Public Health

New York City will install public health vending machines in 10 locations across the city to combat the opioid crisis, The Hill reported Jan. 3.

Some areas in the United States are seeing their highest numbers of COVID-19 cases yet, pushing more people to seek testing.

Some people with compromised immune systems are receiving unauthorized fourth or fifth COVID-19 vaccine doses, The New York Times reported Jan. 3. 

The CDC is mulling a revision that recommends a testing component to its recently updated COVID-19 isolation guidelines, which shortened the isolation time for asymptomatic people from 10 days to five, ABC News reported. 

Public health leaders are increasingly recommending focusing on COVID-19 hospitalizations instead of cases to steer public health guidance. 

The Rhode Island Department of Health updated COVID-19 quarantine and isolation guidance Dec. 31, allowing asymptomatic healthcare workers who have tested positive to work without restriction in staffing "crisis" situations, as long as they wear N95 masks.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced Dec. 28 that non-recordkeeping portions of the emergency temporary standard for healthcare workers, which includes rules regarding patient screening and certain medical management, will no longer be enforced, but rules regarding logs…

Michigan is sticking to its current quarantine and isolation guidelines while its health department reviews evidence behind the newly shortened timeframes recommended by the CDC. 

The U.S. reported nearly 489,000 new COVID-19 cases Dec. 29, nearly twice as high as the worst days from last winter's surge, according to The New York Times database. The new cases brought the seven-day average for new daily cases…

CMS is introducing a new option for state Medicaid programs to treat beneficiaries experiencing mental health or substance use crises.