The COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed over 390,000 people in the Americas, is threatening regional plans to eliminate and control infectious diseases including tuberculosis, HIV, hepatitis and others, WHO Regional Director for the Americas, Dr Carissa F. Etienne said yesterday.   WHO has published the Emergency Global Supply Chain System (COVID-19) catalogue, which lists all medical devices, including personal protective equipment, medical equipment, medical consumables, single use devices, laboratory and test-related devices that may be requested through the COVID-19 Supply Portal.   An update on the COVID-19 Supply Chain System is explored in today's ‘Subject in Focus’. Nearly 20 million cases of COVID-19 have now been recorded. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros stressed that behind these statistics there is a great deal of pain and suffering. He emphasized that ‘There are two essential elements to addressing the pandemic effectively. Leaders must step up to take action and citizens need to embrace new measures…My message is crystalclear: suppress, suppress, suppress the virus’.   Young people have an important role to play in the COVID-19 pandemic, both in terms of reducing transmission and in engaging in the response. Tomorrow we celebrate International Youth Day. This is explored in the ‘Subject in Focus’.   Read today’s situation report. Read yesterday’s situation report. View the WHO’s Situation Dashboard for COVID-19 here.

HHS Announces Investments for Health Information Exchanges to Strengthen their Ability to Support State and Local Public Health Agencies. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity to expand and accelerate innovative uses of electronic health information via health information exchanges (HIEs) to support state and local public health agencies. Strengthening health data exchange and use between HIEs and state and local public health agencies will help communities to better prevent, respond to, and recover from public health emergencies, including disasters and pandemics such as COVID-19.
 
With $2.5 million in funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) signed by President Trump on March 27, 2020, the HHS Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) will award up to five (5) cooperative agreements under the Strengthening the Technical Advancement and Readiness of Public Health Agencies via Health Information Exchange (STAR HIE) Program.
 
Award recipients will focus on improving HIE services (such as last-mile connectivity and data services) in support of state and local public health agencies. The STAR HIE Program aims to strengthen existing state and local HIE infrastructure so that public health agencies are able to better access, share, and use health information as well as support communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Award recipients will be required to deploy services that can enable, enhance, or increase the use of health information exchange at the state and local levels among relevant entities, and be inclusive of a diverse set of participating providers, including those who care for vulnerable or at-risk populations. They also will be required to engage in activities that address communities disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, considering factors such as age, race, ethnicity, disability, and sex.
 
The funding opportunity can be accessed here.

Trump Administration collaborates with Moderna to produce 100 million doses of COVID-19 investigational vaccine. Under the leadership of President Trump, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Defense (DoD) today announced an agreement with Moderna, Inc. to manufacture and deliver 100 million doses of the company’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The federal government will own these vaccine doses.
 
Moderna will manufacture the vaccine doses while clinical trials are underway. Manufacturing in parallel with clinical trials expedites the traditional vaccine development timeline and builds toward the U.S. government’s Operation Warp Speed goal to begin delivering safe and effective vaccines to the American people by the end of the year. If the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorizes use as outlined in agency guidance, the vaccine doses would be distributed and used as part of a COVID-19 vaccination campaign.
 
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, collaborated with the DoD Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense and Army Contracting Command to provide up to approximately $1.5 billion to manufacture and deliver the vaccine doses to government-designated locations across the country. The government also can acquire up to an additional 400 million doses of the vaccine.
 
The project announced today includes fill-finish manufacturing in U.S.-based facilities. This fill-finish manufacturing step ensures vaccine doses are packaged and ready to ship immediately, subject to successful clinical trials and FDA authorization.
 
If these doses are used in a COVID-19 vaccination campaign, the vaccine would be available to the American people at no cost. As is customary with government-purchased vaccines, healthcare professionals could charge for the cost of administering the vaccine.
 
The vaccine, called mRNA-1273, has been co-developed by Moderna and scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. NIAID has continued to support the vaccine’s development including nonclinical studies and clinical trials.
 
In addition, BARDA has supported phase 2/3 clinical trials, vaccine manufacturing scale up and other development activities for this vaccine. The Phase 3 clinical trial, which began July 27, is the first government-funded Phase 3 clinical trial for a COVID-19 vaccine in the United States.
 
Read the full release.

Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Involving Residents Receiving Dialysis in a Nursing Home — Maryland, April 2020: Summary
 
What is already known about this topic? Residents of long-term care facilities have high COVID-19–associated morbidity and mortality. More information is needed about SARS-CoV-2 introduction and transmission in nursing homes.
What is added by this report? Investigation of a COVID-19 outbreak in a Maryland nursing home identified a significantly higher prevalence among residents receiving dialysis (47%) than among those not receiving dialysis (16%); 72% were asymptomatic at the time of testing.
What are the implications for public health practice? Nursing home residents undergoing dialysis might be at a higher risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection because of exposures to staff members and community dialysis patients. Attention to infection control practices and surveillance in nursing homes and dialysis centers is critical to preventing nursing home COVID-19 outbreaks.
 
Read the report.

USDA Announces More Eligible Commodities for CFAP - Application Deadline Extended to Sept. 11, and Producers Who Have Approved Applications to Receive Final Payments. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that additional commodities are covered by the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) in response to public comments and data. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the deadline to apply for the program to September 11th, and producers with approved applications will receive their final payment. After reviewing over 1,700 responses, even more farmers and ranchers will have the opportunity for assistance to help keep operations afloat during these tough times.
 
Background:
USDA collected comments and supporting data for consideration of additional commodities through June 22, 2020. The following additional commodities are now eligible for CFAP:

Other changes to CFAP include:

Additional details can be found in the Federal Register in the Notice of Funding Availability (PDF, 248 KB) and Final Rule Correction (PDF, 232 KB) and at www.farmers.gov/cfap.
 
Producers Who Have Applied:
To ensure availability of funding, producers with approved applications initially received 80 percent of their payments. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) will automatically issue the remaining 20 percent of the calculated payment to eligible producers. Going forward, producers who apply for CFAP will receive 100 percent of their total payment, not to exceed the payment limit, when their applications are approved.
 
Applying for CFAP:
Producers, especially those who have not worked with FSA previously, are recommended to call 877-508-8364 to begin the application process. An FSA staff member can help producers start their application during the phone call.
 
On farmers.gov/cfap, producers can:

All other eligibility forms, such as those related to adjusted gross income and payment information, can be downloaded from farmers.gov/cfap. For existing FSA customers, these documents are likely already on file.
 
All USDA Service Centers are open for business, including some that are open to visitors to conduct business in person by appointment only. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service or any other Service Center agency should call ahead and schedule an appointment. Service Centers that are open for appointments will pre-screen visitors based on health concerns or recent travel, and visitors must adhere to social distancing guidelines. Visitors are also required to wear a face covering during their appointment. Our program delivery staff will be in the office, and they will be working with our producers in the office, by phone and using online tools. More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.

Governor Abbott Secures Extension of Federally-Funded COVID-19 Testing Sites in Harris County. Governor Greg Abbott today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has extended operations for four temporary COVID-19 surge testing sites in Harris County. Originally announced on August 7th, these testing sites will remain open through August 29th. 
 
Testing locations include:
 
Ken Pridgeon Stadium
11355 Falcon Road 
Houston, TX 77065
 
San Jacinto College
8060 Spencer Hwy
Pasadena, TX 77505
 
Darrell Tully Stadium
1050 Dairy Ashford 
Houston, TX 77079
 
Kingwood Park Community Center
4102 Rustic Woods Drive
Kingwood, TX 77345
 
For hours of operation and registration details, visit www.doineedacovid19test.com. Registration is available on-site.

Governor Abbott Holds Briefing with Beaumont Leaders, Provides Update On COVID-19 Response. Governor Greg Abbott traveled to Beaumont to hold a briefing with local officials and state representatives on the ongoing COVID-19 response in Jefferson County. The Governor also held a press conference where he provided an update on the state's continued efforts to mitigate the virus.
 
In the briefing, the Governor and local and state leaders discussed strategies to continue reducing the number of positive cases and hospitalizations in Jefferson County, including blood and plasma donations from recovered patients to help treat those currently diagnosed with COVID-19. The leaders noted that any outstanding needs of the community have been met by the State, and discussed how Jefferson County has reduced the number of hospitalizations, positive cases, and new fatalities following a spike several weeks ago. The leaders also discussed the upcoming school year and strategies to reduce transmission of COVID-19 among students, teachers, and staff, and the Governor reaffirmed the state's commitment to ensuring that schools have the tools they need to safely resume in-person instruction for the upcoming school year. 
 
