Update: July 31- August 13, 2023

• You may have heard that, similar to past pandemic summers, the U.S. is experiencing an uptick in COVID cases. As COVID spreads, consider additional, available measures to protect yourself & others:
  • Test and stay home if you’re sick. Find free tests, and check to make sure that any tests you have on hand aren’t expired.
  • Do outdoor activities or increase ventilation with fans or by opening windows to limit COVID transmission.
  • Consider masking up in crowded, indoor settings like on public transportation.
  • Ensure that you and your family members – including children who are heading back to school – are up-to-date on vaccination.
  • A new, updated booster is in the works for this fall, so stay tuned for more information once we know more about the availability of that booster!
• August is National Immunization Awareness month – another opportunity to highlight vaccination as a disease protection tool. The CDC will promote vaccination for people of all ages through social media and print resources that you can use to promote vaccine confidence in your community. These materials are available in Spanish and English.
• It’s Safe + Sound Week, which recognizes the successes of workplace health and safety programs in the United States. This year, Safe + Sound Week will provide resources for companies on mental health and wellness. You can take the pledge and download outreach  materials.
• Paxlovid, the antiviral approved to reduce hospitalization and death from COVID-19, continues to be less accessed by Black and Latine communities. Learn more about some of the reasons for this disparity in access in this interview with members of Comunidades Organizadas de Poder y Acción Latina (COPAL).

Download video in English and Spanish.

Download audio in English and Spanish.

• $10,000 in seed funding is available to support residents of small cities and towns in identifying what they love about their community, the future they want for it, and how to achieve it. Local governments, non-profit organizations, and informal resident-led groups are eligible to apply through the Community Heart & Soul Planning, Technical Assistance, and Seed Grant Program. Activities and objectives are determined by communities, and may include volunteerism, healthcare access, emergency preparedness, transportation, and others. 

• We’ve often mentioned that COVID-19 data is less available, but COVID-19 wastewater monitoring continues to be an important source of data & decision-making tool. Join a webinar about wastewater data and how you can access and interpret it this Thursday, August 10 from 5 PM to 6:30 PM ET – register here.  

• The European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology published a report exploring harmful and permanent effects on reproductive health in men who have had COVID-19. Specifically, the study found a decrease in semen quality that can persist long-term, even if the COVID-19 infection was mild. Read the full report here.

• The North Carolina Justice Center created new materials in Spanish with info about COVID-19 symptoms and prevention and vaccination against COVID-19. Share them with your networks!
• Sur Legal shared the fifth and sixth parts of their series on workers’ rights to workplaces free from discrimination and harassment under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
• One of the groups most affected by the pandemic were migrant workers. Many had to continue working even when infected with the virus; they could not see their families’; and they suffered a lack of medical attention and information. Listen to the podcast that Enlace Latino shared on this topic in North Carolina. 

• Tri Community Mediation is hosting their next One Stop Shop on August 12, 2023 at St. Paul United Methodist Church at 405 Flower St. Berlin, MD 21811 from 10AM- 2PM ET