FEMA ADVISORY – May 18, 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 information By the Numbers; Supply Chain Task Force; FEMA and Department of Health and Human Services Response; and Guidance from Federal Agencies.

Topline messaging includes:

• On May 16, the FDA announced the authorization of an at-home sample collection kit for COVID-19 diagnostic testing. The emergency use authorization was issued to Everlywell, Inc. for the Everlywell COVID-19 Test Home Collection Kit.

• The test kit is authorized to be used by individuals at home who have been screened using an online questionnaire that is reviewed by a health care provider.
• Results will be returned to the patient through Everlywell’s independent physician network and their online portal.

• On May 15, President Trump announced Operation Warp Speed. The goal of this national program is to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.

• Operation Warp Speed is a public-private partnership between components of HHS, the Department of Defense, private firms and other federal agencies.
• The program aims to have substantial quantities of a safe and effective vaccine available for Americans by January 2021.

• As of May 17, FEMA, HHS, and the private sector combined have coordinated the delivery of or are currently shipping: 83.4 million N95 respirators, 133.7 million surgical masks, 11.5 million face shields, 24.4 million surgical gowns, and 989.4 million gloves.
• FEMA has procured and delivered 4.7 million swabs and 2.8 million media so far in the month of May. In support of the White House Task Force’s testing initiative, FEMA is supporting the procurement of specimen collection supplies to supplement the supplies states and healthcare providers are procuring from the private market.  
• As of May 17, CDC, state, and local public health labs and other laboratories have tested more than 10.8 million samples.

• As of May 14, the FDA has issued 101 individual emergency use authorizations (EAU) for test kit manufacturers and laboratories, including 12 antibody tests and 1 antigen test.

• On May 11, President Trump announced additional efforts to ensure that every state, territory and tribe has the resources they need to meet the robust testing plans described in the President’s Guidelines for Opening up America Again and the Testing Blueprint unveiled by the President on April 27.

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

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FEMA Mission

To help people before, during and after disasters.

• FEMA_Advisory_COVID19DailyBriefingPoints_20200518.pdf
• ESF15_DailyBriefingPoints_20200518 FINAL.pdf