We have been working with State Rural Water Associations and others to create a list of resources about the Coronavirus, COVID-19.

• Jan, 2021 - Update on Vaccine availability and rollout

  From: The AL Dept of Pulic Health's Website

  On January 18, Alabama will begin moving into Phase 1b, providing COVID-19 vaccinations for people 75 years or older, first responders, including law enforcement and firefighters, statewide by appointment. Persons in these groups can schedule an appointment with ADPH using our COVID-19 Vaccine Scheduling Hotline at 1-855-566-5333. ADPH is working to expand access to other groups within 1b.

  Phase 1b includes persons age 75 years and older; frontline essential workers; persons working or living in congregate settings including but not limited to homeless shelters, group homes, prisons, or jails; first responders including firefighters and law enforcement.

  Some counties have been able to intermittently vaccinate persons age 75 years and older once the uptake of vaccine for Phase 1a has been satisfied for a daily clinic. ADPH will continue to work with community partners to vaccinate persons in Phase 1a and, as supply allows, persons 75 years and above.

• Please contact your local health officials and raise the information provided in the materials below. Let ARWA know who and when you're allowed access to the Vaccine based on that information so we can spread the word. Thanks and be well!

• Dec, 2020 - COVID-19 Vaccinations for the Water and Wastewater Sector - Please see this message from the NRWA about early vaccine availability for water and wastewater operators and personnel. READ MORE HERE.

  Additional Relevant Resources:

  • (download) COVID-19 Vaccination Program Interim Playbook
  • (download) WSCC Vaccination Statement
  • (download) Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce: Ensuring Community and National Resilience in COVID-19 Response Version 4.0
• Reopen Alabama Responsiblly, Phase 1 - Small Business Emergency Task Force, April 2020. This document, Reopen Alabama Responsiblly, Phase 1, is the initial submission of the task force to Governor Ivey.
• May 22, 2020 - COVID-19 Communication Products - This Updated CISA News document includes: Avoiding COVID-19-related Scams, Letters to Faith-based Communities, Guidelines for 911 Centers, Election Security, and Updated Guidance on Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers during COVID-19.
  Updated Guidance on Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers during COVID-19.
  • On May 19, CISA released an update to the Guidance on Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers During COVID-19 (ECIW). ECIW 3.1 provides clarity around many individual worker categories and updates existing language to better reflect terminology used in food and agriculture industries.
  • CISA originally released the guidance on March 19 to help state and local jurisdictions and the private sector identify and manage their essential workforce while responding to COVID-19.
  • Subsequent versions were introduced to include additional services and industries that were deemed essential after receiving feedback and suggestions from its partners.
• Updated CISA Plan for Water and Wastewater Systems - The Water and Wastewater Systems Sector-Specific Plan details how the National Infrastructure Protection Plan risk management framework is implemented within the context of the unique characteristics and risk landscape of the sector. Each Sector-Specific Agency develops a sector-specific plan through a coordinated effort involving its public and private sector partners. The Environmental Protection Agency is designated as the Sector-Specific Agency for the Water and Wastewater Systems Sector. Presidential Policy Directive 21 changed the name of the Water Sector to the Water and Wastewater Systems Sector in 2013.
  • Homeland Security Water and Wastewater Systems Sector-Specific Plan (pdf) - The 2015 Water and Wastewater Sector-Specific Plan addresses risk-based critical infrastructure protection strategies for drinking water and wastewater utilities, regulatory primacy agencies, and an array of technical assistance partners. The Sector-Specific Plan describes processes and activities to enhance the security and resilience of the Sector's infrastructure.
• April 17, 2020 - Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce: Ensuring Community and National Resilience in COVID-19 Response - Today the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released version 3.0 of the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers guidance (pdf) to help state and local jurisdictions and the private sector identify and manage their essential workforce while responding to COVID-19. CISA’s original guidance was released on March 19, 2020 and version 2.0 was subsequently released on March 28, 2020. This guidance is intended to support decision makers in communities and jurisdictions across the country during the COVID-19 emergency and it is non-binding. See CISA News Release (pdf). See also  CISA Insights, Mar 6, 2020 (pdf).
• COVID-19 - The National Rural Water Association - NRWA's Resource Page with links to additional information. Go to https://nrwa.org/initiatives/covid-19/
• Coronavirus and Drinking Water and Wastewater, EPA. Read information and frequent questions related to COVID-19 and drinking water and wastewater at epa.gov/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-drinking-water-and-wastewater#tapwater

"EPA recommends that Americans continue to use and drink tap water as usual. The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that the, “presence of the COVID-19 virus has not been detected in drinking-water supplies and based on current evidence the risk to water supplies is low.”

