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https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-conten...eparedness.pdf
National-Strategy-for-the-COVID-19-Response-and-Pandemic
National-Strategy-for-the-COVID-19-Response-and-Pandemic
Restore trust with the American people.
The federal government should be the source of truth for the public to get clear,
accessible, and scientifically accurate information about COVID-19. To rebuild the
trust of the American people, the National Strategy will signal clear public leadership
and a commitment to a robust whole-of-government response that puts science first.
The federal government will be transparent with the American people, maintaining
an open line of communication with the public and all stakeholders. To continue to
restore trust, the United States will:
Goal 1
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Establish a national COVID-19 response structure where decision-making is driven by
science and equity. The Biden-Harris Administration has developed a unified plan to
rebuild expert leadership across the government and regain the trust of the American
public. As part of the strategy, on his first day in office, President Biden issued
Executive Order Organizing and Mobilizing the U.S. Government to Provide a Unified
And Effective Response to Combat COVID-19 and to Provide United States Leadership on
Global Health and Security establishing a White House COVID-19 national response
structure to coordinate across the U.S. Government and restoring the White House
Directorate on Global Health Security and Biodefense established by the ObamaBiden Administration. The COVID-19 Response office will establish clear lines of
communications with all governors, state public health officials and immunization
managers, and local leaders.
Conduct regular expert-led, science-based public briefings. The federal government
will conduct regular, expert-led, science-based public briefings and release regular
reports on the state of the pandemic. Experts and scientists at the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will also develop clear, evidence-based,
metric-driven public health guidance and effectively and frequently communicate and
distribute guidance and updates to the American people.
Publicly share data around key response indicators. Metrics and metric-driven
public health guidance will be essential to controlling the pandemic. President Biden
issued Executive Order Ensuring a Data-Driven Response to COVID-19 and Future
High Consequence Public Health Threats directing steps to enhance federal agencies’
collection, production sharing, and analysis of, and collaboration with respect to,
data to support an equitable COVID-19 response and recovery. As further detailed
in National Strategy Goals Two, Three, and Six, the federal government will track
a range of performance measures and data including cases, testing, vaccinations,
and hospital admissions, and will make real-time information readily available to the
public and to policymakers at the federal, state, and local level. The CDC will also
maintain a public dashboard tracking COVID-19 cases at the county level, so that
Americans can gauge the level of transmission in their own communities to make
their own informed choices.
Engage the American people. The federal government cannot solve this crisis alone.
It will take regular engagement with the public, state and local leaders, the private
sector, unions, community volunteers, and health care providers to guide policy
and implementation. The Administration will prioritize outreach to state and local
governments, the public and private sectors, vulnerable communities, students,
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workers, and community leaders, using input from these stakeholders to drive the
government’s COVID-19 response.
Lead science-first public health campaigns. The Administration will lead world-class
public education campaigns — covering topics like masking, testing, vaccinations
and vaccine hesitancy — designed with diversity and inclusivity in mind, including
communications in multiple languages, to maximize reach and effectiveness. The
campaigns will be coordinated, across national, state, and local levels, and engage
with the private and public sector. They will be anchored by science and fact-based
public health guidance. The Administration will work to counter misinformation and
disinformation by ensuring that Americans are obtaining science-based information.
Mount a safe, effective, comprehensive vaccination campaign.
The United States will spare no effort to ensure Americans can get vaccinated
quickly, effectively, and equitably. The federal government will execute an
aggressive vaccination strategy, focusing on the immediate actions necessary to
convert vaccines into vaccinations, including improving allocation, distribution,
administration, and tracking. Central to this effort will be additional support and
funding for state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments — and improved line of
sight into supply — to ensure that they are best prepared to mount local vaccination
programs. At the same time, the federal government will mount an unprecedented
public campaign that builds trust around vaccination and communicates the
importance of maintaining public health measures such as masking, physical
distancing, testing, and contact tracing even as people receive safe and effective
vaccinations. To mount a safe, effective, comprehensive vaccination campaign, the
United States will:
Ensure the availability of safe, effective vaccines for the American public. The
national vaccination effort will be one of the greatest operational challenges America
has ever faced. To ensure all Americans can be vaccinated quickly, the President has
developed a plan for expanding vaccine manufacturing and purchasing COVID-19
vaccine doses for the U.S. population by fully leveraging contract authorities,
including the Defense Production Act; deploying onsite support to monitor contract
manufacturing operations; and purchasing additional FDA-authorized vaccines to
deliver as quickly as possible. The effort includes prioritizing supplies that could
Goal 2
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cause bottlenecks, including glass vials, stoppers, syringes, needles, and the “fill and
finish” capacity to package vaccine into vials.
