Coronavirus update for Tuesday, May 26 as of 2:30 p.m.

Department of Health and Human Services

• HHS has submitted its required report to Congress detailing its COVID-19 strategic testing plan.
• HHS announced a 45-day extension for providers that are receiving grants from the CARES Act’s Provider Relief Fund to accept the terms and conditions for those payments. This means providers have now been granted 90 days from the date they received a payment to accept the terms and conditions or return the money.
• ASPR TRACIE, sponsored by HHS’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) to provide Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (TRACIE) services, has announced that a presentation from and a recording of its webcast on “Funding Sources for the Establishment and Operationalization of Alternate Care Sites” are now available. Find them here.
• HHS announced $400 million in payments from the CARES Act’s Provider Relief Fund to Indian Health Services and tribal hospitals, clinics, and urban health centers to support the tribal response to COVID-19.

Department of Health and Human Services/Office of the Inspector General

• HHS’s Office of the Inspector General has announced the release of its strategic plan for oversight of the COVID-19 response and recovery. Go here for the announcement and here to see the plan itself.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• The CDC has updated its COVID-19 transmission web page to clarify information about the different types of spread of the virus.
• The CDC has updated its web page on evaluating and reporting persons under investigation for COVID-19.
• The CDC has posted information about a new laboratory test kit it has developed for use in testing patients for COVID-19.
• The CDC has updated its FAQ on COVID-19 and children.
• The CDC has updated its web page about serology testing for COVID-19.
• The CDC has updated its interim guidelines for COVID-19 antibody testing in clinical and public health settings.
• The CDC has posted information about steps health care facilities can take now to prepare for COVID-19.

Food and Drug Administration

• The FDA has updated its FAQ on testing for COVID-19.
• The FDA has approved emergency use authorizations for three new commercial diagnostic tests for COVID-19. Find them here, here, and here.
• The FDA has posted a notice to manufacturers of gowns and other apparel, health care personnel, hospital purchasing departments and distributors, and other stakeholders listing currently authorized equipment, requirements it is waiving when considering issuing emergency use authorizations, and outlining the standards it considers when determining whether to issue such authorizations for new gowns and apparel.

National Institutes of Health

• The NIH has issued a media advisory sharing the preliminary results of peer-reviewed data from clinical trials to test the effectiveness of remdesivir for treating COVID-19. A more detailed preliminary report also can be found in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Federal Funding Opportunities for Hospitals

• NASH has prepared a document that collects and presents in one place the various new federal funding opportunities for hospitals resulting from legislation addressing the COVID-19 public health emergency.  Find that document here.

(To receive this daily update directly, sign up for our mailing list at info@safetynetalliance.org.)