Here are today’s COVID-19 headlines and helpful tidbits. If you’re interested in looking back on previous editions of the COVID-19 Compilation, check out the archives.

Iowa Today, the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) has been notified of 302 additional positive cases for a total of 7,145 positive cases. There have been an additional 1,028 negative tests for a total of 35,552 negative tests to date, which includes testing reported by the State Hygienic Lab and other labs. The number of positive cases will continue to grow as Test Iowa sites open and additional surveillance testing of large businesses and nursing home staff continues. According to IDPH, an additional 14 deaths were also reported (162 total deaths), 335 are currently hospitalized, and 2,697 Iowans have recovered. At this time, 1 in 74 Iowans have already been tested.

Washington, D.C.

 The FDA included, under the ventilator emergency use authorization (EUA), a ventilator developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which is tailored to treat patients with COVID-19. The ventilator was added to the list of authorized ventilators, ventilator tubing connectors and ventilator accessories under the ventilator EUA that was issued in response to concerns relating to insufficient supply and availability of FDA-cleared ventilators for use in health care settings to treat patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The FDA published Q&A about COVID-19 and pets.  The federal government is reportedly initiating an effort called “” to speed the development and production of countermeasures against COVID-19, including vaccines. The program will reportedly provide liability protection and funding for vaccine developers. Operation Warp Speed has not officially been announced by the government. o It is unclear how much money will be allocated to this program, but the goal is reportedly to manufacture hundreds of millions of treatment/vaccine doses by the end of 2020.  The CDC continues to update their dashboard. Today, they notably updated the social media toolkit and guidance for contact tracing. Recently, they updated and published the most recent reopening guidelines for Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools, and Homes.  Betsy DeVos announced today that nearly $1.4 billion in additional funding will be directed to Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), as well as institutions serving low-income students to help ensure learning continues during the coronavirus national emergency. This funding is part of the Higher Education Emergency Relief (HEER) Fund authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  The House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies will hold a hearing May 6th at 10:00 am on the federal government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.  The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions will be meeting on May 7th at 10:00 am for hearing titled, “Shark Tank: New Tests for COVID-19.” The two witnesses, who were announced this morning, are NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins and BARDA Acting Director Dr. Gary Disbrow.  CMS announced a new independent Commission that will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the nursing home response to COVID-19. The Commission will provide independent recommendations to the contractor to review and report to CMS to help inform immediate and future responses to COVID-19 in nursing homes. This effort builds upon the five-part plan unveiled last April to ensure safety and quality in America’s nursing homes, as well as recent CMS efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19 within these facilities.  Today, the Senate Democratic Policy and Communications Committee released a report studying the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color.  On Tuesday, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to President Trump advising him to limit the amount of liability businesses could face for spreading COVID-19. The letter warned against overregulating businesses, and should receive positive reception in the Administration.

Updates from the States

 Out of the cases under investigation detected by U.S. surveillance, there are total cases: 1,031,659 and 60,057 deaths The CDC data closes out the day before reporting  New Jersey reported more deaths in the last 24 hours than any other state (406).  Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) made clear that it is highly unlikely that groups of more than 50 people will be able to gather at any point this summer. She recommended that anyone planning an event with more than 50 people through the summer cancel, postpone, or find a way to celebrate virtually instead.  New York Gov. (D) said starting next Wednesday the subway system will halt service from 1:00-5:00 am each night to allow time for trains to be disinfected.  Washington state Gov. (D) announced a new COVID-19 risk assessment dashboard to aid the state in gauging when and how to best lift the state’s ‘Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order.  Armed protesters gathered at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing today in an effort to convince lawmakers to vote against extending the state of emergency.  Updates on Lockdowns/Reopening: o Gov. Doug Ducey (R) announced that Arizona's stay-at-home order will be extended to May 15th, with some modifications. The "Stay home, Stay healthy, Stay connected" policy allows retailers not classified as an essential business to, starting May 4th, operate through delivery service and other means that do not entail in-store sales. o Georgia Gov. (R) formally extended Georgia's public health state of emergency through June 12th to continue enhanced testing across Georgia. He also signed an order today requiring medically fragile and elderly Georgians to continue to shelter in place through June 12th. o Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) enacted Stage 1 Protocols of Idaho Rebound for opening daycares, youth activities, and places of worship. o West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) announced today that he will soon lift the "Stay At Home" order imposed statewide, replacing it with a "Safer At Home" order set to go into effect on May 4th. o Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon (R) has announced that new public health order effective May 1st will allow gyms, barber shops, hair salons, and other personal care services to reopen under specific operating conditions. o Gov. Andy Beshear (D) laid out Kentucky's plan to gradually open business activities, set to allow a variety of business to resume operations May 11th - May 25th.  Useful state data: o The NYT is now tracking which states are reopening and which are still shut down. o These charts show cumulative coronavirus cases and deaths for metropolitan areas over time. o Use Johns Hopkins University’s COVID-19 U.S. map as a resource for media, policymakers and communities to view a collection of critical public health data in one online destination and better understand and track the COVID-19 pandemic in populations both large and small across the country. o NASHP has developed a COVID-19 State Action Center which serves as a state-level policy dashboard. o This site from the Kaiser Family Foundation provides state-level information on cases/deaths, social distancing measures, health policy actions, and more. o This resource from Bloomberg Law is a database of State Quarantine and Public Health Laws related to the COVID-19 response. o This series of maps shows how states are responding to COVID-19, and this tracker, created and maintained by MultiState Associates, has an up-to-date list of executive orders and various travel restrictions. o Finally, this site offers COVID-19 projections assuming full social distancing and can be broken down by state.

