Dear USET/USET SPF Family,
Today, December 15th, the Biden Administration announced its COVID-19 Winter Preparedness Plan. The main points include increasing testing, making vaccination and treatment easily available, preparing personnel and resources, and focusing on protecting the highest-risk Americans. The full plan is linked below.
COVIDTests.gov is now open for a limited time. All U.S. households can order four at-home COVID-19 tests for free. These tests will begin shipping the week of December 19th. People who have difficulty accessing the internet or need additional support placing an order can call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489) to get help in English, Spanish, and more than 150 other languages – 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. E.T., Monday to Friday and 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. E.T. on weekends. For more information, people can visit www.COVIDTests.gov.
Action Items for Your Tribal Nation:
- Ensure community members have easy access to high-quality masks and COVID-19 tests
- Encourage at-home COVID-19 testing before attending gatherings
- Urge community members to stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccine
- Consider offering pop-up vaccine clinics or offering incentives for getting vaccinated
- Prepare and plan for increased cases- include clinical staffing, personal protective equipment, supplies, and technical assistance
- Promote personal preparedness for individuals and families on what actions they should take if they test positive
The USET TEC is available to assist with any questions or concerns. Please do not hesitate to contact us at usetepi@usetinc.org.
Sources:
Fact Sheet: Biden Administration Announces COVID-19 Winter Preparedness Plan
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