For the Network

Share
  1. Home
  2. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

coronavirus-19

Find the latest:

Need help with vaccination, boosters or testing?

Trained staff are standing by to help you find vaccine and testing locations, make appointments, order free at-home test kits, and connect to local services and supports if you need them to get vaccinated or tested. 

Both phone lines are staffed Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Eastern). (Use this infographic and this video to help spread the word about DIAL.) 

What's New

Here are the latest additions to this page. Sign up for ACL Updates to receive these and other updates via e-mail.

  • On August 2, 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services delivered two major reports to President Biden, in response his April 5, 2022, Memorandum on Addressing the Long-Term Effects of COVID-⁠19: 

    • The Services and Supports for Longer-Term Impacts of COVID-19 Report (Services Report) outlines federally funded support and services that can help individuals experiencing the longer-term effects of COVID-19, including Long COVID and its associated conditions, mental health, substance use, and bereavement. 
    • The National Research Action Plan on Long COVID (the Research Plan) proposes a comprehensive and equitable research strategy to inform our national response to Long COVID.

      The Administration for Community Living (ACL) partnered with 13 other federal agencies in developing these reports, which together describe the wide range of services and supports available nationwide and lay out a research strategy going forward. ACL’s programs, and the disability and aging networks that provide them, offer a wide range of services and supports to help people with disabilities—including disabilities caused by Long COVID—and older adults live independently and fully participate in all of life’s activities. For more information and to help spread the word, visit COVID.gov/LongCovid.

  • The Social Security Administration recently updated its guidance on pandemic-related financial assistance to clarify that these funds do not count as a resource for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) eligibility indefinitely. This clarification should help ensure that individuals receiving SSI who save pandemic-related financial assistance payments are not penalized. A new Justice in Aging fact sheet summarizes the pandemic-related payments that are excluded and includes information for individuals and advocates to reference in appeals.   

  • The Disability Information and Access Line (DIAL) is a no-cost hotline that helps people with disabilities access information about COVID-19 vaccines and tests, as well as identify, locate, and connect to community resources and programs that support independent living such as housing, nutrition, transportation, and more. A new video provides an overview of DIAL along with contact information.

  • CDC is expanding eligibility of COVID-19 vaccine booster doses to everyone five and older. In addition, CDC is strengthening its recommendation that those 12 and older who are immunocompromised and those 50 and older should receive a second booster dose at least 4 months after their first.

  • The HRSA Health Center COVID-19 N95 Mask Program began in January to distribute high quality N95 masks to underserved communities and populations through health centers. The N95 Mask Program ordering opportunities have been extended and will now sunset on June 20, 2022. Health centers will have three additional opportunities to order masks through this program before the sunset date – May 23, June 6, and June 20. All health center orders must be received by June 20, but grantees and partners are encouraged to continue their relationships with health centers after this date. The HRSA COVID-19 Testing Supply Program continues to offer access to free COVID-19 testing supplies, including both at-home self-tests and point-of-care tests for clinical settings.

  • Households can now order a third round of four free at-home COVID-19 tests at COVIDTests.gov. 

  • The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) was initially declared January 31, 2020 (retroactive to January 27). It has been renewed several times, most recently on April 12, 2022. If it is not renewed again, the PHE declaration will now end July 11, 2022. 

  • People enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid are eligible for a second booster dose without any out-of-pocket costs, including copayments, coinsurance or deductibles. Full vaccination with a booster has been shown to provide maximum protection against serious illness and hospitalization from COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) suggests people fifty and older and those who are immunocompromised receive a second booster dose at least four months after their first booster dose. The CDC has published detailed information on what booster shots to get and when based on the brand and timing of initial vaccine and first booster, as well as age and immunocompromised status. Visit www.covid.gov for information on where to find local locations for vaccines and boosters

Resources for people with COVID-related disabilities

On July 26, the White House published this comprehensive package of resources for people with disabilities, including people with COVID-related disabilities. We've created a page for these and other resources for people with COVID-related disabilities -- we'll add to it as more resources are available.
 

For Older Adults, People with Disabilities, Families, and Caregivers

  • Vaccine info
  • Staying safe
  • Your rights

Click here to learn more

Find the latest vaccine-related resources

Find resources on "Long COVID"

For the Aging and Disability Networks

  • ACL Program Guidance
  • Promising Practices: Innovative approaches that may work in your community
  • Guidance from other federal programs

Find more resources here

Find a listing of upcoming and archived webinars

Find resources on promoting vaccinations and boosters

Ensuring Equity and Inclusion

Resources for

  • State and local COVID-19 response planners
  • Healthcare professionals
  • Educators
  • Businesses
  • others who need to understand the needs and issues of older adults and people with disabilities

Click here to find more helpful tips


National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness

The National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness provides detailed information about the seven goals of Biden Administration's coordinated pandemic response. The 198-page strategy document begins with an overview of the goals, followed by details on a variety of topics, many of which intersect the core missions of the aging and disability networks. Among the topics covered are home and community based services, vaccination communication, impact on at-risk groups, equitable access to PPE, and community-based, multi-sector efforts to align health and social interventions. The strategy reflects the White House's priorities for addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Follow your state's guidance

Decisions about community measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, as well as vaccine prioritization and distribution, will be made by local and state officials, The links in this section will connect you to some state resources.

Links to state resources

Last modified on 08/04/2022


Back to Top