Keep up to date! Weekly update: February 7-13, 2022

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will meet on Feb. 15 to discuss approval of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6 months through 4 years of age.
Last week, a U.S. federal court allowed the USDA to reconsider its line speed waiver program. This decision was part of a challenge by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) that claimed that USDA did not adequately consider worker safety in establishing the program.
The free rapid tests from the U.S. government are beginning to arrive in the mail, and to help ensure that you get the most accurate result, CDM created this video in Spanish to demonstrate how to use rapid tests correctly. If you have not requested your free rapid tests yet, visit this website.

(% of population ≥ 5 years of age fully vaccinated)

Governor Carney announced an end to Delaware’s indoor mask mandate. Masks will not be required indoors in Delaware beginning this Friday, February 11 at 8 AM ET, and the mask mandate for K-12 schools will end on March 31.
Just over 30% of Delaware residents have received a third or booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Delaware recently published these English & Spanish guides to help community members understand if they are eligible for a booster dose.
CDM welcomes Love and Hope Rescue Mission as a new partner in the Protein Processing Worker Project. Love and Hope Rescue Mission will be a key partner in reaching Haitian and Latinx communities in Delaware and broader DelMarVa.

The Maryland Department of Health, in cooperation with the National Guard and TidalHealth, opened a new COVID-19 testing site at TidalHealth Peninsula Regional, 100 E. Carroll St. in Salisbury. The site is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm ET and is closed on Sunday and Monday.
The Lower Shore Vulnerable Populations Task Force continues to host nearly weekly One Stop Shop events, accessible to community members who speak multiple languages. The next event is Saturday, February 19, at the Snow Hill Fire Department from 10 AM to 12 PM ET (event graphics in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Arabic). Follow their facebook page to stay up to date on upcoming events, which usually include food giveaways, COVID-19 vaccines, flu shots, among other valuable resources.
The Baltimore City Health Department is looking for community based organizations to distribute rapid COVID-19 tests within Baltimore City! If your organization is interested in applying to help distribute tests, learn more and apply here.

Governor Glenn Youngkin of Virginia has asked the state board that oversees workplace health and safety to reconsider and potentially repeal a rule that has required “those who work indoors to mask up, even in areas of substantial or high community transmission, or to social distance, provide employee training, improve ventilation systems to filter out the coronavirus, or tell the Virginia Department of Health of outbreaks.”
On Friday, a judge placed a restraining order on Governor Youngkin’s executive order that would allow parents to choose whether their children wear masks in schools. This leaves mask mandates issued by school districts in effect.

On Thursday, February 4, 2022, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services hosted a live Cafecito, a session in Spanish where experts responded to questions and provided updates on COVID-19 in the state.
Have you joined the Sembrando Salud Facebook group? Created by NC FIELD, the group is dedicated to sharing health information in Spanish for residents in Duplin, Wayne, Lenoir, Greene, Jones, and western Crave counties.

Need to find a COVID-19 testing site in South Carolina? The Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) developed this tool, available in English and Spanish, that can help you find a testing site near you! Be sure to check the “free testing” option when you search to ensure that the results do not include sites that charge for testing.
You can also pick up free tests at many DHEC locations! Simply use the search tool linked above, check the option for “DHEC events” when you search, and look for locations that have “Rapid Antigen Test Available” in the title.

In 2020, Georgia lawmakers passed a temporary liability shield that protected businesses from most lawsuits related to coronavirus injury, illness, and death. The law was renewed in 2021 but will expire in July of this year if not renewed.
Latino Community Fund published another thoughtful discussion in Spanish with a doctor about COVID-19 symptoms and consequences.