Military/Defense

 Three major defense contractors reported that they are bracing for economic losses from the COVID-19 pandemic. Boeing and General Dynamics both reported sizable revenue decreases in the first quarter of 2020, while Northrop Grumman reduced its projections for the full year by nearly $400 million due to supply chain disruptions.  The USNS Comfort has left after spending the last month supporting the region’s COVID-19 efforts.  The Navy’s Blue Angels and the Air Force’s Thunderbirds will be conducting flyovers over , Washington, D.C., and Atlanta on Saturday to honor essential workers and health care personnel. D.C. residents can expect the flyover at 11:45 am, lasting approximately 20 minutes.  The U.S. Naval Academy announced this year’s commissioning events will be held over a 10-day period with graduating midshipmen separated into five groups to comply with social distancing measures.  Top Army officials held a briefing to discuss the service’s role in the DoD’s COVID-19 response efforts. o In the briefing, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said the service has developed a rough framework to guide commanders through the process of safely returning to field training operations. o Army officials also defended their decision to bring 1,000 cadets back to West Point for graduation, where President is slated to speak, saying that despite the coronavirus risk students would have had to return anyways to prepare for their next duty assignment.

International Affairs

 Singapore reported 528 new COVID-19 cases, 488 (92.4 percent) of whom are residents in dormitories. Migrant workers living in these dormitories continue to drive Singapore’s accelerating epidemic; however, community transmission outside of these facilities remains low (9 new community cases reported).  WHO AMRO/PAHO Director, Dr Carissa F. Etienne, has urged for vaccination programs to continue during the COVID-19 pandemic: “If we fall behind on routine immunizations, particularly for children, we risk outbreaks, thus overwhelming hospitals and clinics with preventable diseases in addition to COVID-19.” Her full statement is available here.  The World Bank is predicting that global poverty rates will rise for the first time in over 20 years. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic lockdowns could land nearly 8 percent of the world’s population in poverty. o On a similar note, the top relief official at the United Nations says it will probably take $90 billion in humanitarian aid to protect vulnerable populations from the economic devastation of the pandemic.  Russian prime minister Mikhail Mishustin has tested positive for COVID-19. Mr. Mishustin made the announcement during a video conference with President Vladimir Putin that was broadcast on national television. He is the highest-ranking Russian official known to have been infected with COVID-19.  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to lay out a road map next week for reopening the British economy, schools, and offices, but has not mentioned a timetable for putting it into effect and has expressed concern about reopening prematurely. He listed a set of conditions that must be met, including solving problems in obtaining enough PPE.  After Germany began easing its restrictions last week, Chancellor Angela Merkel said today that houses of worship, playgrounds, museums, zoos, and botanical gardens can now reopen. She will not be making any major decisions about reopening schools until after May 6th.  France’s government has announced plans to begin easing limits on movement and business on May 11th.  Global Cases: 3,090,445 Total Deaths: 217,769

