Public health leaders urge private sector to create #COVIDSafeZones

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Public health experts, scientists and former elected officials have signed an open letter published in USA Today asking business leaders to create #COVIDSafeZones.

The op-ed was written and signed by Dr. Mark McClellan, Andy Slavitt and John Bridgeland, former officials of past administrations. It was also signed by former U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams; Barbara D. Alexander, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America; and Melody Barnes, former director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, among more than 20 others.

"Because of the impact of business actions at this critical time, we have come together with public health and science experts and former officials from both political parties to ask American businesses to create #COVIDSafeZones – common sense, achievable and temporary measures for any private sector enterprise with minimal disruption and major benefits for workplaces and the country," the letter said.

Slavitt, former acting CMS administrator, tweeted: "Announcing today we put together 30 health care leaders from the last 4 Admins & leading scientists to ask businesses to require vaccinations with #COVIDSafeZones. Pleased that dozens of major companies here have decided to with new vaccine requirements."

The letter, which is an initiative of the COVID Collaborative, urges leaders in the private sector, which employs 124 million people, to take steps to maximize vaccinations. 

"We recognize any protocols create some burden and cost for businesses and their employees," they said. "Still, these will be relatively modest compared with the significant cost of ongoing disruption and uncertainty in business productivity and people's lives. A growing number of businesses and governments at all levels have already taken these steps. More are moving forward now, including Baptist Health and Kaiser Permanente, building momentum for more businesses to join."

The No. 1 COVID-19 defense is vaccinations, but if a vaccination requirement is not an option, they recommend an infection screening protocol of rapid test, typically done twice weekly. Anyone who provides proof of full vaccination could bypass the routine testing requirement. 

They also recommend offering cash incentives to employees to get vaccinated and easy access to vaccinations.

Following the latest recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they also advise the wearing of face masks in public indoor settings in substantial or high prevalence zones. 

"Memo to unvaccinated states: Surging COVID-19 isn't a magnet for jobs and investment," they said.

Many people who remain unvaccinated have legitimate questions and concerns that need to be respected and addressed, they said. 

"Those who remain unvaccinated are diverse, including people under 25, people living in rural and Southern communities, women of childbearing age, young Black and Latino men, and people who think they have immunity from prior infection," they said. 

"We are at a crossroads in our efforts to address the delta wave and move beyond COVID-19," they said of the Delta variant that is causing the number of COVID-19 cases to climb. "Roughly 165 million Americans – representing 58% of the eligible population – have been fully vaccinated, providing substantial protection against illness and death, while reducing missed workdays, closures and burdens on hospitals. Increasing vaccination rates is the country's most immediate and best hope of reaching population immunity and restoring our national vitality and way of life."

The letter writers and signers are:

• Dr. Mark McClellan, a professor and founding director of the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy at Duke University, who headed the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for President George W. Bush. 
• Andy Slavitt, who was President Joe Biden's White House senior adviser for COVID-19 response until June and ran the Affordable Care Act and CMS from 2015 to 2017 for President Barack Obama.
• John Bridgeland, co-founder and CEO of the COVID Collaborative, who was director of the Bush White House Domestic Policy Council. 

The signers are:

• Jerome M. Adams, former U.S. Surgeon General

• Barbara D. Alexander, president, Infectious Diseases Society of America, and professor of Medicine and Pathology, Duke University

• Melody Barnes, former director, White House Domestic Policy Council

• Georges C. Benjamin, executive director, American Public Health Association

• David Brailer, former National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
• Robert M. Califf, professor of Cardiology, Duke School of Medicine and former Food and Drug Administration commissioner
• Raymond G. Chambers, cofounder, COVID Collaborative, and WHO Ambassador for Global Strategy

• Michael Crow, president, Arizona State University

• Tom Daschle, former U.S. senator (D-S.D.) and former Senate Majority Leader

• Carlos del Rio, professor, Emory University School of Medicine, and International Secretary, National Academy of Medicine

• Mark Dybul, co-director, Georgetown Center for Global Health and Impact; former executive director, Global Fund for AIDS, Malaria, TB; and former U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator

• Gary Edson, president, COVID Collaborative, and former Deputy National Security Adviser

• Julio Frenk, president, University of Miami and former Minister of Health, Mexico

• Tom Frieden, president and CEO, Resolve to Save Lives, and former director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• William H. Frist, former U.S. senator (R-Tenn.) and former Senate Majority Leader

• Margaret (Peggy) Hamburg, former FDA commissioner and former Foreign Secretary of the National Academy of Medicine

• Mike Leavitt, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and former governor and U.S. senator (R-Utah)

• Stephen Massey, managing director, Health Action Alliance
   
• Lauren Ancel Meyers, professor, University of Texas at Austin

• Deval Patrick, former governor (D-Mass.)

• Caitlin Rivers, Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security

• Kathleen Sebelius, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and former governor (D-Kan.)

• Robert M. Wachter, chairman, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco

• Michelle Williams, co-founder, COVID Collaborative and dean, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Twitter: @SusanJMorse
Email the writer: susan.morse@himssmedia.com