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With the end of the national public health emergency approaching on May 11, 2023, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has committed to continuing to provide free vaccinations, tests, and treatments as long as supplies last. They will be prioritizing uninsured or underinsured people with these resources and services in order to promote equity and health access regardless of insurance status.

In 2022, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health piloted an innovative and barrier-reducing test-to-treat method. This approach used digital test results to submit a positive COVID-19 result and provided COVID-19 patients with Paxlovid. By adopting this rapid-response digital technology approach, public health practitioners were able to improve treatment access and reduce health disparities.

New York City’s Test & Trace Corps worked to reduce Covid-19 testing inequities by developing a mobile testing program focused on communities disproportionately affected by Covid-19. The model engaged community partners to determine the best methods of outreach and utilized multiple testing strategies. Based on the whether and community needs, free testing was offered outdoors, from vehicles, or at community spaces. Testing was both clinician-administered and patient-administered. Community organizations and organizers facilitated outreach to residents in their neighborhoods. The practice was successful in increasing access to testing, contact tracing, and isolation/aftercare support in these communities.

This study compares data from the NYC coronavirus data repository with 2018 American Community Survey 5-year census estimates to examine the distribution of testing sites across New York City by race in May 2020. During this time, the results found that testing sites for primarily Black and Latinx communities increased, but primarily White areas still had the highest number of testing sites. The study team created ZIP-code level maps showing testing site distribution using ArcGIS as a part of this study.

This study looks at data from a digital survey conducted for Arkansas residents to see if race, ethnicity, and other socioeconomic factors impacts a person’s preference for COVID-19 testing. Results found that individuals preferred drive through COVID-19 testing as their primary testing location. The authors posit that location and administration of COVID-19 testing should consider race and ethnicity to assist in eliminating disparities for these vulnerable groups.

The authors sought to evaluate compliance with state-mandated third-trimester syphilis testing at a single tertiary hospital in Illinois and to identify disparities in testing. This is a retrospective cohort study of all pregnant individuals who delivered between January 1, 2015, and February 28, 2018, at a large-volume academic center. The study found that despite a decades-old state mandate for third-trimester syphilis screening in this high-prevalence region, third-trimester screening performance was suboptimal. Several demographic characteristics were associated with adherence to screening, suggesting inequity and bias exist in testing practices. It is important to acknowledge that legal statutes do not fully eliminate bias and health disparities.

A mini-review that summarizes lessons learned from HIV among pregnant women and LGBTQI+ communities. The recommendations include: 1) de-stigmatization, 2) decentralized care, 3)contact-tracing and follow up, 4) use of technology/mobile/digital tools, 5) develop mechanisms to combine routine management of other diseases and COVID-19, and 6) community-specific interventions.

The authors describe the impact that COVID-19 has had on geographically disparate populations in the United States and share our recommendations on what might be done to ameliorate the current situation.

This paper describes how a local public health agency joined a multi-sector community partnership made up of community-based organizations, clinical providers, and peer navigators and others with lived experience of homelessness. Together, this group created a strategic plan to lessen the impact of COVID-19 on people experiencing homelessness. They prioritized education, increased resource allocation and testing in shelters, and slated housing for those who tested positive or those at increased risk of COVID complications. Most of this work took place in shelters.

This article describes how one county’s health department partnered with emergency services to form a strike team focused on mitigating COVID-19 outbreaks in congregate living facilities. The team helped create more cohesive communication between these facilities and between facilities and the health department. This strike team identified these facilities through partnerships with community organizations. The strike team conducted wellness checks, provided PPE education, and helped facilities secure PPE. In facilities with potential outbreaks, the team provided early testing and quick isolation.