Lifestyle, Science, and Economy

 The United States Department of Labor announced that an additional 3.8 million new unemployment insurance claims were filed last week. In total, Americans have filed more than 30 million new unemployment claims over the past 6 weeks.  Yesterday, Gilead Sciences, the manufacturer of remdesivir, released some results from a Phase III clinical trial comparing 5-day and 10-day treatment courses of the drug. The results did not provide any information whether the drug improved patient outcomes compared to a control group. Gilead also noted that the results “complement” forthcoming results from a placebo- controlled trial conducted by NIAID (mentioned in yesterday’s update). o The interim results from the NIAID study—a randomized control trial involving more than 1,000 patients—find that patients treated with remdesivir had a shorter time to recovery than those who received a placebo (median of 11 days compared to 15 days; 28 percent improvement). Dr. Tony Fauci described the reduction in time to recovery as “highly significant.”  Trade groups including the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service and the National Retail Federation wrote to a letter to lawmakers today urging them to provide relief funds to the United States Postal Services.  Meat processing workers, many of them low-income immigrants and minorities, are being recalled to plants where thousands have been sickened.  On Friday, labor organizers from Amazon, Whole Foods, Instacart, Walmart, Target, Shipt (owned by Target), and FedEx say they will walk off the job to strike for better pay, expansion of paid sick leave, access to personal protective equipment, and enforcement of social distancing in the workplace.  Researchers from the Northwest Evaluation Association, a standardized testing company, predict students who received limited or no instruction during the school closures from March through August may only retain about 70 percent of their reading progress compared to a normal school year.  Airlines are starting to enforce stricter rules around mask use. American Airlines and Delta Air Lines announced today that they will start requiring all passengers and flight attendants to wear a face covering in the coming weeks. Lufthansa, JetBlue, and Frontier Airlines all made similar announcements earlier in the week.  Southwest Airlines said this week that its flight attendants would soon be wearing masks, joining United Airlines, which announced a similar policy late last week.  Macy’s announced today that they’ve come up with an ambitious plan to reopen all of its 775 locations, including Bloomingdales and Bluemercury, in the next six to eight weeks. Stores will start opening on Monday in Georgia, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.  Forbes is keeping a running list of all major international airline COVID-19-related change and cancellation policies.  has started its own tracker of cases in the U.S. to fill in the gaps left by agency data.  Lists of canceled conferences and events can be found here (music), here (tech), here (general), and here (sports/entertainment).

Helpful Articles/Media

 Daily WHO Situation Report (4/30)  From Bill Gates: Responding to Covid-19 — A Once-in-a-Century Pandemic?  Feeding Low-Income Children during the Covid-19 Pandemic  Effect of Convalescent Plasma Therapy on Viral Shedding and Survival in COVID-19 Patients  Continue to check out the NIH Office of Portfolio Analysis’s (OPA) expert-curated portfolio of COVID-19 publications and preprints. The portfolio includes peer-reviewed articles from PubMed and preprints from medRxiv, bioRxiv, ChemRxiv, and arXiv. It is updated daily with the latest available data and enables users to explore and analyze the rapidly growing set of advances in COVID-19 research.  AspenIdeas Health has a 3:00 pm webinar tomorrow titled, “The State of COVID-19 Response and Recovery: A Conversation with Dr. Tom Frieden.” You can register here.  What Antibody Studies Can Tell You — and More Importantly, What They Can’t  Aerodynamic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 in two Wuhan hospitals (this would change the reopening of large buildings if found to be consistent)  Video Chat: A conversation on the coronavirus with Rich Besser  Here is last week’s COVIDView from CDC, a weekly summary and interpretation of key indicators that have been adapted to track the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S.  From Dr. Tom Frieden: How to reopen society as soon and safely as possible  Putting A Stake Through The Heart of Public Health’s Eeyore Complex  The Other COVID Risks: How Race, Income, ZIP Code Influence Who Lives Or Dies  Vaping, Opioid Addiction Accelerate Coronavirus Risks, Says NIDA Director  Examining the social impact of COVID-19  The Implications of COVID-19 for Mental Health and Substance Use  COVID-19 exacerbating inequalities in the US  COVID-19 in the USA: a question of time  COVID-19 Outbreak Associated with Air Conditioning in Restaurant, Guangzhou, China, 2020  The characteristics of household transmission of COVID-19  The SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain elicits a potent neutralizing response without antibody-dependent enhancement  Symptom Screening at Illness Onset of Health Care Personnel With SARS-CoV-2 Infection in King County, Washington  Finding Effective Treatments for COVID-19: Scientific Integrity and Public Confidence in a Time of Crisis  Covid-19 is rapidly becoming America’s leading cause of death  Antibiotic treatment for COVID-19 complications could fuel resistant bacteria  Rapid coronavirus test, commonly used in U.S., may miss infections in some situations  Food And Beverage Companies Evolve, Innovate And Contribute Amid COVID-19 Crisis  Visualizing Speech-Generated Oral Fluid Droplets with Laser Light Scattering  Coronavirus Vaccine Prospects  Former CDC Director Shares Lessons Learned From Ebola Outbreak  ‘We need an army’: Hiring of coronavirus trackers seen as key to curbing disease spread  Suicide Mortality and Coronavirus Disease 2019—A Perfect Storm?  FEMA’s How to Help website.  Safety at the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic: How to Keep our Oncology Patients and Healthcare Workers Safe  The effective use of telemedicine to save lives and maintain structure in a health care system  Projecting hospital utilization during the COVID-19 outbreaks in the U.S.  Johns Hopkins data capture.  Other tracking data here.

Common Acronyms

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Central Command (CENTCOM), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)

Statistics

Map updated 4.30.20

(data from WHO daily situation reports) For more information, visit CDC’s Novel Coronavirus 2019 website

David R. Adelman Principal & Director | Government Affairs