FEMA ADVISORY – May 2, 2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic: PPE Packages for Nursing Homes

Attached is a FEMA Fact Sheet on PPE Packages for Nursing Homes. Under the direction of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, FEMA will coordinate two shipments totaling a 14-day supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) to more than 15,000 nursing homes across the Nation.

The mission will supplement existing efforts to ensure nursing homes across the country have PPE during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. FEMA will ship PPE to Medicaid- and Medicare-certified nursing homes based on input from the American Health Care Association to serve as a bridge between other PPE shipments.

Due to the critical need for PPE at nursing homes where some of our Nation’s most vulnerable residents live, these supplies are meant to supplement existing PPE efforts by the federal government. FEMA and HHS continue working with states, territories, and tribes on PPE needs through a variety of ways.

Contact Us

If you have any questions regarding this FEMA Advisory, please contact FEMA Office of External Affairs, Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs Division:

• Congressional Affairs at (202) 646-4500 or at FEMA-Congressional-Affairs@fema.dhs.gov
• Intergovernmental Affairs at (202) 646-3444 or at FEMA-IGA@fema.dhs.gov
• Tribal Affairs at (202) 646-3444 or at FEMA-Tribal@fema.dhs.gov
• Private Sector Engagement at (202) 646-3444 or at nbeoc@max.gov

Follow Us

Follow FEMA on social media at: FEMA online, on Twitter @FEMA or @FEMAEspanol, on FEMA Facebook page or FEMA Espanol page and at FEMA YouTube channel.

Also, follow Administrator Pete Gaynor on Twitter @FEMA_Pete.

FEMA Mission

To help people before, during and after disasters.

• FEMA_Advisory_COVID19_NursingHomes_FINAL_20200502.pdf
• FEMA_FactSheet_NursingHomes_FINAL_20200502.pdf

FEMA ADVISORY – May 2, 2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic: Whole-of-America Response

Attached you will find today’s FEMA Daily Briefing Points for the Whole-of-America response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. These briefing points include Topline Messages, as well as Supply Chain Task Force; By the Numbers; FEMA and Department of Health and Human Services Response; and Guidance from Federal Agencies.

Topline messaging includes:

• On April 30, President Trump announced additional efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of America’s seniors during the coronavirus pandemic.

• FEMA is coordinating two shipments totaling a 14-day supply of personal protective equipment to all 15,400 Medicaid and Medicare-certified nursing homes in America. The first shipments are expected to begin next week. The shipments are meant to supplement existing efforts to provide equipment to nursing homes.

• On April 27, President Trump unveiled the Opening Up America Again Testing Overview and Testing Blueprint designed to facilitate state development and implementation of the robust testing plans and rapid response programs described in the President’s Guidelines for Opening Up America Again. 

• The President’s Testing Blueprint sets forth the partnership between federal, state, local, and tribal governments, along with the private-sector and professional associations, all of which play important roles in meeting the Nation’s testing needs.

• As of May 1, CDC, state, and local public health labs and other laboratories have tested more than 6.4 million samples.

• HHS and FEMA have expanded items supplied by the International Reagent Resource (IRR) to help public health labs access free diagnostics supplies and reagents.
• To date, the FDA has issued 50 individual emergency use authorizations for test kit manufacturers and laboratories.

• To support the Administration’s Testing Blueprint, FEMA is working to source and procure testing material – specifically, testing swabs and transport media.

• The FEMA-sourced material will be provided to states, territories and tribes for a limited duration to help increase testing capacity in support of their individualized plans.
• Each state, territory and tribe will develop its own distribution strategy to align with its testing plan and unique needs.

• On May 1, HHS announced $40 million of available funding for the development and coordination of a strategic network of national, state, territorial, tribal and local organizations to deliver important COVID-19 related information to minority, rural, and socially vulnerable communities hardest hit by the pandemic.
• As of May 1, FEMA, HHS, and the private sector combined have coordinated the delivery of or are currently shipping: 78.5 million N95 respirators, 111.8 million surgical masks, 7.3 million face shields, 17 million surgical gowns, 903 million gloves, 10,653 ventilators and 8,450 federal medical station beds.

Contact Us

If you have any questions regarding this FEMA Advisory, please contact FEMA Office of External Affairs, Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs Division:

• Congressional Affairs at (202) 646-4500 or at FEMA-Congressional-Affairs@fema.dhs.gov
• Intergovernmental Affairs at (202) 646-3444 or at FEMA-IGA@fema.dhs.gov
• Tribal Affairs at (202) 646-3444 or at FEMA-Tribal@fema.dhs.gov
• Private Sector Engagement at (202) 646-3444 or at nbeoc@max.gov

Follow Us

Follow FEMA on social media at: FEMA online, on Twitter @FEMA or @FEMAEspanol, on FEMA Facebook page or FEMA Espanol page and at FEMA YouTube channel.

Also, follow Administrator Pete Gaynor on Twitter @FEMA_Pete.

FEMA Mission

To help people before, during and after disasters.

• ESF15_DailyBriefingPoints_20200502 FINAL.pdf
• FEMA_Advisory_COVID19DailyBriefingPoints_FINAL_20200502.pdf

FEMA ADVISORY – May 3, 2020

FEMA Administrator Authority to Approve Crisis Counseling

Attached is a FEMA Fact Sheet on FEMA Administrator’s authority to approve crisis counseling.  To help meet the needs of the American people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, President Trump delegated authority to the FEMA Administrator to approve requests for the Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training program, or Crisis Counseling program.

COVID-19 is an unprecedented and continuously evolving public health crisis. Delegation of authority to approve the Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training program to the FEMA Administrator is intended to speed assistance to those in need. Should this policy be amended, FEMA’s Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs Division will update all stakeholders.

FEMA Crisis Counseling program helps people and communities to recover from the effects of natural or man-made disasters through short-term interventions that provide emotional support, crisis counseling, and connection to familial and community support systems. Five states – Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Washington – have previously been approved for the Crisis Counseling program. Requests from other states, tribes, and territories are under review.

Contact Us

If you have any questions regarding this FEMA Advisory, please contact FEMA Office of External Affairs, Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs Division:

• Congressional Affairs at (202) 646-4500 or at FEMA-Congressional-Affairs@fema.dhs.gov
• Intergovernmental Affairs at (202) 646-3444 or at FEMA-IGA@fema.dhs.gov
• Tribal Affairs at (202) 646-3444 or at FEMA-Tribal@fema.dhs.gov
• Private Sector Engagement at (202) 646-3444 or at nbeoc@max.gov

Follow Us

Follow FEMA on social media at: FEMA online, on Twitter @FEMA or @FEMAEspanol, on FEMA Facebook page or FEMA Espanol page and at FEMA YouTube channel.

Also, follow Administrator Pete Gaynor on Twitter @FEMA_Pete.

FEMA Mission

To help people before, during and after disasters.

• ESF15_Fact Sheet _COVID19_CrisisCounseling_ 20200502.pdf
• FEMA_Advisory_COVID19_Crisis Counseling_FINAL_20200502.pdf