The guidance discusses when long COVID may be considered a disability under these laws, shares examples and related resources.

New guidance released - Discrimination protections for people with ‘long COVID’

Under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act and other civil rights laws some individuals with “long COVID” may have a disability entitling them to protection from discrimination according to the departments of Health and Human Services and Justice guidance released July 26. The guidance discusses when long COVID may be considered a disability under these laws, shares examples and related resources.

Employers may visit the Department of Labor’s website to access information, tools and resources on providing workplace accommodations for individuals with long COVID.

Moderna and Pfizer expands kids COVID-19 vaccine study to closely assess safety

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asked COVID-19 vaccine producers Moderna and Pfizer to expand the size of their COVID-19 vaccine study in younger children to better detect rare side effects. As the new school year begins, vaccination of those under 12 has become a topic of interest to both parents and educators. Pfizer expects to meet the FDA’s expectations on a bigger trial size and file a request to expand emergency authorization of its vaccine by the end of September while Moderna expects to do the same by late 2021 or early 2022.

Arizona COVID-19 updates

In this week’s COVID-19 Disease Outbreak Forecast Arizona State and Pima County by Dr. Joe Gerald, with data ending July 18, “7836 Arizonans were diagnosed with COVID-19, a 35% increase from the prior week’s initial tally of 5813 cases. This marks week six of increasing rates with the last two being particularly brisk. The current rate, 108 cases per 100K residents per week, is increasing by 27 cases per 100K residents per week. While rates are three times higher among those 15 – 24 years of age as compared to those ≥65 years of age, 141 versus 56 cases per 100K residents per week, respectively, transmission is increasing among all age groups.”

With the increase in cases nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated guidance Tuesday for fully vaccinated individuals. The interim guidance recommends fully vaccinated individuals wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high transmission. For those who have a known exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 to be tested 3-5 days after exposure, and to wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days or until they receive a negative test result. To view the CDC's full interim guidance, click here.

Cybersecurity advisory - Top routinely exploited vulnerabilities

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Australian Cyber Security Centre, United Kingdom's National Cyber Security Centre and U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation released an advisory Wednesday providing details on the top 30 cyber vulnerabilities - primarily Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures - routinely exploited by malicious cyber actors in 2020 and those being widely exploited thus far in 2021.

Cyber actors continue to exploit publicly know - and often dated - software vulnerabilities against broad target sets, including public and private sector organizations worldwide. However, entities worldwide can mitigate the vulnerabilities listed in the report by applying the available patches to their systems and implementing a centralized patch management system.

AzHHA releases DataGen reports

In relationship with DataGen, AzHHA distributes reports to hospitals based on information submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This data can help hospitals understand the financial impact of proposed changes and annual updates. The reports can also assist in preparing budgets or benchmarking results with other similar organizations. DataGen generates hospital-specific reports which are sent to AzHHA hospital members as part of their membership. Below is the list of reports recently sent to members.

• Federal fiscal year 2023 preliminary wage index and occupational mix analysis - Sent 6/3/2021

• Inpatient post-acute care transfer policy analysis - Sent 7/12/2021
• Calendar year 2022 home health proposed rule - Sent 7/20/21
• Home health value-based purchasing impact analysis - Sent 7/26/2021

Arizona's WIC program continues to support families through telehealth services

Did you know that the Arizona Women's, Infant and Children program, also known as WIC, has remained open throughout COVID-19? The Arizona WIC Program has adapted to virtual telehealth services to provide nutritional support, electronic benefits and referrals for eligible families across the state. Healthcare organizations are encouraged to share these resources with eligible patients. To find out more by visiting azwic.gov. 

Upcoming Events

August 17 – Silent Retreat (virtual): Mindfully Navigating the Post-Pandemic Landscape

Experience the joy of honoring who you are, where you have been and where you want to go post-pandemic based on your personal experiences, strengths and your desire to live every day on purpose. Give yourself the gift of silence and reflection through this virtual retreat led by the Center for Mindfulness, Compassion and Resilience at Arizona State University and the Pruitt Center for Mindfulness & Well-Being at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. Register here.

August 26 - 2021 Arizona Public Health Conference

Get the latest updates from county health officials about their post-pandemic workforce needs and hear from the state and regional Area Health Education Centers as they develop plans to meet Arizona’s post-pandemic public health and healthcare system needs. Register here.

In the News

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