Coronavirus Update
July 29, 2021
Information and resources on federal responses to the coronavirus crisis for state, local, and regional government.
Top News
On July 27, the CDC released updated guidance for individuals that are fully vaccinated in response to growing concerns about the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant. The CDC is making several new recommendations in the guidance:

  • Fully vaccinated people should wear a mask in public indoor
  • Fully vaccinated people might choose to wear a mask regardless of the level of transmission, particularly if they are immunocompromised or at increased risk for severe disease from COVID-19, or if they have someone in their household who is immunocompromised, at increased risk of severe disease or not fully vaccinated.
  • Fully vaccinated people who have a known exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 to be tested 3-5 days after exposure, and to wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days or until they receive a negative test result.
  • Universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status.

In response to the updated guidance, President Biden released a statement Tuesday saying, “Today’s announcement by the CDC—that new research and concerns about the Delta variant leads CDC to recommend a return to masking in parts of the country—is another step on our journey to defeating this virus. I hope all Americans who live in the areas covered by the CDC guidance will follow it....” President Biden also said the new guidance “reaffirmed that we can safely reopen schools this fall—full time.”

Today, President Biden will speak in the East Room at 4pm ET to discuss the spreading Delta variant and next steps for vaccinating more Americans (Politico Playbook). The President is also expected to announce a requirement that all federal employees and contractors be vaccinated against COVID-19 or be required to submit to regular testing and mitigation requirements.

In other news, the White House and a bipartisan group of senators finally reached an agreement on infrastructure stimulus legislation more than a month after tentatively agreeing to a framework. The Senate voted 67-32 Wednesday to move forward with the deal. While Wednesday’s vote is a positive sign, it could be a week or more before the bill ultimately clears the chamber (Politico).

Legislative text for the deal has not yet been finalized. However, a White House Fact Sheet provides high-level details about the amount of funding provided for different aspects of the package. The deal includes $550 billion in new federal investments in a wide array of infrastructure categories, including:

  • 110 billion for roads, bridges, and major projects
  • $66 billion for rail and Amtrak improvements
  • $65 billion for broadband
  • $55 billion for clean drinking water
  • $39 billion for transit
  • $17 billion for ports
  • $25 billion for airports
  • $7.5 billion for electric vehicle chargers

If the Senate is able to pass the bill in the coming days, Democrats hope to quickly pivot to passing a budget for FY 2022, which would set up a fast-track process to enact much of the rest of President Biden’s economic agenda without Republican support. Senate Budget Chairman Bernie Sanders told reporters he has the 50 votes needed to pass a budget resolution next week (Bloomberg Government).

Capitol Hill

On July 22, Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR) sent a letter to IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig applauding the IRS’ efforts in sending $15 billion in advanced Child Tax Credit (CTC) payments to the families of nearly 60 million American children, and “urging the agency to prioritize improvements in administration that will ensure the most underserved communities can easily and efficiently take advantage of the program.”

On July 27, the House Oversight Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis held a hearing on “Oversight of Pandemic Evictions: Assessing Abuses by Corporate Landlords and Federal Efforts to Keep Americans in Their Homes.” The hearing examined evictions during the pandemic and addressed federal efforts to aid struggling renters affected by the pandemic including through the CDC’s eviction moratorium (which is set to expire on July 31, 2021) and over $46 billion in emergency rental assistance funds provided by Congress, as well as federal actions to encourage state and local governments to adopt best practices in distributing federal rental assistance funds and preventing evictions. The witnesses discussed the economic burden placed on families due to unnecessary eviction and identified actions needed to prevent a housing crisis.

On July 27, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing on “The Path Forward: Building on Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Witnesses included four public health officials and the hearing focused on building the nation’s public health infrastructure to protect families against future public health threats. At the hearing, Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) pushed for greater investments to modernize health departments, address inequities, support and expand the national public health and health care workforce, and ensure that health care providers and public health departments across the country are well-prepared to handle any public health emergency.

On July 28, Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Richard Burr (R-NC) released a new ten-page report, titled “Preparing for Future Health Threats: Improving and Sustaining Foundational Public Health Capabilities in Response to COVID-19,” which highlights longstanding federal public health programs that support state and local health departments, and recommendations for improving these programs based on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

On July 29, the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee is holding a hearing on “Assessing the Federal Government’s COVID-19 Relief and Response Efforts and its Impact.” The hearing will include ten witnesses to “examine the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic, efforts to provide oversight of that response, areas for improvement, and the impact of pandemic relief efforts on the transportation and infrastructure sectors and their workers.”

Please visit our TFG Coronavirus Legislative Trackers public health & safety, local government relief, and business assistance for detailed information on recently introduced bills.

Administration

The Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the opening of a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Direct Forgiveness Portal. The portal provides a streamlined application allowing borrowers with loans of $150,000 or less to apply for forgiveness directly through SBA.

SBA has awarded $7.5 billion in shuttered venue operators grants to over 10,000 venues.

