COVID-19 Federal Responses: Thursday, July 9, 2020

Congress

• The White House isurgingCongress to pass another stimulus package. There is bipartisan desire for more relief legislation, but Congress is not close to agreeing on how much money to spend or how to spend it.
• As the U.S. experiences a rise in COVID-19 cases, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY)reiteratedthat a new coronavirus relief bill will be necessary. Senate Republicans are expected to focus their priorities on safely reopening schools and the economy.
• The House Committee on Energy and Commerce will be holding ahearingon July 21 featuring testimony from five drug manufacturers currently working to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. Additional details about the hearing will be announced the week prior.
• A group of Democratic Health Committee leaders wrote aletterto the administration expressing their concerns about a loophole that would allow health plans to deny claims for COVID-19 testing.

White House and Federal Agencies

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issuedguidancefor election polling locations on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but continue to recommend that voters consider alternatives to in-person voting.
• The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released aFact Sheetfor Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) providers detailing eligibility requirements and the application process for the Provider Relief Fund distribution.
• The National Institutes of Health (NIH)launcheda new clinical trials network aimed at enrolling large numbers of participants in large-scale clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines.
• The CDC hasupdatedinformation related to their COVID-19 global response efforts.
• The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) is supportingresearchthat focuses on the role and impact of digital health interventions for vulnerable populations. The NIMHD is looking for investigators to participate.
• The CDCreleased an analysisthat showed that of the 17,358 meat processing facility workers with COVID-19, 56% were Hispanic, 19% were Black, 13% were white, and 12% were Asian. These data reflect a disproportionate incidence among workers from racial minority groups.19.

Reopening, Vaccine and Treatment

• Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID),warnsthat initial versions of a COVID-19 vaccine will likely be limited in how long it provides protection.
• Dr. Fauci expressed hissupport面具要求地方政府发行的年代low the spread of COVID-19.
  • Dr. Deborah Birx, the U.S. coronavirus response coordinator, ispraisinggovernors who have mandated masks, enforced social distancing, and closed bars,saying that their actions can “change the course of this pandemic.”
• On July 3, the CDCupdatedits guidelines on how to reopen businesses and workplaces.
• The CDCreleasedguidelines and considerations for communities that plan to host events and gatherings
• The White House and the CDCplan to supplementsome of the CDC guidelines for reopening schools.
• Novavaxreceived$1.6 billion in government funding to support late-stage trials and expanded manufacturing capacity for a COVID-19 vaccine it is developing. The funding was awarded as part of the White House Operation Warp Speed initiative.
• Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Brett Giroirannouncedabout 16.5 million tests were performed in June, exceeding the 12.9 million goal, but result turnaround times can be anywhere between 2 to 5 days.
• HHSannouncedit will set up “surge” sites for free COVID-19 testing in Jacksonville, FL, Baton Rouge, LA, and Edinburg, TX. These communities have faced recent spikes in new infections. Dr. Fauci describes the state of the United States’ COVID-19 outbreak as “really not good,” citing this resurgence of infections.

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