Coronavirus Testing
COVID Deaths: U.S. in a League of its Own
An analysis by The New York Times compares current and cumulative COVID deaths in the U.S. to other large, wealthy countries. Data analyzed include vaccination, age and obesity levels, and public trust, all factors that influence outcomes.
The Great American COVID Testing Failure
Americans who want to know if they are infected with the coronavirus are waiting hours to get tested and not finding rapid tests for at-home testing. Health experts had presented a plan to the administration in October to avoid this crisis.
Federal Vax-or-Test Mandate for Large Employers Reinstated
Judges of the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals decided, 2-1, to allow the Biden administration's vax-or-test mandate for private sector employers, removing a stay placed on the OSHA rule by the Fifth Circuit. Enforcement begins Feb. 9.
Omicron Variant: No Good Science Goes Unpunished
The discovery by South African scientists will enable the world to prepare for the newest coronavirus variant, but it will also cause enormous hardship due to the travel restrictions on flights to/from eight nations in southern Africa.
Court: Federal COVID-19 'Vaccine or Test-and-Mask' Mandate 'Fatally Flawed'
The Biden Administration's most sweeping and possibly controversial action to increase COVID vaccinations has been stayed twice by a federal appeals court and is likely headed to the Supreme Court
The Major Shortcoming in Biden's COVID Action Plan
Dr. Leana S. Wen, an emergency physician and public health expert, writes that Covid will become a 'manageable problem' with three key actions, only one of which hasn't received the attention it deserves in the Biden administration's action plan.
Biden Orders Large Employers to Require Vaccination or COVID Testing
President Biden announced a multi-prong strategy to combat the Delta surge gripping the nation that rests largely on increasing the vaccination rate among the labor force. The most controversial measure is aimed at private employers of 100+ workers.
Returning to the Office: Will Vaccinations Be Required?
A survey by Kaiser Health News of 15 of America's largest companies found that none are considering vaccine mandates, but most offer employee incentives. Mandates may be more of consideration after the FDA approves the vaccines.
Reopening Schools: CDC Reduces Social Distancing Requirement
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now supports three-foot distancing in elementary school classrooms provided there is universal masking. For middle and high schools, it depends on the level of coronavirus transmission in the community.
Pandemic Endgame: The Goalposts are Moving
With most of the nation in the coronavirus "red zone," the endgame to the pandemic in the U.S. is likely through achieving herd immunity, preferably through vaccinations, but the nation's top infectious disease expert has been changing the threshold.
An American Urban Coronavirus Success Story
The City by the Bay has joined eight largely rural counties in California by advancing last Tuesday to the least restrictive tier of the state's new reopening criteria by reducing coronavirus transmission to nearly New York levels.
COVID's Extensive 'Excess Mortality'
The pandemic's cumulative death toll in the U.S. does not include over 100,000 fatalities that are directly or indirectly attributable to COVID-19, according to a CDC report released Oct. 20 on the subject of "excess deaths."
Is it a COVID Car or Mask-Optional Car? Rail Commuters Decide
A midwestern commuter rail line found a unique, if controversial way to achieve 100 percent mask compliance on its trains: Set aside one car, though preferably not the bike car, for riders who opt to travel maskless.
Widespread Coronavirus Testing Critical for College Reopenings, But...
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign developed a high-frequency coronavirus testing system that would be the envy of an country or corporation, testing students, faculty and staff twice a week, but it still failed to stem a major outbreak.
Coronavirus Wastewater Testing Yields Positive Results at Universities
Wastewater testing is being hailed as a success at the University of Arizona, credited for stopping a COVID outbreak. In Utah, wastewater analysis forced almost 300 students to quarantine for four days while awaiting their test results.
College Campuses Offer Opportunity to Demonstrate COVID Containment Strategies
As college students return for the fall semester, college towns are rightfully concerned about an influx of COVID cases, yet self-contained campuses have the potential to succeed where local and state governments may have failed.
The Changing Geography of the Pandemic
During the pandemic's first phase in March and April, the Northeast was devastated by COVID-19. After Memorial Day, the surge was in the South and West. As cases decrease nationwide, they are now spiking in the Midwest, particularly North Dakota.
Pandemic Containment Funding in Jeopardy
When President Trump asserted, "We do too much (coronavirus) testing," he wasn't kidding. He wants to strip $25 billion in funding for testing and tracing needed by states where COVID-19 cases are surging and testing is not meeting demand.
July 4th Weekend a Time for Reckoning
As the U.S. celebrates its 245th birthday, the nation's top infectious disease expert issued a stern warning—the U.S. is on a path to having 100,000 Americans infected daily with Covid-19. In Florida, another expert warns that time is running out.
Coronavirus Success: The Unusual Story Behind the State with the Lowest Infection Rate
Like New Zealand, another island has achieved success in reducing viral spread. The ability to quarantine travelers to Hawaii was crucial, but the virus had already arrived. Health professionals played key roles which, at times, led to conflict.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
