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Rural Response to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) – News

News stories from the past 60 days.

May 24, 2023 - Rural Mississippi hospitals are increasingly endangered, as poverty, declining populations, and dwindling inpatient revenue chip away at profits. Federal aid appropriated during the pandemic seemed to slow the rate of closures, but now some are in worse shape than before, as they struggle with ongoing staff shortages and rising costs.
Source: Roll Call
May 12, 2023 - Notice of amendment from the Department of Health and Human Services updating the determination of a public health emergency to state that COVID-19 presents a credible risk of a future public health emergency. This notice adds new limitations on distribution that provides coverage under this PREP Act Declaration through December 31, 2024, for the manufacturing, distribution, administration, and use of Covered Countermeasures while they are authorized for emergency use (EUA) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and COVID-19 vaccines licensed by FDA, and any FDA approved or cleared in vitro diagnostic product or other device used to treat, diagnose, cure, prevent, or mitigate COVID-19. Among other things, this amendment also extends the authority for certain qualified pharmacy technicians to prescribe, dispense, and administer COVID-19 vaccines, seasonal influenza vaccines, and COVID-19 tests through December 31, 2024. This amendment is effective May 11, 2023.
Source: Federal Register
May 8, 2023 - Notice from the U.S. Census Bureau making corrections to the April 28, 2023, notice seeking comment on proposed revisions to the Household Pulse Survey. The Census Bureau will begin collecting data using the revised survey on or about May 31, 2023.
Source: Federal Register
May 4, 2023 - Notice from the Food and Drug Administration announcing a virtual meeting of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee on June 15, 2023, from 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Eastern. The agenda will include a discussion and recommendations on the selection of strains to be included in the periodic updated COVID–19 vaccines for the 2023–2024 vaccination campaign. Includes information on how to submit public comments or request permission to make a public comment during the meeting.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 28, 2023 - The Census Bureau is seeking comment on proposed revisions to the Household Pulse Survey, which helps to inform a range of topics related to households' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Proposed revisions include new detailed race and ethnicity questions, as well as new questions on the use of antivirals to treat COVID, how households obtain COVID tests, the use of infant formula with babies, children's mental health treatment, and pressure to move from current residence. The Census Bureau is also proposing modifications to questions related to children's vaccine booster, COVID testing, infant formula, reasons not working, unemployment insurance, Medicaid, and inflation items. Several questions will be removed for Phase 3.8, including replacing the current race/ethnicity items, and questions about the receipt of updated COVID vaccines, intent to vaccinate children, childcare arrangements, children's mental health and behaviors, and more. Comments are due within 30 days of this notice.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 25, 2023 - The Food and Drug Administration announces an Emergency Use Authorization for BioSynchronicity Corporation's C-Sync COVID–19 Antigen Test. The authorization is effective March 24, 2023.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 18, 2023 - The Department of Health and Human Services announces a new program that will provide support for the existing public sector vaccine safety net, which is implemented through local health departments and Health Resources and Services Administration-supported health centers. It will also create a novel, funded partnership with pharmacy chains that will enable them to continue offering free COVID-19 vaccinations and treatments to the uninsured.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Apr 14, 2023 - Highlights a fact sheet detailing the upcoming amendments to the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act declaration which allows broad access to COVID-19 countermeasures.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Apr 11, 2023 - The Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced that the Notifications of Enforcement Discretion issued under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) will expire on May 11, 2023, due to the expiration of the COVID-19 public health emergency. The OCR will continue to support the use of telehealth after the PHE by providing a transition period for healthcare providers to make any changes to their operations that are needed to provide telehealth in a private and secure manner.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Apr 10, 2023 - Early in the pandemic the Center for Rural Health at the University of Arizona created a platform to provide up-to-date information to rural healthcare providers on COVID-19 protocols. It has been updated to provide additional information, such as mental health best practices, healthy aging tips, and updates on the newest strains of COVID-19 to the general public and medical workers.
Source: Cronkite News
Apr 6, 2023 - Highlights Sources of Strength, a club formed at Washburn Rural High School in Kansas for the purpose of promoting a positive school community and healthy relationships. The club was formed shortly before the beginning of the pandemic and continued to meet online.
Source: Topeka Capital-Journal
Apr 4, 2023 - A recent study showed that rural children visiting the Arkansas children's hospital emergency department or those hospitalized from May 2020 to April 2022 for COVID-19-associated diagnoses had a greater likelihood of being hospitalized than urban children. The likelihood of hospitalization was greater among children having complex conditions.
Source: News-Medical.Net
Mar 31, 2023 - Highlights key points shared by healthcare leaders during the American Hospital Association's Rural Health Care Leadership Conference in February regarding their experiences in crisis management. Topics included cyberattacks, on-site hospital violence, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Source: American Hospital Association

Last Updated: 5/24/2023