Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced that an additional $96 million in state grants have been approved for 5,373 Pennsylvania small businesses that were impacted by the business closure order due to the COVID-19 public health crisis. 

Businesses in every county were approved for grants in this round of funding, and 52 percent are historically disadvantaged businesses.

To date, more than 10,000 businesses were approved for $192 million in grants through the COVID-19 Relief Statewide Small Business Assistance Program.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has been caused a lot of hardship for our business community, and it has been particularly difficult for Pennsylvania’s small businesses to weather the economic effects of this crisis. Pennsylvania’s small business owners are community-focused employers, and they drive our economy, so they deserve our support as we continue to navigate this public health crisis,” Gov. Wolf said. “As we seek to recover, and rebuild our economy following the downturn caused by this pandemic, it’s critical that we provide opportunities for these businesses to recover and rebound, and this funding will provide much-needed support for businesses in communities across the state.”

The governor announced this funding at the Broad Street Market in Harrisburg and was joined by public officials and the owners of two local businesses: D.McGee Design Studio, located in the market, which was approved for a $10,000 grant, and Gifted Hands Barber Studio, located on 3^rd Street near the market, which was approved for a $5,000 grant.

The COVID-19 Relief Statewide Small Business Assistance funding was developed in partnership with state lawmakers and allocated through the state budget, which included $2.6 billion in federal stimulus funds through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, of which $225 million was earmarked for relief for small businesses.

The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) distributed the funds to the Pennsylvania Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), which are administering the grants.

“We’ve seen the impact of this pandemic-fueled economic crisis on the small businesses in our communities. We targeted these funds to reach the smallest and most vulnerable businesses across the state and as CDFIs, we were able to mobilize our networks to reach those who have been hardest hit by the pandemic,” said James Burnett, vice chair of the PA CDFI Network and executive director of the West Philadelphia Financial Services Institution. “The PA CDFI Network is grateful for the partnership of Governor Wolf and the Pennsylvania Legislature as we move quickly to get these resources into the hands of those most impacted by the crisis.”

“I am extremely proud we were able to work together and to get much needed grants to the small businesses across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that serve as the backbone to our economy,” said state Senator Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery). “With that said, this should not be the end of the push to help our small business community. There are still CARES dollars available and thousands of businesses that have applied for this program seeking relief and the General Assembly must prioritize focusing on those needs and getting our people through this pandemic.”

HHS announced an additional $20 billion in funding for providers on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic. Under this Phase 3 General Distribution allocation, providers that have already received Provider Relief Fund payments will be invited to apply for additional funding that considers financial losses and changes in operating expenses caused by the coronavirus.  Application deadline is November 6, 2020.

For the full announcement and information about eligibility and how to apply, click here.

As part of NIOSH’s efforts to keep stakeholders up to date on the CDC and NIOSH COVID-19 response, below is a summary of new information posted:

• A recent NIOSH Science Blog Post, The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Opioid Overdose Epidemic: A Perfect Storm for Workers?, discusses the interlinked nature of the COVID-19 and opioid misuse, opioid use disorder, and overdose. The new challenges and stressors workers face during the pandemic may lead to an increase in substance use.
• CDC has published a new webpage on Optimizing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Supplies. This resource provides links for strategies to optimize the supply of various types of PPE, as well as general PPE information.
• A new infographic on COVID-19 Case Investigation and Contact Tracing in Nonhealthcare Workplaces is available. When a COVID-19 case is identified that impacts a workplace, the health department may ask the employer for help. This infographic provides tips for employers if they are asked to assist a health department with case investigations and contact tracing.

Four vaccines for the novel coronavirus are now in late-stage testing in people in the United States. Here are some details:

• Johnson & Johnson vaccine – The vaccine uses noninfectious adenovirus, a common cold virus, to deliver a gene from the novel coronavirus to human cells and produce copies of the SARS-CoV-2 protein, potentially priming immune cells to fight infection. The vaccine is being tested as a single dose and can be stored refrigerated for at least three months, potentially alleviating some of the concerns about the logistics of distribution.
• Moderna vaccine – Messenger RNA, genetic material carrying information about a viral protein, is delivered to cells that produce the protein, which the immune system is then trained to recognize. RNA vaccines are a newer technology, favored for their potential speed in development, but none have been approved for humans for any virus. The vaccine is being given in two doses and is stored frozen.
• Pfizer vaccine – This vaccine is also an mRNA vaccine being tested as two doses. It currently requires storage at -70°C (-94°F). Pfizer has an initial agreement with the U.S. government for 100 million doses if the vaccine is approved, with an option for 500 million more doses.
• AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine – Similar to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, this candidate is a viral vector vaccine but uses a different adenovirus. The vaccine’s trial in the U.S. is currently paused after a “suspected adverse event” in a participant in a U.K. trial of the vaccine. It is being given in two doses and is expected to require refrigeration.

Amidst growing public skepticism and distrust of vaccines, the FDA is planning to tighten requirements for assessing a vaccine’s safety and effectiveness, the Washington Post reported.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released an MMWR on the Changing Age Distribution of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the U.S. between May and August, 2020. A key finding is that during June-August 2020, COVID-19 incidence was highest in persons aged 20-29 years, who accounted for >20% of all confirmed cases. Strict adherence to community mitigation strategies and personal preventive behaviors by younger adults is needed to help reduce infection and subsequent transmission to persons at higher risk for severe illness.

HHS announced on Oct. 1 that it is making an additional $20 billion in Provider Relief Fund (PRF) funding available to “frontline” providers — including those who have already received the full amount they were eligible for under the General Distribution. For FQHCs, this amount was two percent of 2018 net patient revenues. It is unclear how much any provider will be eligible for; it will likely depend on total requests received. HHS recommends that providers apply early, starting the week of October 4. NACHC and PACHC are working to learn more and will share more information as we can. Click here for a copy of the HHS press release.

The White House physician confirmed on October 1 that President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have both tested positive for COVID-19. The President and First Lady are well currently and plan to quarantine. Click here to read the memorandum from the President’s physician.

This week, House leadership released a trimmed-down version of the HEROES Act, their original fourth COVID-19 relief package, which was first passed by the chamber last May. The ‘skinny’ HEROES Act is a $2.2 trillion bill that offers a compromise between the House’s original three trillion-dollar bill and the Senate’s one trillion dollar HEALS Act. The package contains $7.6 billion in emergency funding for Community Health Centers , as well as $1 billion for health workforce programs, including the National Health Service Corps and the Nurse Corps. For more information on the bill, see the bill’s section-by-section breakdown available on the House Appropriations Committee website.

This guidance, released last week, informs Provider Relief Fund (PRF) recipients who received payments exceeding $10,000 of the data elements that they must report for calendar years 2019 and 2020 as part of their terms and conditions.  It provides detail on how to report expenses attributable to COVID-19, including general and administrative, health care related, and lost revenue.