The National Institutes of Health (NIH) report that, from 2011-2018, deaths more than quadrupled among non-Hispanic American Indians and Alaska Natives from 4.5 to 20.9 per 100,000 people. The U.S. average for people aged 25 – 54 increased from 1.3 to 7.3 per 100,000 people during that time period.
GAO on Federal Response to the Pandemic
The January report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) provides an overview of actions taken and offers 13 additional recommendations that include improving the medical supply chain through the Strategic National Stockpile, and better service to older adults in rural areas through the Older Americans Act.
Pennsylvania Governor Delivers 2021 Budget Address
On February 3, 2021, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf outlined his budget plan to remove barriers and cut taxes for working class families in Pennsylvania while investing billions of dollars into Pennsylvania schools and workforce development initiatives. The governor’s plan would make Pennsylvania’s tax structure more fair and equitable, cutting taxes for working class families while still making historic investments in public education through the fair funding formula.
“We will defeat COVID, but we can’t yet say when it will be safe for life to return to normal – and it’s hard to know what ‘normal’ will even look like. But I refuse to tell any young family in Pennsylvania that they just happen to be starting out at the wrong time – that, with everything going on, 2021 just isn’t going to be the year we get around to lifting the barriers that stand between them and the future they hope to provide for their children,” Gov. Wolf said. “I think it’s more important than ever that we act boldly and courageously to remove those barriers once and for all. So, today, I’m proposing a budget designed to do exactly that.”
The governor is asking Pennsylvanians to join him in urging the General Assembly to focus on these priorities as the 2021-22 state budget negotiations begin.
“We can have a great public school for every child in every neighborhood in Pennsylvania, good job opportunities for everyone who wants them, and an economy strong enough to provide for everyone. It is possible to pursue a legislative agenda for this commonwealth that is good for families, good for businesses, and good for the economy,” Gov. Wolf said. “Most of all, I think your family’s future is important enough that we ought to just have this argument right now instead of putting it off until next year, and the year after that, and the year after that. Let’s make Pennsylvania an even better place to live, work, and dream big dreams for your kids.”
Governor Wolf’s budget plan builds on his recently unveiled 2021 agenda.
- Cutting Taxes for Pennsylvania Working Class Families and Making the Tax System More Fair and Equitable
- Reaffirm Our Commitment to Build the Strongest Education System in the Country
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- Put all Basic Education Funding through the Fair Funding Formula
- Stabilizing Child Care and Ensuring Equal Access for Families
- Increase Special Education, Head Start and PreK Funding
- Introduce Accountability into the EITC and OSTC
- Nellie Bly College Tuition Program
- Attract and Retain the Best Teachers for Our Children
- Comprehensive Charter School Law Reform
- Applying the Special Education Formula to All Charter Schools: Establishing a Statewide Cyber Charter Tuition Rate
- Improving the Redirection Process
- Get Pennsylvania Back on Track After the Pandemic
- Inject Billions into a Reformed Workforce Development System
- Invest in Public Infrastructure, Including School Buildings
- Increase the Minimum Wage to $12/hour, with a path to $15/hour
- Build on Bipartisan Progress
- Reform the Criminal Justice System
- Reduce the Corporate Net Income Tax and Close the Delaware Loophole
- Legalize Adult-Use Cannabis
- Change Harrisburg by Demanding Accountability
- Reintroduce the Governor’s Government Reform Plan
- Curb Special Interest Influence
- Build on Election Reform
Watch the Governor’s address at pacast.com/.
For more information:
NEW Customizable Communications Toolkit Released
Templates to educate patients, build trust and confidence in the rural hospital and clinic and communicate services
The Customizable Communications Toolkit supports rural hospitals and clinics in developing internal and external communication materials.
Each topic includes customizable templates such as educational flyers/posters, newspaper scripts, radio scripts, talking points for leaders and staff, materials that can be printed, website graphics, landing page content, social media graphics/posts, digital displays, infographics, and digital videos.
USDA Seeks Applications to Support Business Development and Create Jobs in Rural Pennsylvania
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) it is accepting applications to support economic development and create jobs in rural America.
USDA is making this funding available under the Rural Business Development Grant program for eligible entities to support business opportunity and enterprise projects in rural communities. Eligible entities are rural towns, communities, state agencies, authorities, nonprofits, federally-recognized tribes, institutes of higher education and cooperatives.
Eligible applicants for the set-aside funds must demonstrate that at least 75 percent of the benefits of an approved grant will assist beneficiaries in the designated areas.
Applications must be submitted to the nearest USDA office by 4:30 p.m. local time on March 31, 2021. For additional information, see page 8610 of the Feb. 4, 2021, Federal Register.