Accelerate getting shots into arms and get vaccines to the communities that need
them most. The success of the national vaccination effort will depend on reaching
communities across the United States. To achieve this, the federal government
will take a series of steps to simplify and strengthen the allocation and distribution
process. In order to expand the supply available to states, the Administration will end
the policy of holding back significant levels of doses, instead holding back a small
reserve and monitoring supply to ensure that everyone receives the full regimen as
recommended by the FDA. The United States will accelerate the pace of vaccinations
by encouraging states and localities to move through the priority groups more quickly
— expanding access to frontline essential workers and individuals over the age of
65, while staying laser-focused on working to ensure that the highest-risk members
of the public, including those in congregate facilities, can access the vaccine where
and when they need it. The Administration will also improve the allocation process
by providing states and localities with clear, consistent projections to inform their
planning. Through it all, the United States will work to ensure that the vaccine is
distributed quickly, effectively and equitably, with a focus on making sure that highrisk and hard-to-reach communities are not left behind.
Create as many venues as needed for people to be vaccinated. The federal
government — in partnership with state and local governments — will create as many
venues for vaccination as needed in communities and settings that people trust. This
includes, but is not limited to federally run community vaccination centers, in places
like stadiums and conference centers, federally-supported state and locally operated
vaccination sites in all 50 states and 14 territories, pharmacies and retail stores,
federal facilities like Veterans Affairs hospitals, community health centers, rural
health clinics, critical access hospitals, physician offices, health systems, urgent care
centers, and mobile and on-site occupational clinics.
Focus on hard-to-reach and high-risk populations. As the United States accelerates
the pace of vaccinations nationwide, we remain focused on building programs to
meet the needs of hard-to-reach and high-risk populations, and meeting communities
where they are to make vaccinations as accessible and equitable as possible. The
federal government will deploy targeted strategies to meet the needs of individuals at
increased risk and others who need to take extra precautions, according to the CDC,
as well as the communities hardest hit by this pandemic. Local public health officials
will play a critical role.
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Fairly compensate providers, and states and local governments for the cost of
administering vaccinations. Fairly compensating providers, and state and local
governments for the costs of vaccine administration will be critical to expanding
vaccination participation. President Biden will work with Congress to expand the
Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentage (FMAP) to 100 percent for vaccinations
of Medicaid enrollees—with the goal of alleviating state costs for administration
of these vaccines and supporting states in their work to meet the needs of their
communities. The Department of Health and Human Services will ask the Centers
for Medicare & Medicaid Services to consider whether current payment rates for
vaccine administration are appropriate or whether a higher rate may more accurately
compensate providers. The federal government will fund vaccine supply and
will greatly expand funding for vaccine administration by allowing state and local
governments to reimburse vaccination administration expenses through the FEMA
Disaster Relief Fund and by ensuring that workforce and equipment expenses for
state and local-run sites are also eligible.
Drive equity throughout the vaccination campaign and broader pandemic response.
The federal government will drive equity in vaccinations by using demographic data to
identify communities hit hardest by the virus and supporting them, ensuring no outof-pocket costs for vaccinations, and making sure vaccines reach those communities.
Working with state, local, and community-based organizations and trusted health
care providers, like community health centers, will be central to this effort.
Launch a national vaccinations public education campaign. The United States will
build public trust through an unprecedented vaccination public health campaign at
the federal, State, Tribal, territorial, local and community level. The public education
campaign will support vaccination programs, address vaccine hesitancy, help
simplify the vaccination process for Americans, and educate the public on effective
prevention measures. The campaign will be tailored to meet the needs of diverse
communities, get information to trusted, local messengers, and outline efforts
to deliver a safe and effective vaccine as part of a national strategy for beating
COVID-19.
