Keep up to date! Weekly Update: February 14-20, 2022

Happy Valentine’s Day! February 14 is a great opportunity to encourage your communities to share the love with the gift of increased protection against COVID-19. You can share this Facebook graphic encouraging booster shots in Spanish and in English.
The CDC Director Rochelle Walensky cautioned that Americans should not yet remove masks in indoor public places. Her warning comes as an increasing number of governors in states like Delaware, New Jersey, Illinois, Connecticut, and California lift statewide mask mandates. As masking policies change, remember you can always wear a mask, maintain physical distance, ensure good ventilation, wash your hands, and, of course, get vaccinated to keep yourself and others safe.
A new study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has found that pregnant women with moderate to severe COVID-19 had higher rates of pregnancy complications, including delivery by cesarean, preterm birth, and maternal and infant death. Mild or asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 were not associated with increased risk, further evidence that vaccination against COVID-19 is not only safe but also beneficial for pregnant women.
Last week, CDM shared a video in Spanish that demonstrates how to use a rapid test. This week, that video is also available in English!

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

A recent bill introduced in the Delaware legislature, the Cover All Kids Act, would create a program that provides health insurance for all children not covered by other programs, including undocumented children.

Maryland is launching VaxCash2.0, a lottery for all Marylanders who have received their booster shot! One Maryland resident will win between $50,000 and $1 million each week beginning this week. All Maryland residents who have received a booster shot are automatically entered.
Rapid test kits & KN95 masks continue to be available for free at many Wicomico Public Library locations, while supplies last!

Need a COVID-19 test? COVID-19 testing is available Monday – Friday, 8 AM to 4 PM, at the Augusta County Government Center in Verona, VA.
While Governor Youngkin’s executive order to give parents the option to opt out of school mask mandates did not go into effect due to legal challenges, the Virginia Senate & House of Delagates passed a bill that would allow for the same opt out option. The legislation can now be signed into law by Governor Youngkin. While most new laws go into effect on July 1, Governor Youngkin may be able to make the law effective immediately after he signs it.

One of CDM’s newer partners, the Western North Carolina Workers’ Center, recently published this video in Spanish with English subtitles highlighting their work during the pandemic. Please take a few minutes to watch and get to know our new partner!
Lost your COVID-19 vaccination card? You can access your records through the NC Vaccine Portal, available in English & Spanish. Share these bilingual graphics published by the NC Department of Health and Human Services so that your community members can have access to their vaccination records, too!
One of our Protein Processing Worker Project partners, Episcopal Farm Worker Ministry, is hosting a contest for students in 8th to 12th grade who have a family member who works in agriculture! Students can write an essay or record a video submission to enter the contest to win a computer. For full details, check out Episcopal Farmworker Ministry’s Facebook post.

Check out PASOs’ Viernes en Vivo weekly Spanish-language broadcast! Last week’s Viernes en Vivo focused on dental health in children, and you can view previous episodes of Viernes en Vivo on YouTube.

Residents of Fulton County can now access COVID-19 rapid tests and vaccination (1st, 2nd, or booster dose of the Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson vaccine) AT HOME! To register, call the CORE Georgia hotline at 678-218-6539.
Latino Community Fund published a series of graphics in Spanish to help community members care for N95 masks, as well as a list of locations where you can pick up a free N95 mask.

Data Sources:

The New York Times. (2020). Coronavirus (Covid-19) Data in the United States. Retrieved [02/14/2022], from https://github.com/nytimes/covid-19-data.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). COVID Data Tracker: COVID-19 Integrated County Vie. Retrieved [02/14/2022], from https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view.