• 3-19-2020 | DHS Announcement: CISA Releases Guidance on Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers During COVID-19
  

  Read more at cisa.gov/news/2020/03/19/cisa-releases-guidance-essential-critical-infrastructure-workers-during-covid-19

• Essential Critical Workers Dos and Don'ts. Essential Critical Workers Dos and Don'ts (pdf) - Guidelines from the CDC, US Dept of Homeland Security, and CISA-Cyber Infrastructure.

• CDC - Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Information on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). CDC is responding to an outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel (new) coronavirus that was first detected in China and which has now been detected in almost 90 locations internationally, including in the United States. The virus has been named “SARS-CoV-2” and the disease it causes has been named “coronavirus disease 2019” (abbreviated “COVID-19”).
  • Up-to-date Travel Health Notices are available at wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices.
  • Read full information at cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV.
  • Read a current Situation Summary at cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/summary.html
     
• Alabama Specific Information on the COVID-19.
  - Alabama Department of Public Health - alabamapublichealth.gov
  - Alabama Emergency Management Agency's Facebook Page - facebook.com/AlabamaEMA
   
• Coronavirus And The Water Cycle - Here Is What Treatment Professionals Need To Know.  As the global health community tracks the spread of this virus, it's important for water and wastewater professionals to keep updated on potential impacts.  Read more at Water Online.
   
• Pandemic Flu Scenario.  A tabletop exercise to prepare support staff for an outbreak.  Pandemic Flu Tabletop Exercise (pdf)
   
• The Water Professionals Guide to COVID-19. Because this disease already has begun to spread worldwide, it is important that water sector professionals keep informed on the attributions of this virus and any measures needed to protect both workers and public health, in general. Read more at the Water Environment Federation website at wef.org/news-hub/wef-news/the-water-professionals-guide-to-the-2019-novel-coronavirus.
   
  

  Coronavirus COVID-19

  

• What Wastewater Systems Should Know About the Coronavirus. The 2019 Novel Coronavirus, also referred to as COVID-19, has become a growing concern for wastewater and public health facilities. Read more at mailchi.mp/smallwatersupply/3awpeaqebc-1308721?e=da05577ad3.
   
• New COVID-19 Resources and Updates: WHO Technical Brief on Water and Wastewater Management, Water Research Foundation Webcast, and More. With growing international concern about coronavirus (COVID-19), water utilities should prepare for potential impacts to operations and to respond to customer inquiries about water safety. AWWA website at awwa.org/Resources-Tools/Resource-Topics/Coronavirus.
   
• Business Continuity Plans for Water Utilities. The Water Research Foundation, in conjunction with AWWA and U.S. EPA, developed a business continuity planning guidance document, template, and online training video for water utilities.  Read more at waterisac.org/portal/library/business-continuity-plans-water-utilities.
   
• Pandemic Impacts to Lifeline Critical Infrastructure DHS has published a Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Note examining the impact of a pandemic on the lifeline critical infrastructure, which includes the water and wastewater and energy sectors, at the local, regional, and national level, including the effects of absenteeism on these sectors.  Water ISAC Members only can visit waterisac.org/portal/impacts-pandemic-water-and-wastewater-and-energy-sectors.
   
• Risk May Be Elevated for Wastewater Workers.  Highlights OSHA standards and directives (instructions for compliance officers) and other related information that may apply to worker exposure to novel coronavirus, COVID-19.  OSHA COVID-19 info at osha.gov/SLTC/covid-19/standards.html.
   
• Interim Guidance for Business and Employers to Plan and Respond to 2019 Novel Coronavirus. CDC is working across the Department of Health and Human Services and across the U.S. government in the public health response to COVID-19. Go to cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-business-response.html.
   
• COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment.  There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html.
   
• FEMA's Business Continuity Planning Suite. This software was created for any business with the need to create, improve, or update its business continuity plan. ready.gov/business-continuity-planning-suite