Bolster data systems and transparency for vaccinations. The operational complexity
of vaccinating the public will make robust data and its use in decision-making related
to vaccinations more important than ever. The federal government, with CDC, will
track distribution and vaccination progress, working hand-in-hand with states and
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localities to support their efforts. The Administration will build on and strengthen
the federal government’s approach to data collection related to vaccination efforts,
removing impediments and developing communication and technical assistance plans
for jurisdictions and providers. The Administration, through HHS and other federal
partners, will rely on data to drive decision-making and the national vaccinations
program.
Monitor vaccine safety and efficacy. The Administration will ensure that scientists
are in charge of all decisions related to vaccine safety and efficacy. The FDA will
also continue to honor its commitment to make relevant data on vaccine safety and
efficacy publicly available and to provide opportunities for public, non-governmental
expert input. Through expanded and existing systems, the CDC and FDA will
ensure ongoing, real-time safety monitoring. Through it all, the Administration will
communicate clearly with the American public to continue to build trust around the
vaccine and its benefits for individuals, their families and communities.
Surge the health care workforce to support the vaccination effort. A diverse,
community-based health care workforce is essential to an effective vaccination
program. The United States will address workforce needs by taking steps to allow
qualified professionals to administer vaccines and encourage states to leverage their
flexibility fully to surge their workforce, including by expanding scope of practice laws
and waiving licensing requirements as appropriate.
Mitigate spread through expanding masking, testing, treatment, data,
workforce, and clear public health standards.
A comprehensive national public health effort to control the virus — even after the
vaccination program ramps up — will be critical to saving lives and restoring economic
activity. The federal government will partner with state, local, Tribal, and territorial
leaders to implement a cohesive strategy to significantly reduce the spread of
COVID-19 and release clear public health guidance to the public about what to do
and when, including implementing mask mandates; expanding testing; strengthening
the public health workforce; modernizing data collection and reporting capabilities
for COVID-19 and future epidemics; and providing equitable access to treatment
and clinical care. To mitigate the spread of COVID-19 through clear public health
standards, the United States will:
Goal 3
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Implement masking nationwide by working with governors, mayors, and the
American people. The President has asked the American people to do what they
do best: step up in a time of crisis and wear masks. He has issued Executive Order
Protecting the Federal Workforce and Requiring Mask-Wearing which directs compliance
with CDC guidance on masking and physical distancing in federal buildings, on
federal lands, and by federal employees and contractors. Additionally, the President
issued Executive Order Promoting COVID-19 Safety in Domestic and International Travel
which directs applicable agencies to take immediate action to require mask-wearing
on many airplanes, trains, and certain other forms of public transportation in the
United States. He has called on governors, public health officials, mayors, business
leaders, and others to implement masking, physical distancing, and other CDC public
measures to control COVID-19.
Scale and expand testing. To control the COVID-19 pandemic and safely reopen
schools and businesses, America must have wide-spread testing. A national
testing strategy is a cornerstone to reducing the spread of COVID-19 and
controlling outbreaks, and clear federal guidance and a unified national approach to
implementation are essential. The President issued Executive Order Establishing the
National Pandemic Testing Board and Ensuring a Sustainable Public Health Workforce
for COVID-19 and Other Biological Threats which establishes the COVID-19 Pandemic
Testing Board to oversee implementation of a clear, unified approach to testing. The
federal government will expand the rapid testing supply and double test supplies
and increase testing capacity. The Administration will also increase onshore test
manufacturing, fill testing supply shortfalls, enhance laboratory capacity to conduct
testing over the short- and long-term, and expand surveillance for hotspots and
variants.
Effectively distribute tests and expand access to testing. The federal government
will support school screening testing programs to help schools reopen. The
Administration will also stand up a dedicated CDC Testing Support Team, fund rapid
test acquisition and distribution for priority populations, work to spur development
and manufacturing of at-home tests and work to ensure that tests are widely
available. Through Executive Order Establishing the National Pandemic Testing Board
and Ensuring a Sustainable Public Health Workforce for COVID-19 and Other Biological
Threats the President directs agencies to facilitate testing free of charge for those
who lack health insurance and to clarify insurers’ obligation to cover testing. The
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federal government will also provide testing protocols to inform the use of testing
in congregate settings, schools, and other critical areas and among asymptomatic
individuals. Further, technical assistance will support more widespread adoption of
testing to improve timely diagnosis and public confidence in the safety of settings like
schools.
