Centers for Disease Control Covid-19 Update Page
Daily News Updates
3/19/20
Miller & Martin: Summary of Federal Coronavirus Response Act
3/18/20
As all 50 states and the District of Columbia now have confirmed cases, here’s the latest from Washington:
Senate Action: The Senate will begin voting shortly (around 3:00 p.m. ET) on the House-passed bill (phase two).
What’s Next: Majority Leader McConnell reiterated that the Senate will immediately turn its attention to phase three, saying: “I will not adjourn the Senate until we have passed a far bolder package…”
What’s Included: Discussions regarding phase three are ongoing. The administration has suggested sending Americans two rounds of checks, totaling $500 billion, arriving on April 6 and May 18, in equal value. President Trump said that payments are “to be determined.” McConnell and Republicans in the Senate have stressed the need for “significant relief for small businesses.”
Timing: Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) said the Senate is likely to stay in session until early next week to deal with phase three.
Housing: President Trump announced that the Department of Housing and Urban Development is suspending all foreclosures and evictions for homeowners and renters until the end of April. HUD didn’t immediately provide details on the new policy, so it’s still unclear how many U.S. homeowners and renters would be affected by the decision.
Elective Care: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced it will issue guidance to hospitals urging them to limit “non-essential” elective medical procedures across the country to help ensure medical capacity is focused on stemming the spread of the coronavirus.
Defense Production Act: President Trump announced he will invoke the Defense Production Act (DPA), which is aimed at urging the private sector to produce more emergency supplies. The DPA was enacted during the Cold War to allow the president to cajole — and even coerce — industry into producing products deemed necessary for national defense. In this case, the DPA would allow the U.S. government “to incentivize a company who already makes [emergency medical supplies] to make more of them,” said Jeff Bialos, a veteran Washington attorney who served as deputy undersecretary of defense for industrial affairs in the Clinton White House.
Practicing Across State Lines: The Department of Health and Human Services will permit all medical care providers to practice across state lines, regardless of their state license, to treat more coronavirus patients.
Millennials: On Wednesday, White House coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx said health experts aren’t so sure anymore that younger people are largely spared serious complications from the virus. “There are concerning reports coming out of France and Italy about some young people getting seriously ill and very seriously ill — in the ICU,” Birx said. She said that they have not seen any significant mortality among children but that people in their 20s and 30s and 40s could be in more danger than earlier thought. Birx also urged younger people to stay home.
Airlines: President Trump said Wednesday that the airline industry “would be the number one” priority for federal assistance. Reports indicate the Treasury Department will propose lending airlines $50 billion.
Canadian Border: The U.S. and Canada have mutually agreed to temporarily halt non-essential and non-business travel between the two countries. In a tweet, President Trump stressed, “Trade will not be affected.”
United States Naval Ships: President Trump announced the Navy will deploy one hospital ship – the Comfort and Mercy – to each coast. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the ship being dispatched to the New York harbor has 1,000 beds and operating rooms.
China Trade: In an afternoon news conference, President Trump said China has not asked the U.S. to suspend tariffs on its goods. “China hasn’t asked me to do that,” he said in response to a question about a trade group seeking suspension of the duties.
Phase Four?: Politico reported today that the Trump administration will seek more than $45.8 billion in emergency spending to replenish agency coffers in the current fiscal year. It remains to be seen whether this will be included in phase three or will require a phase four.
Tax Credit Explanation: The nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation produced a technical explanation of the tax credits for paid leave in the House-passed virus bill, available here.
Important Point: Dr. Birx stressed at today’s White House press conference that positive cases will go up over the next week. She said this reflects the backlog in testing results, not that the steps the government and public-at-large are taking are not working.
Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce
Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce Employee and Employer Resources
United Way of Chattanooga Covid-19 Update Page
Hamilton County Government Covid-19 Update Page
3/19/20
From Mayor Andy Berke:
Friends,
As you have seen, the threat posed by the coronavirus grows more serious with every passing day. The guidance we have received from the CDC and the White House dictates in no uncertain terms that any public gathering of almost any size may be hazardous. Every piece of available data we have says that social distancing is the only way to slow the spread. We're making a lot of painful choices to keep Chattanoogans healthy and make sure that our local hospital systems do not become completely overwhelmed.
Today, I made the difficult but necessary decision to temporarily close dining service in restaurants and bars across Chattanooga. Gyms and fitness centers in the city limits will be closed as well. My thoughts are with the many bartenders, servers, cooks, janitors, and other hourly wage workers who rely on these jobs to make ends meet. These are among the hardest working people in our city and also most impacted by everything that's going on.
I hope that you will keep all of them in your thoughts and do what you can to support these establishments while they remain closed. Buy a gift card. Order takeout or delivery. Make a donation to the United Way of Greater Chattanooga's COVID-19 Community Response & Relief. Stay healthy yourself so that you can help these places rebound when they reopen. Our office will do everything we can to connect our small business owners and workers with resources to help get them through this difficult time. If you need help or know someone who does, click here to get started.
If you want a meaningful way to help with our response to COVID-19, I hope you'll join me in making some calls to our senior citizens. Older adults have a higher risk of developing serious illness from the spread of the virus, but there are actions that they can take to stay healthy. Please help us keep them informed by joining a virtual phone bank. It's fun, easy, and makes a huge difference in the lives of our seniors. Click here for more information about how to get involved.
This week, the City of Chattanooga is making additional changes to our employee policies to encourage more of our workers to remain home. Remember, public access and activities at our YFD Centers, library branches, and Eastgate Senior Center remain suspended for now.
Over the last several days, I've spent time speaking with members of our faith community about ways that they can help, small business owners about the support that we can offer them, and members of our Council on Livability & Aging on how seniors can be kept safe. I'll be reaching out to local hospital leadership, major employers, and many others in the days and weeks ahead.
Keep checking connect.chattanooga.gov/covid to stay informed about how we're dealing with COVID-19. I appreciate everything you're doing to help us contain the spread of this dangerous disease.
See Federal News tab for updates on economic stimulus information.
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Spanish COVID-19 Resource Page (www.lapazchattanooga.org/
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Spanish COVID-19 Facebook Support Group (Apoyo Comunitario Chattanooga COVID-19)
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