Assistance for American Workers and Families

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.orgcan 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

Donate COVID-19 Plasma

• If you have fully recovered from COVID-19, you may be able to help patients currently fighting the infection by donating your plasma. Because you fought the infection, your plasma now contains COVID-19 antibodies. These antibodies provided one way for your immune system to fight the virus when you were sick, so your plasma may be able to be used to help others fight off the disease. Learn more here.
• To find where you can donate source plasma, visit donatingplasma.org.

Donate Blood

• The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented challenges to the U.S. blood supply. Donor centers have experienced a dramatic reduction in donations due to the implementation of social distancing and the cancellation of blood drives. Blood is needed every day to provide lifesaving treatments to a variety of patients. You can help ensure that blood continues to be available for patients by finding a blood donor center near you to schedule your donation. Learn more here.
• To find where you can donate blood, visit aabb.org. 

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: www.fema.gov/coronavirus/how-to-help.

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.

• 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 resources and tools for school administrators, teachers, parents, guardians, and caregivers when schools open this fall:

o   The Importance of Reopening America’s Schools this Fall

o   School Decision-Making Tool for Parents, Caregivers, and Guardians

o   Guidance for K-12 School Administrators on the Use of Cloth Face Coverings in Schools

o   Screening K-12 Students for Symptoms of COVID-19: Limitations and Considerations

o   Back to School Planning: Checklists to Guide Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers

o   FAQ for School Administrators on Reopening Schools

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

o   Washing Hands

o   Wearing Gloves

o   Wearing a Cloth Face Cover

o   Practicing Social Distancing

o   Cleaning and Sanitizing Toys and Child Care Programs

o   Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Homes

o   Staying Safe at Summer Camp

o   Staying Safe at Aquatic Venues

o   Dining with Friends and Family with Higher Risk for Severe Illness

o   Visiting Friends and Family with Higher Risk for Severe Illness

o   Stopping the Spread of Germs

o   Considerations for Bars and Restaurants

o   Wear a Mask to Protect You and Your Friends

o   Key Times to Wear a Mask

o   Symptoms of Coronavirus Disease 2019

o   COVID-19 Stop the Spread of Germs

o   Know Your Risk of Getting COVID-19

Operation Warp Speed

• The President is using all available means to ensure safe vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics are developed, manufactured, and distributed in unprecedented time and scale in response to COVID-19.
• Earlier this year, President Trump launched Operation Warp Speed, a groundbreaking partnership between the Federal Government, scientific community, and private sector to develop and deliver vaccines in record time.
  • Operation Warp Speed’s goal is to produce and deliver 300 million doses of safe and effective vaccines with the initial doses available by January 2021.
• The Administration has made large investments in multiple vaccine candidates to provide financial infrastructure for mass manufacturing, in parallel with late-stage clinical trials.
• Operation Warp Speed has invested in more than five vaccines and teamed up with multiple pharmaceutical companies to safely produce as many effective vaccines as possible.
• A number of vaccine candidates have shown promising early clinical results and are either in or starting Phase 3 clinical trials, including AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Pfizer.

White House Updates

·         Statement from the Press Secretary (HERE)

·         President Donald J. Trump is Unleashing America’s 5G Potential (HERE)

·         Press Briefing by Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany | 8/10/2020 (HERE)

·         ONDCP Newly Awards $15.9 Million for High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas, Expanding its Overdose Response Strategy to All 50 States (HERE)

·         Remarks by President Trump Before Air Force One Departure | Morristown, NJ (HERE)

·         President Trump’s Historic Coronavirus Response (HERE)

·         Memorandum on Authorizing the Other Needs Assistance Program for Major Disaster Declarations Related to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (HERE)

·         Memorandum on Deferring Payroll Tax Obligations in Light of the Ongoing COVID-19 Disaster (HERE)

·         Executive Order on Fighting the Spread of COVID-19 by Providing Assistance to Renters and Homeowners (HERE)

·         Memorandum on Continued Student Loan Payment Relief During the COVID-19 Pandemic (HERE)

·         1600 Daily: Coronavirus response: President Trump vs. the Swamp (HERE)

Statement by Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin on the President’s Executive Orders Providing Continuing Economic Relief (HERE)

• “I am pleased that President Trump has taken action to ensure that economic relief continues to be provided for America’s workers, families and businesses. These Executive Orders build upon our ongoing implementation of the CARES Act, which is delivering meaningful results for the American people.”

HHS Releases July – December COVID-19 State Testing Plans (HERE)

• Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) publicly posted the July through December COVID-19 Testing Plans from all states, territories, and localities on HHS.gov. The State Testing Plans serve as a roadmap developed in partnership with the Federal government for each jurisdiction’s monthly 2020 testing strategy for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

HHS Provider Relief Fund Phase 2 General Distribution Now Accepting Additional Applicants (HERE)

• HHS announced that certain Medicare providers would be given another opportunity to receive additional Provider Relief Fund payments. These are providers who previously missed the June 3, 2020 deadline to apply for additional funding equal to 2 percent of their total patient care revenue from the $20 billion portion of the $50 billion Phase 1 General Distribution, including many Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and dental providers with low Medicare revenues.

