FEMA ADVISORY – May 20, 2020

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

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

Topline messaging includes:

• On May 19, President Trump announced efforts to support the nation’s farmers, ranchers and food supply chain.

• The USDA announced details of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, which will provide up to $16 billion in direct payments to deliver relief to America’s farmers and ranchers impacted by COVID-19.
• Additionally, the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box program is partnering with regional and local distributors, whose workforces have been significantly impacted by the closure of many restaurants, hotels, and other food service entities, to purchase $3 billion in fresh produce, dairy, and meat and deliver boxes to Americans in need.

• This week, the CDC published a document summarizing CDC Activities and Initiatives Supporting the COVID-19 Response and the President’s Plan for Opening America Up Again. This document lays out approaches that state, local, territory and tribal authorities as well as businesses, and other institutions can use to assess when to move from one phase to another.
• On May 19, HHS announced a partnership with a team of private industry partners, led by Phlow Corporation, to expand pharmaceutical manufacturing in the United States for use in producing medicines needed during the COVID-19 response and future public health emergencies.

• The team will provide immediate, U.S.-based capacity to produce the active pharmaceutical ingredients and the chemical compounds for those ingredients to make critical medicines to help alleviate or prevent drug shortages during the pandemic.

• As of May 19, FEMA, HHS, and the private sector combined have coordinated the delivery of or are currently shipping: 83.8 million N95 respirators, 133.7 million surgical masks, 12 million face shields, 25.2 million surgical gowns, and 989.4 million gloves.
• FEMA has procured and delivered 67.3 million swabs and 3.9 million units of media so far in the month of May. In support of the White House Task Force’s testing initiative, FEMA is procuring specimen collection supplies to supplement the supplies states and healthcare providers are procuring from the private market.  
• As of May 19, CDC, state, and local public health labs and other laboratories have tested more than 11.2 million samples.

• As of May 18, the FDA has issued 103 individual emergency use authorizations (EAU) for test kit manufacturers and laboratories, including 12 antibody tests and 1 antigen test.

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: Visit the FEMA Blog, follow @FEMA or @FEMAEspanol on Twitter, FEMA or FEMA Espanol on Facebook, @FEMA on Instagram, and view videos on the FEMA YouTube channel, and Administrator Pete Gaynor on Twitter @FEMA_Pete.

FEMA Mission

To help people before, during and after disasters.

• ESF15_DailyBriefingPoints_20200520 RegionalSupplemental FINAL.pdf
• (5.20.20) FEMA Advisory-Daily Briefing Points.pdf
• (5.20.20) FEMA Daily Briefing Points.pdf

FEMA ADVISORY – May 20, 2020

Pandemic Operational Guidance for 2020 Hurricane Season

FEMA releases the COVID-19 Pandemic Operational Guidance for the 2020 Hurricane Season to help emergency managers and public health officials better prepare for all-hazards disasters, while continuing to respond to and recover from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Private sector and non-governmental organizations can use this guidance to gain understanding of the federal government’s posture, as well as associated planning and readiness efforts.

Response and Recovery Operations Amid Pandemic

The guide outlines for emergency managers and public officials, the key actions they can take to prepare for response and recovery operations during ongoing COVID-19 pandemic response efforts. Specifically, the guidance:

• Outlines funding of Emergency Protective Measures by state;
• Describes anticipated challenges to disaster operations;
• Highlights planning considerations for emergency managers based on current challenges; 
• Outlines how FEMA plans to adapt response and recovery operations;
• Creates a shared understanding of expectations between FEMA and emergency mangers; and,
• Provides guidance, checklists, and resources to support response and recovery planning.

While aspects of FEMA program delivery are different this year, FEMA does not anticipate major changes in program eligibility, timeliness of grant awards, or level of assistance provided under the Individual and Households Program.

Readers can apply planning considerations identified in the guidance to any disaster operation during the COVID-19 pandemic, including no-notice incidents.

Pandemic and hurricane responses are locally executed, state-managed, and federal supported. This guide reinforces this shared understanding among federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial partners. As a result, the nation will be better positioned to achieve operational outcomes in disaster response and recovery efforts.

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: Visit the FEMA Blog, follow @FEMA or @FEMAEspanol on Twitter, FEMA or FEMA Espanol on Facebook, @FEMA on Instagram, and view videos on the FEMA YouTube channel, and Administrator Pete Gaynor on Twitter @FEMA_Pete.

FEMA Mission

To help people before, during and after disasters.

• FEMA_Advisory_COVID19_Operational Guidance_2020HurricaneSeason_FINAL_20200520.pdf