Prioritize therapeutics and establish a comprehensive, integrated COVID-19
treatment discovery and development program. Effective treatments for COVID-19
are critical to saving lives. The federal government will establish a comprehensive,
integrated, and coordinated preclinical drug discovery and development program,
with diverse clinical trials, to allow therapeutics to be evaluated and developed
rapidly in response to COVID-19 and other pandemic threats. This includes promoting
the immediate and rapid development of therapeutics that respond to COVID-19
by developing new antivirals directed against the coronavirus family, accelerating
research and support for clinical trials for therapeutics in response to COVID-19
with a focus on those that can be readily scaled and administered, and developing
broad-spectrum antivirals to prevent future viral pandemics. President Biden issued
Executive Order Improving and Expanding Access to Care and Treatment for COVID-19
which also outlines steps to bolster clinical care capacity, provide assistance to
long-term care facilities and intermediate care facilities for people with disabilities,
increase health care workforce capacity, expand access to programs designed to
meet long-term health needs of patients recovering from COVID-19, and support
access to safe and effective COVID-19 therapies for those without coverage.
Develop actionable, evidence-based public health guidance. CDC will develop and
update public health guidance on containment and mitigation that provides metrics
for measuring and monitoring the incidence and prevalence of COVID-19 in health
care facilities, schools, workplaces, and the general public, including metric-driven
reopening guidance that the federal government communicates widely. Informed
by up-to-date national and state data, the CDC will provide and update guidance on
key issues such as physical distancing protocols, testing, contact tracing, reopening
schools and businesses, and masking. The CDC also will provide focused guidance
for older Americans and others at higher risk, including people with disabilities.
Expand the U.S. public health workforce and increase clinical care capacity for
COVID-19. In addition to supporting the surge in health care workers for vaccination
efforts detailed in Goal Two, the federal government will also build and support
an effective public health workforce to fight COVID-19 and the next public health
threat. As part of the President’s commitment to provide 100,000 COVID-19 contact
tracers, community health workers, and public health nurses, the Administration will
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establish a U.S. Public Health Jobs Corps, provide support for community health
workers, and mobilize Americans to support communities most at-risk. The United
States will also provide technical support for testing, contact tracing, and other
urgent public health workforce needs to better prepare for public health crises.
Improve data to guide the response to COVID-19. Federal agencies will make
increased use of data to guide the public health response against COVID-19. To that
end, Agencies will collect, aggregate, share, and analyze non-personally identifiable
data, and take steps to make it publicly available and in a machine-readable form
to enhance COVID-19 response efforts. And the federal government will facilitate
evidence-based decision-making through focused data-based projects. These
efforts will require collaboration with state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments
to aggregate and analyze data for critical decisions to track access to vaccines and
testing, reopen schools and businesses, address disparities in COVID-19 infections
and health outcomes, and enhance critical monitoring capacity where needed. In
addition, critical response activities such as workforce mobilization and vaccination
appointment scheduling may require new technology solutions. The federal
government will provide technical support to ensure that these systems meet mission
critical requirements to support a robust response.
Exclusive: Biden to impose South Africa travel ban to combat new COVID-19 variant - CDC
By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Joe Biden will impose a ban on most non-U.S. citizens entering the country who have recently been in South Africa starting Saturday in a bid to contain the spread of a new variant of COVID-19, a senior U.S. public health official told Reuters.
So, Biden is leaving in place Trump's ban on travel from certain countries. Got it. What I didn't hear was CHINA. Nor did I hear anything on securing the border with Mexico where super-spreaders are headed our way.Originally Posted by bsm2
If y'all remember, it was me that first suggested wearing 2 masks. Although, I said it as a fucking joke. Check this out:
FAUCI on MASKS: Two Coverings ‘Would Be More Effective’ in Preventing Spread of Coronavirus
Dr. Anthony Fauci revised his previous comments regarding mask-wearing to prevent the spread of CoVID-19 this week; saying “two coverings would be more effective.”
“Because, I mean, this is a physical covering to prevent droplets and virus to get in,” Fauci told NBC’s Savannah Guthrie on Monday. “So, if you have a physical covering with one layer, you put another layer on — it just makes common sense that it likely would be more effective, and that’s the reason why you see people either double-masking or doing a version of an N95.”
as the highest paid liar in our gov't I wouldn't trust a thing he said... remember he said we didn't need to wear the fucking masks.. but I guess @ $417k a year some will gobble up the lies he says .
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