American Workforce Policy Advisory Board – Call to Action: The American Workforce Policy Advisory Board has released a call-to-action to help the millions of workers who need assistance now, and build the resilient and agile workforce of the future powered by skilled American workers. Specific actions:

• Expedite American workers’ return to employment and upward mobility by investing in career pathways and implementing skills-based hiring practices.
• Remove obstacles to the modernization of American education and training to accelerate reskilling and facilitate innovation in workforce development.
• Build the technological infrastructure necessary for the future of work.

Find Something New: FindSomethingNew.org can help workers of all ages and backgrounds identify the right path for their career goals by recommending multiple educational pathways, providing aptitude testing, offering a directory of critical resources for child care, food assistance, internet access and more. Educational pathways featured include online learning, professional certification programs, associate’s degrees, and vocational, technical and trades education.

Economic Impact Payments: The CARES Act provides for Economic Impact Payments to American households of up to $1,200 per adult for individuals whose income was less than $99,000 ( or $198,000 for joint filers) and $500 per child under 17 years old – or up to $3,400 for a family of four. More information can be found here.

Preserving Jobs for American Industry: The CARES Act offers meaningful financial support to American businesses and job creators so they can better support employees and be prepared to get back to business as soon as possible. More information can be found here.

Supporting Child Care: The CARES Act provided an additional $3.5 billion to the Child Care and Development Block Grant to support families with child care options during this public health crisis. Additional information and State-level information can be found here.

Dislocated Worker Grants: The U.S. Department of Labor is providing Dislocated Worker Grants to prevent, prepare for and respond to COVID-19. State-by-State data and additional details can be found here.

Assistance for Communities

CARES Act Recovery Assistance Grants: The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA)is awarding CARES Act Recovery Assistance Grants to assist communities in responding to the coronavirus pandemic. These grants are being administered under the authority of the bureau’s flexible Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) program, which provides a wide-range of financial assistance to eligible communities and regions as they respond to and recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. For complete information, please visit the recently updated EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance page.

Opportunity Zones: Opportunity Zones were created under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, signed into law by President Donald J. Trump on December 22, 2017, to stimulate economic development and job creation, by incentivizing long- term investments in low-income neighborhoods. During the COVID-19 pandemic, President Trump directed the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council to focus on underserved communities impacted by the virus. For more information, visit opportunityzones.gov.

• Opportunity Zones Best Practices
• Opportunity Zones Toolkit Volume 1
• Opportunity Zones Toolkit Volume 2

How to Help

If you or your organization are interested in helping the effort to combat the spread of COVID-19, FEMA has established a website (www.fema.gov/coronavirus/how-to-help) with more information. Examples for the private sector include:

Donate Supplies and Equipment

• If you represent a business that would like to donate medical supplies, equipment or pharmaceuticals, please provide details on what you would like to give. This form is for donations only.

Sell Supplies and Equipment

• If you are interested in doing business with FEMA with your company’s non-medical goods and/or services, submit your inquiry to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Procurement Action Innovative Response Team (PAIR) team at DHSIndustryLiaison@hq.dhs.gov.
• The federal government is purchasing medical supplies or equipment under the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Request for information (RFI). Visit the DLA website for more information.

Developing Medical Countermeasures

• If you would like to meet with a federal agency regarding a vaccine, diagnostic, therapeutic or other medical device that you are developing for SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19, please go to medicalcountermeasures.gov.

Other Forms of Help

• If you or someone you know represent a hospital or healthcare provider in need of medical supplies, please contact your state, local, tribal or territory department of public health and/or emergency management agency.
• If you represent a private sector business and wish to learn more about getting involved in a way that is not listed here, please e-mail nbeoc@max.gov or visit our National Business Emergency Operations Center page.

For additional information, please visit FEMA’s website: https://www.fema.gov/coronavirus/.

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)

·         CDC guidance for Camps, Child Care Programs, Schools, Mass Transit, Restaurants And Bars, and Workplaces

·         CDC Activities and Initiatives Supporting the COVID-19 Response and the President’s Plan for Opening America Up Again (HERE)

·         CDC videos on washing hands, wearing gloves, wearing a cloth face cover, practicing social distancing, cleaning and sanitizing toys and child care programs, cleaning and disinfecting your homes, staying safe at summer camp, staying safe at aquatic venues, dinning with friends and family with higher risk for severe illness, visiting friends and family with higher risk for severe illness, stopping the spread of germs, and considerations for bars and restaurants.

