Coronavirus Update
April 14, 2022
Information and resources on federal responses to the coronavirus crisis for state, local, and regional government.
Top News
The BA.2 Omicron subvariant of coronavirus is now the dominant variant, responsible for 86% of U.S. COVID-19 cases. The CDC announced an increase in the seven-day moving average of cases in the U.S. since early April. New data released by the CDC shows a rise in COVID-19 infections over the last few weeks, especially in the Northeast, including New York, Massachusetts, and Washington D.C. The data reports 30,000 new cases on Monday, a 20% increase from the previous week’s reporting. Thankfully, the report also shows hospitalization rates are at a low level. This news comes as worldwide COVID-19 cases surpassed 500 million, with the BA.2 variant remaining highly contagious. In Washington, D.C., the COVID infection rate increased by 73% in the last two weeks as various Members of Congress and White House officials tested positive for COVID, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who reported no symptoms.
 
On Wednesday, at the recommendation of the CDC, the TSA released a statement extending the Security Directives and Emergency Amendment, which mandates all mask usage on transportation networks through May 3. This two-week extension comes as the current mandate expires on April 18. 

Capitol Hill

The $10 billion bipartisan COVID supplemental appropriations bill unveiled early last week by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) is currently stalled in the Senate due to objections by Republicans and a few Democrats to the Biden Administration’s impending opening of the U.S.-Mexico border to asylum-seekers beginning May 23. Sen. John Thune (R-SD), the chamber’s second-ranking Republican, said the COVID relief bill will be stalled at least until the Senate returns to Washington on April 25. The bill includes new funding for COVID vaccines, therapeutics, testing capacity, and research & development.

The bill rescinds unspent funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 and/or the 2020 CARES Act to offset the new COVID health response investments. These include funds from the Small Business Administration’s Shuttered Venue Operators Grants and Economic Injury Disaster Loan programs; the Agriculture Department’s Food Supply Chain and Agriculture Pandemic Response program; the Transportation Department’s Aviation Manufacturing Jobs Program; the Education Department’s Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund; and the Treasury Department’s State Small Business Credit Initiative and Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund. The bill also provides state and local governments more flexibility in using unspent ARPA Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds for 26 infrastructure-related activities authorized under federal surface transportation laws in addition to HUD’s Community Development Fund grants. Additionally, the bill extends the time allotted to local and state governments to spend these funds for these purposes (through September 30, 2026).

On April 7, the House passed, by a vote of 223-203, the $55 billion Relief for Restaurants and other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act of 2022 (H.R. 3807), a package of aid to restaurants and other pandemic-ravaged industries following months of stops and starts, paid for by recovering fraudulent pandemic-era spending. H.R. 3807 would provide $42 billion to replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) for struggling restaurants, food trucks, bars, caterers, brewpubs, bakeries and more after the $28.6 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act ran dry quickly last year. The measure would tack on another $13 billion for small businesses that suffered revenue losses of at least 40 percent during the pandemic, without regard to what industries they operate in, with grants capped at $1 million each. That is a key difference with newly unveiled Senate legislation that would set aside $8 billion for specific groups on top of $40 billion for the RRF. That $8 billion would be carved up into pots of money directed to gyms and fitness centers, live entertainment venues, motorcoach and ferry operators, minor league sports teams, and small businesses that were cut off from customers and suppliers due to border closures. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), who introduced the Small Business COVID Relief Act of 2022 (S. 4008) on April 5, said he would like to “pre-conference” H.R. 3807 and S. 4008 and resolve differences with the House so whenever the Senate is ready to move it can take up a version that can pass both chambers.

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 Department of Education announced an extension of the pause on student loan repayment, interest, and collections through August 31, 2022.

Achieving herd immunity against SARS-CoV-2 may not be attainable, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci and others at NIAID. However, widespread use of currently available public health interventions to prevent and control COVID-19 will enable resumption of most activities of daily life with minimal disruption.

HHS announced more than 59 million Americans with Medicare Part B, including those enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, now have access to over-the-counter COVID-19 tests at no cost. People with Medicare can get up to eight tests per calendar month from participating pharmacies and health care providers for the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency.

HUD announced it is making an additional $3.2 million available to help the agency’s Fair Housing Initiatives Program agencies combat housing discrimination related to the pandemic.

The White House issued a memorandum on addressing the long-term effects of COVID. The White House also issued a statement on the COVID funding proposal being developed in the Senate.

Over the past year, FEMA has provided more than $2.1 billion in COVID-19 funeral assistance to 326,000 applicants grappling with the financial stress and burden caused by the pandemic. The program has a $6,500 average award and maintained a 97% eligibility approval rate. Eligible applicants qualify for up to $9,000 for each deceased individual per application, with a maximum of $35,500 for applicants who may have incurred funeral expenses for multiple individuals due to COVID-19.

Physician Partners of America of Tampa agreed to pay $24.5 million to resolve allegations of billing federal healthcare programs for unnecessary medical testing and paying unlawful remuneration to its physician employees in connection with a loan obtained through the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
Industry & Advocacy
Pfizer has declared its intention to develop a COVID-19 vaccine that would be effective against all known novel coronavirus variants by the end of 2022. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla spoke of the new vaccine against the Omicron strain and older variants of COVID-19 at the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations’ press conference. He said that while it’s easy to take action against a single variant, they are taking up a bigger challenge to develop a vaccine that can be far more effective “so you don’t have two different vaccines for different variants.” Bourla suggested that people might develop ‘vaccine fatigue’ and that fewer individuals would opt for a fourth dose than the third booster shot. And therefore, people need a solution that would last them all year. Along with Pfizer, companies like Moderna and other research institutes have also had this pan-coronavirus vaccine in the pipeline.
 
Pfizer and BioNTech said last week that a third dose of their COVID-19 vaccine in children ages 5 to 11 produced a “high” immune response, and that they will apply for authorization for a booster dose in the age group soon. Pfizer said that a third dose of the vaccine in those 5 to 11 produced a 36-fold increase in levels of neutralizing antibodies against the omicron variant, compared to two doses. Antibody levels against the original version of the virus increased by six-fold.
 
A 208-page report from the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs found that the coronavirus pandemic pushed 77 million people into extreme poverty in 2021, and that 1 in 5 developing countries will not see a gross domestic product return to 2019 levels within the next year. Debt has also increased, and the poorest developing countries are paying about 14 percent of revenue on average to pay it off, compared to 2.5 percent for developing countries.
 
Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization for the leading U.S. airlines, joined a coalition of travel-industry groups in a letter on Friday urging White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha to lift the requirement for pre-departure testing for vaccinated passengers traveling to the United States as well as the federal mask mandate. A4A CEO Nicholas Calio also sent a letter urging Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and CDC Director Rochelle Walensky to end the pre-departure testing requirements for international air travel and to end the federal mask mandate in light of data and science currently supported by today’s public health environment. 
Webinars, Events and Resources
ARPA Fiscal Recovery Fund: Overview of Reporting Requirements and Uniform Guidance
NACo
April 14, 1:00 PM ET
 
Community & Economic Development, COVID-19, Leadership, Municipal Finance
NNLC
April 20, 1:00 PM ET
 
U.S. Treasury Webinar on Reporting Guidelines for the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
NACo
April 21, 3:00 PM ET
 
Leveraging ARPA Funds to Prevent Violent Crime
NACo
April 27, 2:00 PM ET

CRS Reports



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