Health

Building COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence Through Effective Communication and Community Engagement (February 12, 2021)
Ensuring acceptance and trust for the COVID-19 vaccines is critical to achieving herd immunity, protecting the most vulnerable populations, and reopening social and economic life. More from CitiesSpeak.

We Know How to Do This: Managing Vaccine Distribution for the Common Good (February 2, 2021)
Recent experience shows public managers should strategically consider seven lessons we have learned from other local government service delivery practices to better handle our vaccination programs. More from ICMA Blog.

Communication Campaign for Vaccines: ‘Most Important One We’re Going to Do’ (January 26, 2021)
Counties are handling most of the communications and logistical work needed to get residents set up for COVID-19 vaccinations. More from NACo's County News.

Washington’s COVID-19 Alert App Is Promising (December 16, 2020)
Washington's long-awaited COVID-19 notification app WA Notify was launched recently by the state's Department of Health, and iPhone users were sent a message asking them to opt in or out by toggling a switch. More from Government Technology.

Counties Address Pandemic Housing Needs (December 4, 2020)
Counties are tailoring housing stabilization and homeless services to stem the tide of home losses as eviction moratoriums end. More from NACo's County News.

Counties Sound Alarm About Holidays, ‘COVID-19 Fatigue’ (December 1, 2020)
As the nation enters its ninth month of coronavirus restrictions amidst rising case numbers, “COVID fatigue” is setting in right when it can be most dangerous. More from NACo's County News.

Local Health Departments Find New Ways to Provide Flu Vaccines (November 30, 2020)
Agencies are holding drive-thru flu shot events and merging Covid-19 testing and flu vaccine sites, while officials stress that people need to get their shots. More from Route Fifty.

Homeless Shelters Grapple With Covid Safety as Cold Creeps In (November 25, 2020)
The coronavirus has forced shelters to limit the number of beds they can offer. More from Route Fifty.

Counties grapple with fall COVID spike (November 4, 2020)
Counties in nearly half the country are battling with a spike in COVID-19 cases, according to the latest updates last week from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. More from NACo's County News.

Flu Shots Serve As a ‘Rehearsal’ for COVID Vaccine Delivery (October 28, 2020)
Counties are using this opportunity to test mass distribution plans for a possible COVID-19 vaccine on the horizon. More from NACo's County News.

8 Things to Know about Vaccine Planning (October 20, 2020)
With the possibility of one or more COVID-19 vaccines becoming available before the end of the year, here are 8 things you need to know about where those plans currently stand. More from the CDC.

COVID Misinformation Is Killing People (October 14, 2020)
With winter around the corner and people spending more time indoors, it is more imperative than ever that we counter misinformation and clearly communicate risks to the public. More from Scientific American.

Counties to Play Role in Vaccine Program (October 13, 2020)
Counties will play a large role in the implementation of a COVID-19 vaccination program, as a number of the community sectors that have been identified as critical to the execution of this strategy are county owned or operated. More from NACo's County News.

How We Survive the Winter (September 24, 2020)
The coming months of the pandemic could be catastrophic. The U.S. still has ways to prepare. More from Route Fifty.

Podcast: The Intersection of COVID-19 and the Annual Flu (September 11, 2020)
Health officials have been worried about the intersection of the corona virus and the coming annual flu season. This podcast features a conversation with Dr. Jeff Duchin, the Health Officer for Seattle-King County Public Heath, about his concerns and the prospects for a COVID-19 vaccine. More from The Disaster Zone.

Coronavirus: Restroom Guidance for Local Leaders (July 22, 2020)
The ongoing pandemic has reestablished the importance of public sanitation and elevated restrooms as a key element in a return to normalcy. More from ICMA Blog.

Counties Step Up Mental Health Services (July 16, 2020)
As demand for mental health services increases as a result of economic uncertainty and social isolation, the ways to provide it get more inventive and efficient. More from NACo's County News.

Support for Seniors Remains Crucial as Communities Reopen (July 1, 2020)
Reopening our economy presents specific problems for older Americans and requires support from all levels of government, industry, and nonprofit organizations. More from ICMA Blog.

Health Inspections Take on New Role in Monitoring Restaurant Safety (June 4, 2020)
Local health departments that suspended in-person inspections of restaurants and bars are beginning to restart their programs and now have even more responsibilities than before, like enforcing social distancing. More from Route Fifty.

