Pride Month & “Take Action Locally” Interviews
Happy LGBTQI+ Pride!
The People’s CDC is starting a series of interviews with local organizers doing public health advocacy on a local level in different regions across the United States. In light of the continued threats to public health at a national level, the point of these interviews is to inspire listeners and readers to take up similar work in their local areas where public health interventions may be won. The first interview of this type is with ACT UP NY and was released in June of 2026 in honor of New York and National Pride Month.
At 39 years old, ACT UP New York is the oldest local chapter of the direct action and HIV/AIDS treatment advocacy group the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power. As their interview describes, the group and other AIDS activist groups are the reason that we have “PrEP and PEP [as well as…] medication that makes HIV undetectable [and the reason that] these services [are] available worldwide.” They describe how HIV/AIDS advocacy groups like themselves were some of the first to recognize the severity of and to expand their efforts to include COVID prevention and treatment as early as 2020 before grants for such work existed.
“HIV-positive and transgender people are at higher risk for COVID-19 and Long COVID than the general population. Both populations face healthcare access barriers such as discrimination, loss of insurance, and rising costs, as well as racial, ethnic and socioeconomic disparities that impact their ability to get high-quality, affordable and timely health services. … This is why ACT UP NY is fighting to expand services, locations, and working hours at NYC’s free clinics. We need to expand COVID testing, provide free masks, and push our elected officials to enact the New York Health Act. Our current system is not working, and it’s up to us to change it.”
The interview outlines an ongoing campaign that ACT UP NY conducting to strengthen the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH)’s free clinic program with longer hours, more locations, gender-affirming care, a free KN95 mask program, and by reinstating free and timely COVID/Flu/RSV PCR testing which was closed by the Eric Adams administration in 2025. Since this interview was conducted, DOHMH has announced that they will introduce city-funded and city-run gender affirming care services for adults starting soon at their free clinic in Corona, Queens. Although ACT UP NY is not mentioned in this announcement, we are sure that this decision is directly related to their ongoing clinics advocacy campaign. The People’s CDC congratulates ACT UP NY.
At a time where private hospital services in the area have cancelled their gender-affirming care programs for minors due to federal pressure and the same hospitals have been asked to submit the medical records of transgender children to the federal government, the fight will certainly continue to expand service locations and to include transgender youth.
Finally, if you are attending indoor or crowded outdoor events for pride this month and always, remember to wear an N95/KN95/KF94 mask or better.
The Weather
The CDC-based wastewater map was updated on June 25th and depicts wastewater levels for the period June 14th to June 20th.
The vast majority of the US is experiencing “very low” levels. Texas, Alaska and Florida have experienced a slight increase in levels, moving from “very low” to “low.” Guam is reporting “very high” levels, Louisiana has decreased slightly from the “low” category last week, it is now reporting “very low.” Mississippi is reporting “moderate,” which is the same as our last report.
Washington, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, and New York are reporting limited coverage, meaning that the data is based on less than 5% of the population and may not be accurate for the entire state. North Dakota and the U.S. Virgin Islands are reporting “limited/no data.”
Regional trend data indicate that all regions remain at “very low” levels for the eleventh week in a row.
Other Infectious Diseases
Rotavirus
According to WastewaterSCAN, national rotavirus levels have decreased to “medium” from their past couple of weeks at “high.” Levels in the Northeast remain “high.” Rotavirus is an easily transmissible virus that can cause severe diarrhea and consequential dehydration in infants and children. The current rotavirus vaccine prevents 40,000 to 50,000 hospitalizations annually. Rotavirus is one of the vaccines that MAHA is making efforts to remove from the current vaccine schedule. Recently, Trump issued an executive order for HHS to move to adopt the limited schedule, putting more children at risk.
Norovirus
According to WastewaterSCAN, norovirus is at “medium” levels nationally. It is important to maintain hand hygiene to protect against this infectious disease, as it is spread primarily through contaminated surfaces, contaminated food, or contaminated water. Norovirus can also be aerosolized from vomit, so it is important to wear a mask if you’re caring for a sick friend or family member with norovirus.
Measles virus has been spreading rapidly across the US for over a year now. The worst outbreaks have been reported in Texas, Utah, South Carolina, New Mexico, and Florida, but dozens of other states have also reported increased cases. In 2025, the US saw 2,288 confirmed cases. Just 6 months into 2026, we already have 2,228 confirmed cases.
These outbreaks across the world can likely be attributed to a variety of factors: misinformation about vaccine safety, poor access to vaccines, mistrust in government officials, and the dismantling of public health infrastructure by domestic and international parties.
Actions
“Take Action Locally in the Fight for Public Health!” Interview Series
Read or listen to ACT UP NY discuss the NYC free condom program, the New York Health Act, and their appeals to New York’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) to expand their free clinic system, add longer hours, restore COVID PCR testing, add Gender-Affirming Care, and provide a city-wide KN95 mask program visit our substack. Then make a plan to begin similar health department advocacy and mutual aid work in your neighborhood!
Oppose New Jail Development: Read this article: No New Beds and get involved in the fight to oppose new jail developments.
Remove RFK Jr. petition: A recent report from Protect Our Care named RFK Jr. “Public Health Enemy No 1.” We continue to call for the removal of RFK Jr., and Stand Up For Science has created its own petition to remove RFK Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services. We encourage you to read it and sign on.
Engage your representatives: Tell Your Senators: Vote “NO” on Saphier for U.S. Surgeon General. Nicole Saphier has been nominated to serve as U.S. Surgeon General. We must speak loudly and clearly: She is totally unqualified to serve in this important role and must be rejected by the Senate. She has spread lies about measles, hepatitis B, and COVID vaccination, sells quack cures on Amazon, and has no public health experience. It takes <2 minutes to write to your Senators. Write to them now!
Notes: 1) The numbers in this report were current as of 06/25/2026. 2) Check out the links throughout & see our website for more at https://peoplescdc.org. 3) Subscribe to our newsletter: People’s CDC | Substack.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The People’s CDC is a coalition of public health practitioners, scientists, healthcare workers, educators, advocates and people from all walks of life working to reduce the harmful impacts of COVID-19.
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