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COVID-19 News Updates – May 14, 2020
Guidelines for Opening Up America Again
President Trump has unveiled Guidelines for Opening Up America Again, a three-phased approach based on the advice of public health experts. These steps will help state and local officials when reopening their economies, getting people back to work, and continuing to protect American lives. Please click here for more information: Guidelines for Opening Up America Again
- Testing Overview (HERE)
- Testing Blueprint (HERE)
- Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools and Homes (HERE)
White House COVID-19 Updates
- President Trump Delivers Remarks at Owens & Minor, Inc. Distribution Center (REMARKS, VIDEO)
- EO on Delegating Authority Under the DPA to the CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to Respond to the COVID-19 Outbreak (HERE)
- President Donald J. Trump Is Ensuring We Have the Strong National Stockpile and Industrial Base Needed to Meet Any Challenge (HERE)
- President Trump Delivers Remarks Upon Departure (REMARKS, VIDEO)
- ICYMI | Ventilators for Coronavirus — US is Arsenal of Health in War on COVID-19 (HERE)
- Daily 1600: Nancy Pelosi’s left-wing wish list (HERE)
FHA Extends Foreclosure and Eviction Moratorium for Single Family Homeowners and Remotework Flexibilities for Lenders and Appraisers (HERE)
- Today, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) announced an extension of its foreclosure and eviction moratorium through June 30, 2020, for homeowners with FHA-insured Single Family mortgages, while also supporting new FHA-insured mortgage originations through an extension of temporary policy flexibilities for lenders and appraisers. The extensions will support the President’s economic recovery efforts as the Nation continues to work to defeat the COVID-19 invisible enemy.
Federal Reserve Board issues Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households (HERE)
- Results from the full survey reflect financial conditions in late 2019 before the pandemic’s onset, and results from the supplemental survey reflect financial conditions at the beginning of April 2020 and indicate the nature of families’ experiences of financial conditions at that time. However, the financial repercussions from COVID-19 continue to evolve, and the Federal Reserve Board will continue to monitor the financial conditions of households.
DHS S&T Launches Indoor Predictive Modeling Tool for Coronavirus Stability (HERE)
- The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) today released a predictive modeling tool to estimate natural decay of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) under a range of temperatures and relative humidity. Leveraging the results of research being conducted at S&T’s National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC), the tool is designed to assist response efforts and estimate the environmental persistence of the virus under certain combinations of temperatures and humidity.
Feds to Support COVID-19 Testing Sites in Texas through June 30 (HERE)
- In conjunction with U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services and the state of Texas, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today, the seven federally supported COVID-19 Community-Based Testing Sites (CBTS) in Texas will remain open through June 30, 2020. The sites will continue monitoring and testing citizens in an effort to reduce further spreading of the virus.
Photos of Whole-of-America COVID-19 Response (HERE)
- As of May 12, FEMA, HHS, and the private sector combined have coordinated the delivery of or are currently shipping: 91.4 million N-95 respirators, 129 million surgical masks, 9.3 million face shields, 21.4 million surgical gowns and 99.7 million gloves.
FEMA Provides Additional $14.7 Million for Colorado COVID-19 Response (HERE)
- The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced $14.7 million in additional funding for COVID-19 response efforts in Colorado. The assistance was made available under the major disaster declaration issued March 28 by President Trump.
Moving Personal Protective Equipment for COVID-19 Response (VIDEO)
- FEMA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, using data from the Center for Disease Control, work to identify where personal protective equipment is needed the and to ship it from FEMA warehouses to states, tribes and territories that need it.
U.S. Department of Transportation Modernizes Hours of Service Rules to Improve Safety and Increase Flexibility for America’s Truckers (HERE)
- The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today published a final rule updating hours of service (HOS) rules to increase safety on America’s roadways by updating existing regulations for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers.
Trump Administration Provides Assistance for Community Revitalization, Local Food Economy (HERE)
- Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service, is announcing assistance to help 16 communities boost economic opportunities for their local farmers, while promoting clean air, safe water, open space, and healthy food choices.
Interim Guidance on Developing a COVID-19 Case Investigation & Contact Tracing Plan (HERE)
- This interim guidance document is intended to assist state, local, territorial and tribal health departments develop jurisdictional plans for the implementation and enhancement of COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing efforts.
