COVID-19 Compilation – May 29, 2020 Courtesy of Cornerstone Government Affairs 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), United States 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) Washington, D.C. • President Trump announced that the U.S. will cut ties with the WHO. The WHO is expected to comment tomorrow. • The Department of the Treasury posted an updated FAQ for state, territorial, local, and tribal governments. • The FDA took steps to further support the development of COVID-19 tests for at-home self-collection by including a voluntary EUA template for at-home sample collection kits to its website. As explained in FDA’s guidance, Policy for COVID-19 Tests During the Public Health Emergency (Revised), this template reflects FDA’s current thinking on the data and information that developers should submit to facilitate the EUA process. In particular, this template includes recommendations for use by laboratories and commercial manufacturers who may use it to facilitate the preparation and submission of an EUA request. Currently, developers can offer a COVID-19 test for at-home self-collection under emergency use authorization (EUA), and COVID-19 tests for at-home self-collection may also be used as part of an Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved study. • The FDA is hosting a virtual Town Hall on June 3rd at 12:15 PM for clinical laboratories and commercial manufacturers that are developing or have developed diagnostic tests for COVID-19. The purpose of this Town Hall is to help answer technical questions about the development and validation of tests for COVID- 19. • The FDA is making its previously developed FDA MyStudies app available to investigators as a free platform to securely obtain patients’ informed consent for eligible clinical trials when face-to-face contact is not possible or practical due to COVID-19 control measures. FDA MyStudies is now referred to as COVID MyStudies in the Apple App store and in the Google Play store. • Here is this 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. • On Monday at 4:00 PM, CDC will host a partner call to share information and answer common questions for sports programs, including athletes, staff, and venues. The call will be recorded and posted to CDC’s website. • The CDC published more new COVID-19 documents to its dashboard today. Some highlights are: updates to the toolkit for airlines, a revised FAQ for health care personnel, principles and considerations for youth sports, and new guidance on the discontinuation of isolation for persons with COVID-19 not in healthcare settings. • There are a bunch of COVID-19 hearings slated to take place next week in Congress. President Trump said today that administration officials will only be cleared to testify at in-person hearings: o Tuesday (6/2) 10 AM Senate Judiciary, "Best practices for incarceration and detention during COVID-19" o Tuesday (6/2) 11:30 AM House Energy and Commerce, "On the Front Line: How Governors are Battling the COVID-19 Pandemic" o Tuesday (6/2) 2:30 PM Senate Finance, "COVID-19 and Beyond: Oversight of the FDA’s Foreign Drug Manufacturing Inspection Process" o Wednesday (6/3) 10 AM Senate Small Business, "Perspectives from Main Street: COVID-19’s Impact on Small Business" o Wednesday (6/3) 11 AM House Judiciary, "Protecting the Right to Vote During the COVID-19 Pandemic" o Wednesday (6/3) 1 PM House Budget, "Addressing the Economic Impacts of COVID-19: Views from Two Former CBO Directors" o Wednesday (6/3) 2:30 PM Senate Commerce, "The State of Transportation and Critical Infrastructure: Examining the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic" o Thursday (6/4) 10 AM Senate HELP, "COVID-19: Going Back to College Safely" o Thursday (6/4) 11 AM House Appropriations, "COVID-19 Response" o Thursday (6/4) 1 PM House Administration, "The Impact of COVID-19 on Voting Rights and Election Administration: Ensuring Safe and Fair Elections" • Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) said today that he tested positive for antibodies, making him the second senator to make such an announcement. • Republicans have started putting together their priorities for the next COVID-19 supplemental appropriations bill. For an in-depth briefing on the legislative landscape, please refer to the COVID-19 Legislative Update, which is published on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. If you do not receive the Legislative Update and would like to subscribe, email [email protected] Updates from the States • Out of the cases under investigation detected by U.S. surveillance, there are 1,719,827 total cases and 101,711 deaths The CDC data closes out the day before reporting. • Mississippi, Utah, Wisconsin, South Carolina, and Arizona all set new highs in their daily reports of new positive cases of COVID-19. • A person who attended some of the crowded pool parties at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri last weekend has tested positive for COVID-19. • New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said today that New York City could potentially start reopening by June 8th. Under the first step, nonessential stores would be allowed to open for curbside pickup and nonessential construction and manufacturing could resume. • Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) announced that youth summer leagues, summer schools, and day camps can reopen. • Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed an EO that takes additional steps to allow for larger gatherings and lets bars and nightclubs reopen in Georgia if they follow certain guidelines. • Gov. Brad Little (R) announced that Idaho will enter Stage 3 of reopening its economy, allowing bars to reopen, and allowing public or private gatherings of up to 50 people if social distancing can be maintained. Additionally, Gov. Little announced that movie theaters were included in Stage 3. • Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed a proclamation that permits bars, wineries, breweries, distilleries, and social and fraternal clubs may reopen on May 28th with the same public health measures as restaurants in place. The proclamation also permits the reopening on June 1st of additional establishments, including outdoor performance venues, casinos, bowling alleys, amusement parks, skating rinks, skate parks, outdoor playgrounds. • Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) issued two additional COVID-19 EOs, extending a prohibition on utility shutoffs and residential late fees, and allowing breweries, wineries, and distilleries to provide service in outdoor seating areas. Gov. Hogan also extended his order prohibiting electric, gas, water, sewage, phone, cable TV, and internet service provider companies from shutting off any residential customer’s service, or charging any residential late fees. The order will remain in effect through July 1st. • Gov. Charlie Baker (R) announced updates for the opening of Massachusetts for certain sectors (i.e., professional sports teams) and provided guidance to the opening of restaurants and lodging businesses. • Gov. Tate Reeves (R) announced his Safer At Home order will be ending on June 1st to be replaced by new guidance for the next stage of economic recovery for Mississippi. Gov. Reeves also issued another executive order to begin safely reopening ballparks, movie theaters, libraries, and museums. • Utah Gov. Gary Herbert (R) signed an EO updating guidelines pertaining to social gatherings, education, businesses, travel, and events. The new order clarifies that all businesses within specific counties that have been moved to the low risk phase are operating if they can meet and adhere to the specific guidelines. • Gov. Phil Scott (R) announced the opening of additional close contact businesses, dental procedures, businesses that require work in the home, and of limited overnight youth summer camp programming. Additionally, the state of Vermont increased the size of social gatherings. • Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) released his Phase 2 reopening directive, which is set to expire on June 30th. • Gov. David Ige (D) approved requests, from the Mayors Hawaiʻi and Kauaʻi counties, to safely re-open more businesses and operations under guidelines that will ensure their health, safety, and welfare. • Gov. Andy Beshear (D) announced the opening of specific amusement parks and the Kentucky State Park Lodges with extensive precautions in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. • Gov. Tom Wolf (D) signed amended yellow phase orders to include eight new counties into the yellow phase of reopening Pennsylvania. The eight counties are joining 49 counties that previously moved into the yellow phase. • Useful state data: o The NYT is 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. Governing is also keeping a running tally of coronavirus news and impacts at the intersection of the health and economic crises in the states and localities. o This site from the Kaiser Family Foundation provides state-level information on cases/deaths, social distancing measures, health policy actions, and more.