During the press conference, the Governor commended the people of Jefferson County for their collective response to COVID-19, and thanked Texans in the community for embracing best practices to reduce the spread of the virus — including wearing a mask, social distancing, and staying home as much as possible. The Governor urged Texans in Jefferson County to continue practicing these strategies, and encouraged those who have recovered from COVID-19 to donate blood and plasma to help with mitigation and recovery efforts.  
 
The Governor has surged a variety of resources to Jefferson County to help combat COVID-19. Governor Abbott facilitated robust testing initiatives in the community, leading to 17 established testing locations and the testing of staff and residents at seven nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and long-term care facilities within the county. Additionally, the State of Texas has provided two disinfection missions to nursing home facilities in Beaumont, and has helped meet health care staffing needs in Port Arthur and Beaumont. The Texas Department of State Health Services has distributed several cases of Remdesivir to hospitals in Jefferson County. 
 
The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) has distributed over 1.1 million pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) to Jefferson County, including nearly 756,000 masks, over 118,000 pairs of gloves, and 10,880 face shields. This distribution also includes over 153,200 pieces of PPE for independent school districts in Jefferson County.
 
Following his visit to Beaumont, Governor Greg Abbott traveled to the city of Victoria to meet with local leaders and state representatives on the community's ongoing response to COVID-19. Following the briefing, the Governor held a press conference to discuss to topics from meeting and provide an update on Victoria's ongoing efforts to combat the spread of the virus. 
 
During the briefing, the leaders discussed the decline in positive COVID-19 cases in Victoria and attributed this to community members following strategies that mitigate the spread of the virus. Leaders also discussed current needs in the community as well as anticipated needs heading into the school year. In addition, the Governor and local officials discussed personal protective equipment (PPE) distribution to school districts in Victoria County, and strategies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 as schools resume in-person instruction for the upcoming academic year. During the press conference, the Governor provided an update on the briefing and recognized the local officials and leaders, including Representative Geanie Morrison, for their work to meet the needs of the community.
 
Governor Abbott has secured a variety of resources for Victoria County, including over 210,000 pieces of PPE. Of this amount, 185,362 pieces have been distributed to local independent school districts (ISD). The Texas Division of Emergency Management has distributed 183,650 masks to local ISDs and 1,712 gallons of hand sanitizer. The Texas Department of State Health Services have distributed several cases of remdesivir to hospitals in Victoria County. Additionally, the Governor facilitated testing for residents and staff at five nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and long-term care facilities, and provided resources to help meet health care staffing needs within the county.

The August 2020 issue of Tax Policy News is now available on Comptroller.Texas.Gov.
 
Topics include the following:

Notice Regarding Previous Issues of Tax Policy News. Many previous issues of Tax Policy News are no longer provided online since they may contain information that has been superseded or conflicts with current tax law. Articles from these issues that reflect policy for various taxes are still available on our State Tax Automated Research (STAR) System.

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar Announces Highest Ratings for Texas Short-Term Notes. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic’s negative impacts on the broader national economy, Texas has again received the highest credit ratings for its Texas Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes (TRAN), which will allow the state to manage cash-flow needs for fiscal 2021.
 
Texas' 2020 TRAN issuance is rated SP-1+ by Standard & Poor's (S&P), F1+ by Fitch Inc., MIG 1 by Moody's Investors Service and K1+ by Kroll Bond Rating Agency.
 
This year's $7.2 billion TRAN sale is Aug. 19. These annual, one-year notes are sold to help fund school payments and manage cash flow between the Sept. 1 start of the fiscal year and the arrival of tax revenue later in the year.
 
The ratings come on the heels of Hegar’s July 20 downward revision to the Certification Revenue Estimate (CRE), projecting a fiscal 2021 ending shortfall of $4.58 billion. The shortfall, which Hegar attributed to the pandemic and recent volatility in oil prices, is a decrease from the $2.89 billion positive year-end balance originally projected in the October 2019 CRE.

The ratings agencies’ statements have indicated that Texas’ financial condition puts policymakers in a position to offset the recent strains on the economy.
 
S&P stated, “Despite the elevated health and safety social risk stemming from the pandemic, which will weaken revenue collections within the short term and could affect the assumptions underlying the cash flow projections, we view them to be in line with [other states]. We view its governance risks as also being in line with [other states] and it has historically maintained a strong management and policy framework to respond to developing risks.
 
For more information about the TRAN sale, go to trantexas.com.
 
Read the full release.

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