5/12/23 – CHAP Weekly Health Update
CHAP’s Weekly Health Update
In this “one-stop-shop” update, CHAP will provide a roundup of important COVID-19, Flu, and other information from various federal sources.
Last COVID-19+ Update
The federal COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) ended on May 11, 2023. CHAP will suspend posting regular updates at this time but will post ad hoc updates as appropriate.
All health care providers should be monitoring COVID-19 incidence rates in their state/county on an ongoing basis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC provides is winding down weekly data about case rates, deaths, testing and vaccine administration on their COVID tracker webpage but will be suspending regular data updates as the end of the PHE nears on May 11, 2023.
COVID-19 Variants by Region & Map Key
- Estimates of Weighted Proportions of Variants by State/Jurisdiction
- COVID State Trends
- County Specific Vaccination Rates
- County Community Risk Level
Seasonal Flu Data – Note the state in dark blue and red that have very high flu rates at this time. Please take proper infection control actions in these areas.
CDC and Other Federal Health Updates
Fact Sheet: End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (5/9/23)
Based on current COVID-19 trends, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is planning for the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19, declared under Section 319 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, to expire at the end of the day on May 11, 2023. HHS released a Fact Sheet with an update on current flexibilities enabled by the COVID-19 emergency declaration and how they will be impacted by the end of the COVID-19 PHE on May 11th.
Revision includes:
- Updated recommendations for universal source control and admission testing in nursing homes
- Added Appendix to assist facilities with how and when to implement broader use of source control, including examples of potential metrics
The CDC also added an appendix to help health facilities decide when to implement broader source control, given that the CDC is phasing out community transmission levels. It suggests other metrics to monitor local COVID activity and noted that the CDC is in the early stages of developing ones that can be used for multiple respiratory viruses.
COVID-19 News Headlines
WHO declares end to COVID-19’s emergency phase (5/5/23)
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday that COVID-19 is no longer a public health emergency of international concern. The WHO is establishing a review committee to develop long-term recommendations for countries on how to manage COVID-19 and published an updated version of their strategic preparedness and response plan for COVID-19, outlining actions that countries should take in the next two years.