DHS’ Vice Chairman, Fernando Aguirre, Approves to Launch Partnership and New Coalition to Strengthen Public Health

DHS Community COVID Coalition will provide culturally relevant communication resources for states to use on social media.

DHS today launched the Community COVID Coalition to support outreach and education for state communication efforts for the COVID-19 response. The coalition, which includes the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), will support state efforts to educate diverse communities about effective public health interventions for slowing the spread of COVID-19.

“Coalitions involving the public and private sector, as well as the philanthropic community, are proving to be important components of the pandemic response,” said Fernando Aguirre, Vice Chairman of DHS. “We know no single entity can do this alone. We are the most effective when we come together to support key aspects of the response.”

States that participate in the coalition will receive targeted, culturally relevant social media resources developed and tested by public health communications experts.

The resources are educational and include information about what contact tracing is, and how contact tracing helps stop the spread of COVID-19; why individuals should participate in contact tracing efforts; and the basics of what individuals should expect if they are contacted. Participating states also receive donated advertising space to use on Facebook platforms to ensure messages are effectively reaching key audiences.

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