The Veterans Administration announced new options to help veterans avoid foreclosure.

The Department of Education (DoEd) released resources to help schools improve ventilation systems. DoED also released $600 million to support students experiencing homelessness.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has an online tool to help renters and landlords access federal assistance. Also, the Federal Housing Administration announced additional recovery options for homeowners.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued guidance on “long COVID” and disability rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The guidance explains that long COVID – the condition by which individuals continue experiencing COVID symptoms for weeks or months after developing COVID – can be a disability under the ADA, providing protection for people with disabilities from discrimination. The guidance also provides resources for additional information and best practices.

DOJ reports 22 individuals have been charged in connection with an $11 million Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud scheme. Those charged are alleged to have used PPP funds to purchase luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other personal items. In addition, a California man was arrested related to submitting fraudulent PPP applications totaling $27 million, and a Texas man was sentenced to 11 years in prison for scheming to fraudulently obtain $24.8 million in forgivable PPP loans.

The IRS reported today that another 1.5 million taxpayers will receive refunds averaging more than $1,600 as it continues to adjust unemployment compensation from previously filed income tax returns. ARPA excluded up to $10,200 in 2020 unemployment compensation from taxable income calculations. The exclusion applied to individuals and married couples whose modified adjusted gross income was less than $150,000. Refunds by direct deposit will begin July 28 and refunds by paper check will begin July 30. This is the fourth round of refunds related to the unemployment compensation exclusion provision.

More than four million households have enrolled in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Emergency Broadband Benefit program, which provides a temporary $50 to $75 discount on eligible household’s internet bills during the pandemic. Over 1,110 broadband providers are participating in the program. 

The FCC is hosting a virtual webinar on August 3 at 2:00 p.m. ET to provide more information on the Emergency Connectivity Fund, which provides $7.17 billion in funding to support broadband connections and devices for off-campus use by students, staff, and library patrons. The application window for the program is open through August 13.  
Industry & Advocacy
The head of the AFL-CIO supports vaccine mandates for workers. President Richard Trumka outlined the group’s position during an interview, noting how every individual in a workplace would be jeopardized if a worker is not vaccinated. He also spoke of the difficulty facing employers to make accommodations if they do not know if employees are vaccinated.

Retailers are considering reimposing facial coverings for customers following new guidance from the CDC. Retail Industry Leaders Association President Brian Dodge said in a statement that “masks may be necessary again in some circumstances” as CDC guidance evolves, and the delta variant spreads. Most of the nation’s large retailers, including Walmart, Target, and Whole Foods have not changed their mask policies yet and still allow vaccinated customers to shop without a mask.

Fitness facilities and gym industry groups are urging support for the “Gym Mitigation and Survival Act” (HR 890), a bipartisan bill that would give $30 billion in aid to gyms and health clubs. The Community Gyms Coalition, a group of 15,000 gyms created during the pandemic, says that 44% of the industry’s workers lost their jobs and 64% of gym owners have gone into additional debt. The group is urging Congressional leaders to include the legislation in the Democrats’ proposed budget reconciliation bill.

The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) released a new report and state-by-state job loss breakdown that found the hotel industry’s road to recovery from the pandemic is “long and uneven,” with urban markets disproportionately impacted. Key findings include that hotel room revenue is down $44 billion compared to 2019, and that states and localities will have lost more than $20 billion in unrealized tax revenues from hotels over the past two years.

Vaccine News

The Department of Veterans Affairs announced mandatory COVID-19 vaccines for health care personnel who work in the Veterans Health Administration facilities. Each employee will have eight weeks to be fully vaccinated.

The effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine fell from 96% to 84% over six months. The average decrease of efficacy is about 6% every two months.

Pfizer announced that a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine boosts the immune response against the delta variant. Pfizer’s data shows that antibody levels were five times higher after a third dose among people aged 18 to 55 against the delta variant, and 11 times higher among 65- to 85-year-olds. It is still unclear whether booster shots will be needed.

Pfizer and BioNTech will supply the U.S. will 200 million doses of their COVID-19 vaccine in a push to vaccinate children and potentially provide boosters. Should the vaccine be cleared for the pediatric population, 65 million doses will be tailored to vaccinate kids younger than 12 years of age.
HHS provided nearly $100 million to approximately 1,980 Rural Health Clinics across the country to increase vaccine outreach efforts in rural communities. Grants are based on the number of certified clinic sites operated, providing approximately $49,500 per clinic site.

The Biden Administration is providing $121 million of awards to community-based organizations across the county that are working in underserved communities to build vaccine confidence and increase vaccination rates. 
Webinars, Events and Resources
Leveraging ARPA Funds for Infants and Toddlers through State and Local Coordination
NACo
August 4, 1:00 PM ET
Click here for registration and more information
 
CRS Reports of interest:

 
 
For more information please contact Mike Miller: mmiller@tfgnet.com (707) 224-8648