The purpose of this supplement is to provide support for successful applicants to develop partnerships with local worker centers and community organizations specifically targeting under served and disadvantaged communities with higher than average COVID-19 transmission rates.
The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated mitigation strategies are continuing to have significant psychosocial, sociocultural, behavioral, socioeconomic, and health impacts, which are exacerbated in populations that experience health disparities and other vulnerable groups, leading to disproportionately adverse consequences. Those experiencing health disparities prior to the COVID-19 pandemic are at increased risk of infection and other COVID-19 related consequences (e.g., job loss, unpaid leave, lost wages).
Mounting evidence indicates detrimental outcomes and greater COVID-19 related morbidity and mortality among individuals with underlying medical conditions, older adults, and individuals with long-term exposure to outdoor air pollution. Preliminary reports in the U.S. point consistently to disparities by race and ethnicity, with African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, American Indians/Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders experiencing a greater COVID-19 burden than non-Hispanic White populations. Reports by geographic locations indicate that cases are substantially greater in economically disadvantaged Census tracts. COVID-19 also disproportionally affects other vulnerable populations such as frontline health care workers, first responders, and all workers with direct patient contact in a medical or emergency response setting. Frontline vulnerable populations also include those working in essential business operations (e.g., grocery, food processing, and pharmacy workers, as well as transportation sector workers such as bus drivers) whose health may be disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
This initiative would support partnerships between WTP grantees and local community organizations in high COVID-19 impacted communities to increase the education and awareness of COVID-19 health risks and promote the integration and connectedness to needed public health resources such as testing, contact tracing, and the adoption of effective infection control measures.
Deadline: Dec. 30, 2020
NOT-ES-21-002
