Infrastructure Support
This article describes how Virginia collected and reported data to inform COVID-19 response efforts and decisions. Virginia officials noted a hallmark of Virginia’s success has been the focus on data strategies and mapping techniques to identify COVID-19 testing, vaccination, and resource allocation priorities. For example, the working group used geospatial data to inform the distribution process for a personal protective equipment (PPE) pilot program that successfully distributed more than two million units of PPE across 66 local governments. The task force uses data stratified by race and ethnicity, medical vulnerability, and other social and environmental factors to identify locations for community engagement, outreach, testing, and vaccination clinics. The task force also launched two equity dashboards to provide a transparent measurement of ways COVID-19 resources have been allocated and equity gaps across various social determinants of health identified in Virginia House Joint Resolution 537.