Jennifer Piatt

This fact sheet examines liability issues based on current or potential legal trends.

Since the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, every state, most territories, hundreds of tribal governments, and thousands of municipalities have declared various levels of emergencies. This document provides a comprehensive snapshot of the current status of various state-level emergency declarations issued in response to COVID-19 based on data provided by the National Governors Association, the Network for Public Health Law, and other sources.

Public and private employers across the U.S. are considering the potential for COVID-19 vaccine requirements for their workforces, especially among health care workers. This resource examines the likelihood of employer vaccine mandates.

This Table highlights states which have either invoked or facilitated implementation of Crisis Standards of Care (CSC) during the COVID-19 pandemic beginning Feb. 2020.

Overview 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. EST | January 20, 2022“Crisis Standards of Care” (CSC) refers to significant changes in health services delivery during extended public…

Public and private employers across the U.S. are considering the potential for COVID-19 vaccine requirements for their workforces, especially among health care workers. This resource examines the likelihood of employer vaccine mandates.

In addressing questions regarding executive decision-making, we use the following general approach. Michigan’s Public Health Code grants public health officials considerable discretion to protect the public against communicable disease and environmental health threats. To exercise their broad grant of authority, the executive must ask three key questions: Can I? Must I? Should I?

While the impacts of the pandemic have shifted slightly over time, COVID-19 continues to disproportionately impact Hispanic, Black, American Indian, and Alaska Native populations. These disparities have also shone a light on decision-making tools incorporated into Crisis Standard of Care plans, which are intended to save the most lives through triage decisions when resources are scarce and patient populations are surging, as they have been during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is critical that triage policies incorporate equitable allocation criteria to avoid continued and exacerbation of disparities, and to begin attempts to reduce and eliminate them.

Public and private employers across the U.S. are considering the potential for COVID-19 vaccine requirements for their workforces, especially among health care workers. This resource examines the likelihood of employer vaccine mandates.

Overview 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET | October 21, 2021The COVID-19 pandemic and a reconstituted Supreme Court have spurred public health interpretations at all judicial…

This fact sheet offers a broad-level overview of issues associated with the return to in-person learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also serves as a starting point and initial resource for individuals seeking information on what actions can be taken to protect K–12 students, as well as school faculty and staff, from COVID-19 in a school setting.v

This issue brief examines evidence of racial disparities with respect to COVID-19 infections and deaths, possible causes, and legal protections against race discrimination. It also provides an overview of CSC planning, including key ethical features that may be utilized to ensure that CSC planning incorporates concerns about racial inequity.