Building Your Own Contact Tracing Program (June 3, 2020)
Here’s how to create a qualified contact tracing workforce in your community. More from Route Fifty.

New King County Data Dashboard Displays Key COVID-19 Indicators (May 27, 2020)
King County's new data dashboard provides a snapshot of key indicators related to COVID-19 disease activity, testing capacity, and healthcare system status to guide public health decisions.

Want to Test More People for Covid-19? Look At the Sewage (May 13, 2020)
Wastewater surveillance can help communities increase their testing capabilities and better manage and monitor the COVID-19 pandemic. More from Route Fifty.

Vancouver Joins Pilot Program to Monitor COVID-19 in Community Wastewater (May 12, 2020)
The City of Vancouver is one of about 11 locations across the country participating in a scientific wastewater monitoring pilot program to better understand the extent of the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) within communities. More from the City of Vancouver.

End Boom and Bust Funding of Public Health (May 11, 2020)
Reductions in public health funding in recent years have impacted the COVID-19 response. More from Emergency Management.

COVID-19 Risk Assessment Dashboard (May 8, 2020)
Washington's COVID-19 Risk Assessment Dashboard provides a high-level overview of the main data points being monitored by state leaders and public health officials to evaluate risk and inform decisions related to the Governor's Safe Start Reopening Plan.

COVID-19 in Washington State (May 4, 2020)
The Washington State Department of Health's COVID-19 Data Dashboard provides statewide and county level data including numbers of confirmed cases, epidemiological curves, testing, and hospitalizations.

Sharing COVID-19 Information in Multiple Languages (April 28, 2020)
To ensure the safety and health of all residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, accurate and timely information needs to be made available and readily accessible in multiple languages, including ASL (American Sign Language). More from NLC's CitiesSpeak.

Role of Technology and Data in COVID-19 Response (April 9, 2020)
As governments work to respond to the COVID-19 crisis, technology and data solutions are proving to be some of the most powerful tools at their disposal for tracking cases, coordinating response, and disseminating information quickly and accurately. More from Harvard Ash Center.

Perspectives from Local Government Leaders on Staff Morale (April 7, 2020)
Managers from across the globe share how they are maintaining staff morale despite social distancing. More from ICMA.

How Prepared is Your City for COVID-19? (April 3, 2020)
A new interactive dashboard from Esri might give you an idea. Mixing real-time coronavirus case counts with a wealth of local health and population statistics, the tool is meant to offer “impact planning” insights down to the county level. More from FastCompany.

COVID-19: Local Action Tracker (March 27, 2020)
The National League of Cities and Bloomberg Philanthropies have teamed up to create the COVID-19 Local Action Tracker to collect and share actions taken by local leaders in response to the cornavirus pandemic. More from NLC.

Coronavirus in U.S. Cities: Residents’ Key Concerns in Numbers (March 27, 2020)
Looking at people’s key concerns about the outbreak through analysis of online, public conversations. A helpful guide for cities to understand what topics residents care most about. More from The Medium.

Coronavirus: Counties Move to Protect Elderly, Vulnerable Residents (March 25, 2020)
Because people over 65 are more vulnerable to COVID-19, counties are taking extra precautions to protect them during the coronavirus pandemic. More from NACo's County News.

ICMA Coronavirus Discussion Guide (March 23, 2020)
This discussion guide can be used to begin reviewing your emergency response plans for pandemic events with your leadership team and partner organizations. More from ICMA.

Coronavirus Crisis Response: Resources for Your Community (March 20, 2020)
As the virus continues to spread, the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) has gathered some resources to support local governments. More from ICMA.

Managing Through the Coronavirus: What Local Leaders Need to Know (March 12, 2020)
As more cases of COVID-19, the Coronavirus, are identified in the United States, local leaders must answer the question about their own role in responding to the outbreak. More from NLC's CitiesSpeak.

Coronavirus: Connectivity Can Save Lives (March 11, 2020)
Using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to communicate and understand the spread of COVID-19. More from NACo's County News.

Coronavirus: How Local Officials and Emergency Managers Respond (March 9, 2020)
Emergency managers can and should help by lending their expertise in providing shelter and broadcasting good information to the public. Seattle used its AlertSeattle to inform residents about a local case. More from Emergency Management.