COVID-19 Federal Responses: Thursday, January 20, 2022

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their guidance to recommend N95 masks to Americans to help alleviate the spread of COVID-19. The government will distribute 400 million free N95 masks by the beginning of February to pharmacies and health centers, where people will be able to pick them up.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) pushed back the deadline for healthcare workers to comply with its vaccination mandate to March 15th in states that legally challenged the requirement.
National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci expects the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to authorize Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for kids under five years of age next month.
The CDC updated its website and guidelines including: Types of Masks and Duration of Isolation and Precautions for Adults with COVID-19.

Congress

Sens. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) wrote a letter to the Federal Trade Commission calling on the agency to investigate price gouging of at-home COVID-19 test kits.

Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra has renewed the COVID-19 public health emergency for another 90 days, which extends temporary regulatory flexibilities for healthcare providers such as Medicare telehealth coverage flexibilities.
The White House officially launched the website for Americans to order four COVID-19 at-home rapid tests.
The Biden administration will distribute 400 million N95 masks by the beginning of February to pharmacies and health centers, where people will be able to pick them up for free.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their guidance to recommend N95 masks to Americans to help alleviate the spread of COVID-19.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) pushed back the deadline for healthcare workers to comply with its vaccination mandate to March 15th in states that legally challenged the requirement.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky acknowledged the agency’s flawed COVID-19 messaging strategy and said she will improve it.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci expects the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to authorize Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for kids under five years of age next month.
Pfizer says its COVID-19 antiviral pill is effective against the Omicron variant.
A CDC study said that vaccinated Americans with prior infections and those who contracted the virus without being vaccinated were more protected against COVID-19 during the Delta wave than those vaccinated without previous infection.
The FDA will coordinate with the international community on updating future COVID-19 vaccines.
Dr. Anthony Fauci questioned whether the Omicron-driven COVID-19 surge would be the final wave of the pandemic.
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy predicted that the Omicron wave is “not yet over.”
Data has shown that states in the Northeast are starting to see a decline in COVID-19 cases.
New research linked COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Black communities in the southern United States to social determinants, such as age, the lack of health insurance, housing instability, and never receiving a flu shot.