The HPH Sector Preparedness, Response, and COVID-19 Updates
March 16, 2023
The HPH Sector Preparedness, Resilience, and Response Update is produced by the
Division of Critical Infrastructure Protection
(CIP) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR).
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COVID-19 Situation Updates
As of March 14, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
reported 103,672,529 cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and 1,119, 762 deaths in the United States. The map below shows confirmed and (COVID-19) cases reported by U.S. states and territories, and the District of Columbia.
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COVID-19 Situation Updates
COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Transition Roadmap (Fact Sheet). Based on current COVID-19 trends, HHS is planning for the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19, declared under Section 319 of the U.S. Public Health Service Act (PHS), to expire at the end of the day on May 11, 2023. Learn more on HHS.gov.
CMS Releases Fact Sheet on Guidance for the End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is preparing the public for the transition from the COVID-19 public health emergency and has outlined what to expect after this period ends. In this fact sheet, CMS discusses COVID-19 testing, vaccines, and treatments; telehealth services; continuing flexibilities for health care providers and inpatient hospital care at home.
CDC launched the COVID-19 Testing Locator website, which will allow consumers to search for free COVID-19 testing sites near them. The locator is part of the CDC Increasing Community Access to Testing (ICATT) program, which provides access to COVID-19 testing, focusing on communities at a greater risk of being impacted by the pandemic, people who do not have health insurance, and surge testing in state and local jurisdictions. Learn more on CDC.gov.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the CDC continue to diligently monitor a variety of data sources to identify any potential risks of the vaccines and to ensure that information is available to the public. Like every other medical intervention, there are adverse effects from vaccination. Serious adverse events from COVID-19 vaccines are rare and are far outweighed by the benefits of these vaccines for every age group. The most recent estimate
is that those who are up to date on their vaccination status have a 9.8 fold lower risk of dying from COVID-19 than those who are unvaccinated and 2.4 fold lower risk of dying from Covid-19 than those who were vaccinated but had not received the updated, bivalent vaccine. Learn more on CDC.gov.
The FDA issued a notice addressing the agency’s COVID-19-related guidance documents, including which of those guidance documents will no longer be in effect after the expiration of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). This notice follows an
announcement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that, based on current COVID-19 trends, the Department is planning for the COVID-19 PHE declared under the PHS Act to expire on May 11, 2023. More news about agency on FDA.gov. |
Situation Update: U.S. Mpox Outbreak 2023
CDC continues to closely track cases of Mpox that have been reported since mid-May 2022 in the United States. As of March 14, there have been 30,225 confirmed cases of probable or confirmed Mpox in 43 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Current U.S. and global maps and case counts are available at U.S. Monkeypox Outbreak 2022: Situation Summary.
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ASPR TRACIE Resources
ASPR TRACIE Healthcare System Preparedness Considerations Speaker Series- City of Jackson Water Crisis Response (Recording)
In this speaker series recording, Jim Craig (MPH, CHEP, CHSP, CPM), Senior Deputy with the Mississippi State Department of Health, and Dr. Damon A. Darsey (MD, FAEMS), an Acute Care Consultant with Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, share their experiences responding to the 2022 water outages that impacted the City of Jackson, Mississippi.
ASPR TRACIE Disaster Available Supplies in Hospitals (DASH) Tool: Trauma Supply Module
This one-page fact sheet describes the DASH Tool and how to access it. This week, ASPR TRACIE would like to highlight the Trauma Supply Module, which estimates supplies needed to care for seriously injured trauma patients for the first 48 hours after a mass casualty incident. |
HHS Awards Emergency Funding for Community Health Center Supporting East Palestine, Ohio Residents
HHS through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded $250,000 in emergency funding to Community Action Agency of Columbiana County, a HRSA-funded health center in Lisbon, Ohio, a neighboring town to help support emergency response efforts and follow-up care for people affected by the East Palestine train derailment. This funding will support key response activities, including direct health care services, patient screenings, outreach, and enrollment.
The emergency funding will assist health care professionals providing care to affected residents. This represents another important step in the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government response to the train derailment – building on CDC’s Assessment of Chemical Exposure investigation and additional support provided by HHS and sister federal agencies. HRSA stands with the residents of East Palestine during this critical time. They are taking action by providing direct financial support to our local community health center partner, Community Action Agency of Columbiana, as they continue their tireless work to serve the health needs of the community.
Community Action Agency of Columbiana County is providing East Palestine residents with medical, behavioral health, and dental appointments directly through the health center and has deployed their mobile medical unit to the affected area. The health center has also partnered with the Ohio Department of Health and Columbiana County Health Department to support a Health Assessment Clinic for East Palestine area residents who have medical questions or concerns related to the train derailment. Learn more on HHS.gov.
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HHS Announces the Availability of $25 Million to Expand Primary Health Care --- Including Mental Health Services in Schools
HRSA announced the availability of approximately $25 million to expand primary health care, including mental health services, in schools. The $25 million funding opportunity for health centers announced builds on the $30 million HRSA has awarded since September 2021 to increase access to health center services in schools. Applicants will be required to add or expand mental health services to receive school-based funding. HRSA-funded health centers currently operate more than 3,400 school-based service sites in schools across the country.
The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to improving and expanding behavioral health services. President Biden named mental health a key pillar of his Unity Agenda and released a comprehensive strategy to address the nation’s mental health crisis, prioritizing mental health in the President’s budget, making major investments in the nation’s mental health workforce, and proposing reforms to health coverage to include mental health care. HRSA funds nearly 1,400 health centers, collectively operating more than 15,000 service delivery sites in communities across the country. To learn more visit
HHS.gov. |
February In Brief: Expanding Access to Health Care in Rural Areas
In February 2023, HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson visited Spokane, Washington, with U.S. Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers to highlight a community-based training program for health care providers., They joined First Lady Jill Biden in San Diego to support improved access to cancer screenings and early detection efforts in underserved communities, met with rural health leaders to discuss ways to expand health care access in rural areas, and led a discussion with children’s hospital association leaders regarding challenges facing the pediatric health care workforce.
The Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) critical program supports the training of health care providers in community-based settings, with a focus on rural and underserved areas. By establishing and supporting medical residency programs in such settings, the THCGME program builds on the understanding that most health care providers will go on to practice in the communities in which they train, bolstering the health workforce in the highest need areas. Learn more on HRSA.gov. |
FDA CBER Office of Therapeutic Products (OTP) Advanced Manufacturing and Analytical Technologies (AMAT) for Regenerative Medicine Therapies (RMT) Workshop
The FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) Office of Therapeutic Products (OTP) will host a virtual workshop for FDA staff and cell and gene therapy stakeholders to obtain specialized knowledge from experts in the field of advanced manufacturing and analytical technologies (AMAT) for regenerative medicine therapies (RMT), discuss innovative manufacturing technologies and alternative testing methods, and share experiences, challenges, and best practices critical for chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) of cellular and gene therapies and tissue engineered medical products. This workshop will be comprised of external speakers, presentations, and panel discussions with experts in the AMAT field from academia, government, and
industry. More info on the workshop on FDA.gov.
Additional Resources |
Comments and Questions
If you have comments or questions, send an email to CIP@hhs.gov. The CIP team will work to answer your inquiries or connect you to the proper entity.
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