COVID-19 in Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups (HERE)
- The effects of COVID-19 on the health of racial and ethnic minority groups is still emerging; however, current data suggest a disproportionate burden of illness and death among racial and ethnic minority groups.
HHS to Award $5 Million for Health Services Research Related to COVID-19 (HERE)
- Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), announced a new funding opportunity announcement (FOA) that will award $5 million in fiscal year 2020 to support novel, high-impact studies that evaluate the responsiveness of health care delivery systems, health care professionals, and the overall U.S. health care system to the COVID-19 pandemic.
SAMHSA Seeks Applications for $40 Million Emergency COVID-19 Grants for Suicide Prevention (HERE)
- As part of the Trump Administration’s comprehensive response to the needs of Americans during the coronavirus pandemic, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is announcing an emergency $40 million grant program to prevent suicide.
USDA Invests More Than $500,000 in High-Speed Broadband in Rural Iowa (HERE)
- U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced that USDA is investing more than $500,000 to provide broadband service in unserved and underserved rural areas in Iowa. This investment is part of USDA’s round one investments through the ReConnect Pilot Program.
USDA Approves Program to Feed Kids in New Hampshire (HERE)
- U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced New Hampshire has been approved to operate Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT), a new program authorized by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), signed by President Trump, which provides assistance to families of children eligible for free or reduced-price meals dealing with school closures.
U.S. Department of Labor Issues Alert for Rideshare, Taxi and Car Service Safety during Coronavirus Pandemic (HERE)
- The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has announced the publication of updated guidance, including FAQs, regarding the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
U.S. Department of Labor Issues Alert to Help Keep Retail Pharmacy Workers Safe during the Coronavirus Pandemic (HERE)
- The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued an alert listing safety tips employers can follow to help protect retail pharmacy workers from exposure to the coronavirus.
U.S. Department of Labor Issues Alert to Keep Nursing Home and Long-Term Care Facility Workers Safe during Coronavirus Pandemic (HERE)
- The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued an alert listing safety tips employers can follow to help protect nursing home and long-term care facility workers from exposure to the coronavirus.
U.S. Department of Labor Provides Guidance on Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation Program to States (HERE)
- The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has announced the publication of updated guidance, including FAQs, regarding the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
RSA COVID-19 Questions & Answers: Administration of the VR Services, AIVRS, and Randolph-Sheppard Programs (HERE)
- The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), within the U.S. Department of Education’s (Department) Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, issues this Questions and Answers document in response to inquiries concerning the administration of the State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services, American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Services (AIVRS), and Randolph-Sheppard programs as grantees seek to provide continuity of operations for individuals with disabilities in the current COVID-19 environment.
Former Cleveland Clinic Employee and Chinese “Thousand Talents” Participant Arrested for Wire Fraud (HERE)
- Dr. Qing Wang, a former Cleveland Clinic Foundation (CCF) employee, is charged with false claims and wire fraud related to more than $3.6 million in grant funding that Dr. Wang and his research group received from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The United States Condemns Attempts by PRC-Affiliated Actors to Steal American COVID-19 Research (HERE)
- The United States condemns attempts by cyber actors and non-traditional collectors affiliated with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to steal U.S. intellectual property and data related to COVID-19 research, as announced in a May 13, 2020 warning by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
NATO Looks to Ensure Health Crisis Doesn’t Become Security Crisis (HERE)
- NATO was created to deal with crises, and the alliance continues as the world faces the coronavirus pandemic, said the chairman of the NATO Military Committee in Brussels.
Guard’s Domestic COVID-19 Response is Largest since Hurricane Katrina (HERE)
- With almost 47,000 National Guard soldiers and airmen activated to fight COVID-19, this pandemic marks the Guard’s largest domestic response since Hurricane Katrina.
Clean Teams Train to Flatten the COVID-19 Curve (HERE)
- Units with the 25th Infantry Division have been training soldiers to work in clean teams across Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, as part of a multitude of prevention measures the garrison has in place to trace, prevent and mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
For the most up-to-date information, please see the below fact sheets and the CDC’s website: www.coronavirus.gov.