HHS Secretary Azar Meets with President Tsai of Taiwan and Praises Taiwan’s Transparent COVID-19 Response (HERE)

• Secretary Azar and President Tsai discussed the ways the Trump Administration has strengthened the partnership between Taiwan and the United States, noting this visit highlights Taiwan’s success on health and combating COVID-19, the long-standing cooperation between the United States and Taiwan, and the democratic values shared. 

HHS Secretary Azar Signs Joint Statement with Taiwan Minister of Health and Welfare (HERE)

• On August 10, The American Institute in Taiwan and Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) signed a memorandum of understanding to expand upon the more than 20 years of collaboration between U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare on a wide range of health issues, including COVID-19.

Secretary Azar Statement on Meeting with Taiwan President Tsai (HERE)

• “The particular focus of both my discussion with President Tsai and of our trip is highlighting Taiwan’s success on health, in combating COVID-19, and cooperating with the United States to prevent, detect, and respond to health threats.”

Clinical Trials of Monoclonal Antibodies to Prevent Covid-19 Now Enrolling (HERE)

• Two Phase 3, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trials testing whether experimental monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) can prevent infection by SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus are now enrolling healthy adults at clinical trial sites in the United States. Many of the trial sites and study investigators are part of the COVID-19 Prevention Network (CoVPN), recently established by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), one of the National Institutes of Health. 

NIH Clinical Trials to Test Antibody Treatments in COVID-19 Patients (HERE)

• National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins and NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci discuss the launch of NIH clinical trials testing monoclonal antibodies in COVID-19 testing during NIH’s Facebook and Twitter live event.

FDA Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update Daily Roundup – August 10, 2020 (HERE)

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

COVID-19: Rhode Island Recovery Efforts Begin (HERE)

• As residents throughout New England adjust to life with COVID-19, the state of Rhode Island and federal partners coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency continue to work together to help communities recover from the burden of Coronavirus.

IRS Joint Board Announces Temporary Waiver of “Physical Presence” Education Requirement for Enrolled Actuaries (HERE)

• The Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries today provided enrolled actuaries with notice that it is waiving the physical presence requirement for continuing professional education (CPE) credit for any formal programs conducted from January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2022. The Joint Board made this decision due to the hardships that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused, particularly those involving traveling to and participating in gatherings requiring close contact with others.

HUD Awards $472 Million to Public Housing Authorities to Help Keep Residents Housed (HERE)

• The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson today announced $472 million in CARES Act funding to help low income families during the coronavirus pandemic. This funding can be used by Public Housing Authorities to help families assisted by Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) and Mainstream vouchers prevent, prepare for and respond to the coronavirus.

Statement by U.S. Secretary of Labor Scalia on Presidential Memorandum Authorizing the Other Needs Assistance Program for Major Disaster Declarations Related to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (HERE)

• “Today’s Presidential Memorandum reflects President Trump’s determination to identify and deploy all the authorities available to him to support Americans out of work as a result of the pandemic. The Memorandum follows the refusal of Democratic leadership to allow even a short-term extension of federal unemployment benefits while the parties negotiated a longer-term plan. The Department of Labor will now work closely with the States and the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA to assist in providing the relief made available by the Memorandum.”

ICYMI: U.S. Department of Labor Acts to Help American Workers and Employers During the Coronavirus Pandemic (HERE)

• During the coronavirus pandemic, the Department of Labor is focused on protecting the safety and health of American workers, assisting our state partners as they deliver traditional unemployment and expanded unemployment benefits under the CARES Act, ensuring Americans know their rights to new paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave, providing guidance and assistance to employers, and carrying out the mission of the Department.

Joint Press Statement from U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders (HERE)

• “As we face new challenges together, including the recovery of the global economy after the COVID-19 pandemic, our partnership will strengthen data protection and promote greater prosperity for our nearly 800 million citizens on both sides of the Atlantic.”

Op-Ed by Commerce Secretary Wilbur L. Ross: Three Tennessee Communities will Receive Opportunity Zone Grants (HERE)

• On Monday, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) will award three grants totaling $5.1 million to fund construction of infrastructure to support new facilities and hundreds of jobs located in Opportunity Zones in the state of Tennessee.

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.

Department of Defense Offers an Expanded Child Care Service through Military OneSource (HERE)

• The Department of Defense is providing an additional way for military parents to find child care solutions for hourly care. Military OneSource will expand its offerings through a national online service that enables families to find, hire, and pay for care.

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

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