In Pennsylvania, please contact David Foster, Rural Business & Cooperative Program Director, for more information: Phone: (717)237-2181 or David.Foster@usda.gov.
The funding may be used to establish business support centers or to finance job training and leadership development in rural areas. Projects must be consistent with any local and area-wide community and economic development strategic plans, support other economic development activities in the project area, and be consistent with any Rural Development state strategic plan. Funding for enterprise projects must be used to finance or develop small and emerging businesses in rural areas.
This year, USDA anticipates that part of the funding will be set aside for federally-recognized Native American tribes, Rural Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Communities/Rural Economic Area Partnerships, and Strategic Economic and Community Development (SECD) projects. USDA also anticipates a set-aside of funding for projects located in Persistent Poverty areas, including those of Native Americans.
Supporting Immigrant Communities and Those with Limited English Proficiency During the Pandemic in Pennsylvania
In June 2020, immigrant community leaders and other stakeholders working directly with immigrant communities and those with limited English proficiency in Pennsylvania were invited to complete an online survey to help the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Office of Health Equity better understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on immigrant/LEP communities in the Commonwealth.
The survey was developed by a working group addressing pandemic-related disparities specific to immigrant/LEP communities. This White Paper, published in November 2020, shares key findings from the survey and includes open-ended responses that provide more detail on the top pandemic-related challenges experienced by immigrant/LEP communities.
Rural Residents Appear to Be More Vulnerable to Serious Infection or Death From COVID-19
By Elizabeth A. Dobis and David McGranahan, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Health experts identified older age, underlying medical conditions and overall difficulty in accessing medical care as the main factors contributing to worse health outcomes among rural populations.
January Generates Record Number of COVID-Related Deaths in Rural Counties
By Tim Murphy and Tim Marema
The number of new infections declined 17% in rural America last week, but the number of deaths declined only slightly.
Read more
NIOSH COVID-19 Updates
As part of NIOSH’s efforts to keep our stakeholders up to date on the CDC and NIOSH COVID-19 response, here is a summary of new information available.
- COVID-19 Response Guidance for Businesses and Employers
CDC recently updated their Guidance for Business and Employers, addressing shortened quarantine options and additional considerations for testing. The updates also clarify information around mask-wearing. - COVID-19 Checklists for Employers and Employees in Construction
CDC offers Construction Checklists to share ways employers can protect construction workers, and how these workers can protect themselves, to slow the spread of COVID-19. The checklists are available as an interactive online tool or as a PDF in both English and Spanish. - Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of Isolation Gowns
CDC recently updated their Isolation Gown Optimization Strategies, moving the prioritization strategy of gowns from crisis capacity to contingency capacity. The updated information also clarifies the situations where gowns should be prioritized. - Workplace SARS-CoV-2 Testing: Consent Elements and Disclosures
This recently updated webpage describes the elements of consent and recommended disclosures necessary to support employee decision-making for participating in workplace-based testing. Workplace testing should not be done without an employee’s consent. - Easy to Read COVID-19 Safety
CDC has recently published Easy to Read COVID-19 materials. This information was primarily developed for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and for those who read or listen with understanding below a third-grade level. - Toolkit for Essential Workers
A new communication toolkit is available to help employers across various industries provide information about COVID-19 vaccines, increase awareness about vaccination benefits, and address common questions and concerns. The toolkit contains a variety of resources including key messages, FAQs, posters, newsletter content, and more.
Interim List of Categories of Essential Workers Mapped to Standardized Industry Codes and Titles
An interim list is now available to help state, local, tribal, and territorial officials and organizations prepare for the allocation of initially limited COVID-19 vaccine supply. The interim list maps essential industries to corresponding COVID-19 vaccination phases and workforce categories, as recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) it is seeking applications for funding to increase the supply of affordable housing for farm workers.
Subject to the availability of funds, the loans and grants will be provided through USDA’s Farm Labor Housing Program. Eligible recipients are farmers, associations of farmers, family farm corporations, nonprofits, federally-recognized tribes and public agencies, among others.
The funds may only be used for the construction of new off-farm worker housing.
USDA is issuing this notice now in order to allow applicants enough time to leverage financing, prepare and submit their applications, and give the Agency time to process applications within Fiscal Year 2021.
Applications must be submitted electronically to USDA’s Rural Housing Service before the deadline for each round of funding. The deadline for preapplications for the first round of funding is April 1, 2021, 12:00 P.M., Eastern Time. Final applications must be submitted by Aug. 2, 2021. For additional information, see page 7840 the Feb. 2, 2021, Federal Register.
If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.