuits, on January 13, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court granted a stay of the OSHA COVID-19 vaccination and testing ETS pending additional judicial review by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. On January 25, 2022, OSHA announced that it was withdrawing all provisions of this ETS. The ETS will continue to serve as a proposed permanent standard subject to normal rulemaking. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) gives OSHA the ability to promulgate an ETS that would remain in effect for up to six months without going through the normal review and comment process of rulemaking. OSHA, however, has rarely used this authority prior to the COVID-19 pandemic--not since the courts struck down its ETS on asbestos in 1983."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Szymendera, Scott
2022-01-26
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Executive Education Program: Stunting the Surge: What Leaders Need to Know for 2022 Pandemic Planning [video]
From the Video Description: "In this webinar, senior Administration officials provide the latest updates on COVID-19's [coronavirus disease 2019] Omicron variant and discuss planning considerations for local and state leaders as they prepare their communities for 2022 and the next phase of the Nation's pandemic response." The duration of this video is 1 hour, 2 minutes, and 12 seconds.
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Levine, Rachel; Mahon, Barbara; O'Connell, Dawn . . .
2022-01-25
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COVID-19: Potential Implications for International Security Environment--Overview of Issues and Further Reading for Congress [January 25, 2022]
From the Summary: "Some observers argue the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic could be a world-changing event with potentially profound and long-lasting implications for the international security environment. Other observers are more skeptical that the pandemic will have such effects. In reports issued in March and April 2021, the U.S. intelligence community provided assessments of the potential impact of the pandemic on the international security environment. Observers who argue the pandemic could be world-changing for the international security environment have focused on several areas of potential change, including the following, which are listed here separately but overlap in some cases and can interact with one another[.]"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald; McInnis, Kathleen J.
2022-01-25
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Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games: Issues for Congress [January 24, 2022]
From the Summary: "The capital of the People's Republic of China (PRC or China), Beijing, is scheduled to host the XXIV Olympic Winter Games from February 4 to 20, 2022, and the XIII Paralympic Winter Games from March 4 to 13, 2022. The International Olympic Committee's (IOC's) selection of Beijing as host city for the Games has been controversial in the United States and elsewhere, primarily because of China's poor human rights record. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has, moreover, posed major challenges for the Games' organizers. China has sought to maintain a 'zero-COVID' approach to the pandemic, seeking to contain and stamp out even the smallest outbreaks. To guard against Games participants spreading the virus that causes COVID-19, the organizers say they will operate 'closed-loop systems,' created 'to ensure there is no contact with the general public or anyone outside of the closed loop.' Games participants are to enter a loop on dedicated Games transportation carrying them either from the airport, or, if not fully vaccinated on arrival, from the dedicated facility where they will have spent their first 21 days in China in quarantine. The discovery of a domestic case of the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the virus in Beijing three weeks before the opening of the Games has further complicated the challenge of epidemic control and led organizers to halt spectator ticket sales."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lawrence, Susan V.; Halchin, L. Elaine; Barrios, Ricardo . . .
2022-01-24
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Resources for Tracking Federal COVID-19 Spending [Updated January 24, 2022]
From the Summary: "Congress has responded to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with supplemental appropriations measures providing relief and assistance to individuals and families, state and local governments, businesses, health care providers, and other entities. [...] This report provides selected sources for tracking COVID-19 relief and assistance spending. It contains links to and information on government sources detailing spending amounts at various levels, including consolidated spending by multiple government agencies, spending by individual government agencies, and spending for specific recipients and geographies. The sources themselves are large government databases, individual agencies, oversight entities, and selected nongovernmental entities that attempt to repackage information on spending amounts obtained from available government sources."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Teefy, Jennifer; Kreiser, Maria
2022-01-24
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FY2022 NDAA: COVID-19 Vaccination-Related Provisions [January 24, 2022]
From the Background: "On August 19, 2021, the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) issued a memorandum [hyperlink] directing the Secretaries of the Military Departments (MILDEPs) to 'immediately begin full vaccination of all members of the Armed Forces under DoD authority on active duty or in the Ready Reserve, including the National Guard, who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019].' Shortly after, each MILDEP issued directives [hyperlink] to establish the vaccination requirement, establish deadlines, clarify the process for requesting an exemption, and describe the procedures for addressing noncompliance. Since implementation of these directives, some states [hyperlink] and servicemembers [hyperlink] have filed lawsuits challenging the vaccination mandate or the MILDEPs' exemption process. As of January 19, 2022, DOD reported [hyperlink] that 1.6 million servicemembers were fully vaccinated, which is approximately 75% of the total force (active and reserve components). The MILDEPs also continue to review a number of requests submitted [hyperlink] for an administrative, religious, or medical exemption to the vaccination mandate. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA; P.L. 116-283) included a number of COVID-19-related provisions focused on reviewing DOD's pandemic preparedness, providing health benefits for certain National Guard members supporting the domestic response, and establishing a registry of Military Health System beneficiaries diagnosed with COVID-19 [hyperlink]."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Mendez, Bryce H. P.
2022-01-24
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COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Installation Status Update [As of January 24, 2022]
From the Document: "Travel Restrictions 'LIFTED' at 186 of 230 Installations (81%) (Met: Step 1 & Step 2)[.] Of the 186 installations with lifted travel restrictions this week, 1 reinstated travel restrictions while 0 lifted restrictions."
United States. Department of Defense
2022-01-24
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Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program Phase III Fraud Controls
From the Introduction: "The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) is responsible for conducting oversight of pandemic-related funds and preventing and detecting fraud. We conducted this project -- in coordination with the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) -- to examine antifraud controls used by the SBA in its Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) to prevent the types of fraud that the SBA experienced with the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). [...] To gain insight into the effectiveness of these controls, we initiated a limited scope evaluation on April 29, 2021, to examine whether Phase III PPP controls would have likely detected the fraud identified in PPP criminal cases. This report includes a discussion of the SBA's PPP controls and an evaluation of whether any fraud risks remain that would require additional controls to prevent or detect the earlier fraud found in PPP criminal cases." This document includes charts, tables, and graphs to illustrate the text.
Pandemic Response Accountability Committee
2022-01-21
