Government
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) will provide additional support for the development of Kevzara as a potential treatment for COVID-19.
Kevzara -- developed under a collaboration between Regeneron and Sanofi... Read More »
A bipartisan group of senators recently baked a measure they said strengthens the nation’s supply chain.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced the Strengthening America’s Supply Chain and National Security Act as a means of building off the plan he released last month to address the nation’s... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently urged President Donald Trump to immediately implement all Defense Production Act (DPA) powers to expedite the production of needed materials during the coronavirus emergency.
Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) recently joined 18 of their... Read More »
A joint effort between the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Defense (DoD) last week yielded 500,000 swabs and sample kits for COVID-19 testing that otherwise would have been stranded in Italy.
The supplies, produced by the Italian company Copan Diagnostics,... Read More »
A new diagnostic developed by Cepheid gained advanced development support from the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Defense (DoD) this week, pledging potential COVID-19 testing times of just 45 minutes.
Developed for use on another Cepheid product, the GeneXpert diagnostic... Read More »
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued Friday two guidelines regarding the temporary manufacturing of certain alcohol-based hand sanitizer products in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are aware of significant supply disruptions for alcohol-based hand sanitizers,” FDA... Read More »
A group of legislators introduced last week legislation designed to increase healthcare access while expediting Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for treatments approved in other countries.
Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Cornyn (R-TX), James Lankford (R-OK), and Mike Braun (R-IN)... Read More »
While the preparations for COVID-19’s rapid spread through the United States have been widely noted as lacking, public health experts now are calling for public health officials -- not healthcare providers or politicians -- to take charge of the crisis and guide both the response to it and... Read More »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the drug chloroquine to be tested as a potential COVID-19 treatment, as part of ongoing efforts to find countermeasures, but the data does not say whether it will work yet, experts warn.
Chloroquine, a malaria, lupus and arthritis... Read More »
A delegation of federal lawmakers representing the state of Washington is seeking a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMMS) national emergency waiver to aid in addressing COVID-19.
The Senate and House of Representatives members have forwarded correspondence to CMMS Administrator Seema... Read More »
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein recently provided insight into the branch’s COVID-19 protection efforts while also focusing on mission fulfillment and obligations.
Goldfein indicated as of March 18, there have been seven confirmed coronavirus cases among active-duty personnel,... Read More »
In the expanding efforts to find a solution to testing efforts against COVID-19, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) has provided $561,330 to Mesa Biotech, Inc. for development of a new diagnostic test.
This funding -- along with technical expertise -- will help... Read More »
The USNS Comfort, a U.S. Navy ship, will be deployed to New York harbor to serve as a 1,000-bed hospital ship that will be used to treat coronavirus patients.
The ship, due to arrive in April, will also have 12 fully-equipped operating rooms and increase New York's hospital surge... Read More »
The measures announced by the Trump administration to control the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus have been endorsed by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and its HIV Medicine Association.
IDSA officials said an “all-sector, all-society response” is essential to reducing... Read More »
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) is urging President Donald Trump to invoke the Defense Production Act (DPA) as a means of accelerating COVID-19 national response, supply production and readiness.
“In the midst of a pandemic, state and local governments should not be left on their own scrambling to... Read More »
Senate lawmakers are urging the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to galvanize Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of the Interior (DOI) efforts to enhance rural COVID-19 response coordination.
Sens. Tom Carper (D-DE) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) joined 22 other legislators in... Read More »
Looking for solutions to the nationwide shortages of coronavirus testing, despite the ongoing pandemic, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) proposed legislation this week that would make testing free and rapidly distributed both to communities and health care providers.
Calling on both the Trump... Read More »
Federal legislators are urging the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to take all the necessary steps to ensure there are no disruptions to our nation’s food supply chain during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
“We encourage you to use all of your available authorities to... Read More »
President Donald Trump signed into law the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act, which is designed to help secure America’s telecommunications supply chain.
The enactment of the bill was applauded by its sponsors, Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Greg Walden (R-OR), Doris Matsui... Read More »
Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) and Lou Correa (D-CA) are urging Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf to delay the Oct. 1, 2020, REAL ID Act implementation deadline.
The three legislators encouraged the delayed action, citing the impact of COVID-19, the limited... Read More »
A Senate decision to go on recess amid the novel coronavirus outbreak has drawn the ire of House members, several of which have called on their legislative counterparts to immediately vote on the Families First Coronavirus Act (H.R. 6201).
That act was voted through the House last week and has... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) announced that two tests to detect the COVID-19 coronavirus are in development.
The tests would be able to produce results in approximately one hour.
The Biomedical... Read More »
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) - International Mail Facility (IMF) officers recently seized suspected counterfeit COVID-19 test kits from the United Kingdom.
On March 12, officers discovered six plastic bags containing various vials... Read More »
Recently advanced by the House, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) has so far run the bipartisan gamut to ease the economic toll of the novel coronavirus outbreak, but health experts warn its proposed coverage leaves new developers and patients in the lurch.
While the bill... Read More »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued its fourth COVID-19 related diagnostic Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) this week, tapping Thermo Fisher for its TaqPath diagnostic test.
The TaqPath Combo Kit contains both assays and controls necessary to detect RNA from the SARS-CoV-2 virus... Read More »
The Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense received its largest grant to date from Open Philanthropy, the commission announced today.
The $2.62 million grant from Open Philanthropy is the commission’s fifth grant from the philanthropic group, which has provided a total of $7.31 million in grants... Read More »
Democratic U.S. senators made the request last week for President Donald Trump to immediately consider any disaster declarations invoked by governors under the Stafford Act.
This action would grant states access to additional resources necessary to combat the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) announced last week the grand prize winner of its Escape Respirator Prize Challenge.
The contest was launched in December 2018, seeking proposals from innovators for a compact, discreetly-carried escape... Read More »
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said the agency has introduced biometric facial comparison technology at John F. Kennedy International Airport Terminal 4 to secure and streamline international travel.
“CBP and its partners are implementing facial comparison technology to provide... Read More »
President Donald Trump on Friday declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency, a move that will allow the federal government to tap into billions of dollars in aid to help combat the spread of the virus.
The national emergency declaration will allow up to $50 billion in government... Read More »
House Democrats introduced legislation to bolster the federal government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak for families.
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act provides paid leave, establishes free coronavirus testing, supports strong unemployment benefits, expands food assistance... Read More »
Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Mike Doyle (D-PA) are espousing the benefits of the House advancing the Secure 5G and Beyond Act of 2020.
“It is long past time that the Trump Administration prepare our networks for the 5G future – this bill will force the Administration to do exactly... Read More »
Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus officials said the body has crafted a landmark policy framework designed to enhance the nation’s defenses against cyberthreats while mitigating vulnerabilities.
The Cyberspace Solarium Commission Report outlines recommendations for reforms to organize... Read More »
As the federal government ratchets up its response to the novel coronavirus outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have announced plans to release more than $560 million in response support funding to state and local authorities.
"Our state, local, tribal, and... Read More »
Strategies including social distancing, telework and avoiding large crowds should be practiced by all Americans, including members of Congress, to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, said top federal health officials during a reconvened hearing on Capitol Hill on Thursday.
Really sick... Read More »