White House Updates

• President Trump Holds a News Conference (REMARKS, VIDEO)
• President Donald J. Trump is Taking Action to Ensure American Citizens Receive Proper Representation in Congress (HERE)
• Remarks by Vice President Pence in a Roundtable with Governor McMaster and Mrs. McMaster on Safely Reopening Schools (HERE)
• Readout from First Lady Melania Trump’s Conference Call with FEMA’s Youth Preparedness Council (HERE)
• Remarks by Second Lady Karen Pence in a Roundtable with Vice President Mike Pence, Governor McMaster, and Mrs. McMaster on Safely Reopening Schools (HERE)
• Readout of Second Lady Karen Pence’s Visit to a Military Spouse and Veteran Owned Business in Charleston, South Carolina (HERE)
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany (REMARKS, VIDEO)

HHS Announces National COVID-19 Testing Implementation Forum (HERE)

• Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a new program to capture feedback between federal officials and the private sector. The National Testing Implementation Forum will bring together representatives from key stakeholder groups to share information and provide input to federal leaders about SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, testing and diagnostics.

HHS Protect: Frequently Asked Questions (HERE)

• At the beginning of the pandemic, it became clear that HHS needed a central way to make data collected by various operating divisions, including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and others, visible to first responders at federal, state, and local levels and we needed to collect this data as fast as possible. To fulfill this need, HHS built HHS Protect, a secure data ecosystem powered by eight commercial technologies for sharing, parsing, housing, and accessing COVID-19 data and driven by four principles: transparency, sharing, privacy, and security.

OCR Resolves Complaint After Hospital Accommodates Medical Student’s Religious Needs During COVID-19 (HERE)

• Today, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is announcing the resolution of a complaint against Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH) in New York City after SIUH accommodated the needs for a medical student to keep a beard according to his faith while using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OCR Resolves Religious Discrimination Complaint after Maryland Hospital System Ensures Patients Can Receive Religious Visitations during COVID-19 (HERE)

• Today, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announces the resolution of a religious discrimination complaint against Prince George’s Hospital Center of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) after UMMS adopted new policies ensuring clergy access to patients for religious purposes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

FDA Daily Roundup – July 20, 2020 (HERE)

• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues to announce actions taken in its ongoing response effort to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Weekly Update: DHS Response to COVID-19 (HERE)

• The Department of Homeland Security remains vigilant against the COVID-19 virus and continues to lead the national response to minimize the impact of COVID-19 on American citizens and workers. As the nation transitions to a phased approach of reopening the economy the Department and its components remain steadfast in their commitment to ensure a safe, secure, and prosperous Homeland for the American people.

CARES Act Air Service Exemption for United Airlines Extension (HERE)

• Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation is acting on a request from United Airlines for exemption from the CARES Act airline service obligations announced in Order 2020-4-2.  United Airlines requests that the Department grant it an extension from July 7 through August 5 from its service obligation at Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. 

Reconstitution: Reopening After Coronavirus FAQ (HERE)

• FEMA National Continuity Programs (NCP) sponsored regional webinars to share information about best practices for the reconstitution of operations, based on the Fact Sheet “Planning Considerations for Organizations in Reconstituting Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” to enable organizations to return to normal following coronavirus (COVID-19) social distancing requirements. This document includes responses to frequently asked questions raised during the webinars.

U.S. Department of Labor Cites Ohio Nursing Facilities for Failing to Fully Implement Respiratory Programs to Protect Employees from Coronavirus (HERE)

• The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited healthcare company OHNH EMP LLC for violating respiratory protection standards following an inspection initiated after the company reported the coronavirus-related hospitalization of seven employees. 

USDA Announces $15 Million in Funding Opportunities to Support Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers (HERE)

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced approximately $15 million in available funding to help socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers own and operate successful farms. Funding is made through the USDA’s Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program (also known as the 2501 Program).

Two Chinese Hackers Working with the Ministry of State Security Charged with Global Computer Intrusion Campaign Targeting Intellectual Property and Confidential Business Information, Including COVID-19 Research (HERE)

• A federal grand jury in Spokane, Washington, returned an indictment earlier this month charging two hackers, both nationals and residents of the People’s Republic of China (China), with hacking into the computer systems of hundreds of victim companies, governments, non-governmental organizations, and individual dissidents, clergy, and democratic and human rights activists in the United States and abroad, including Hong Kong and China.

Register for the DOT Opportunity Zones Program Update Webinar (HERE)

• The United States Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) invites you to participate at the Department’s “Opportunity Zones Program” Updates Webinar to be held on Wednesday, July 29th. The webinar will start promptly at 2:00 pm, EDT. This webinar will update the public on the recent pandemic of COVID-19, and its impact on the Opportunity Zones program within the U.S. Department of Transportation.

U.S. Department of Commerce Continues to Invest Cares Act Funding to Boost Economic Development Programs Critical to Helping Communities Respond to Coronavirus (HERE)

• EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance, which is being administered under the authority of the bureau’s flexible Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) program, provides a wide-range of financial assistance to eligible communities and regions as they respond to and recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. For complete information, please visit EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance page.

For the most up-to-date information, please see the CDC’s website: www.coronavirus.gov.

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