COVID-19 News Updates
Below are important news updates on response efforts since the coronavirus pandemic began.
- 6/4/2020 - Senate leadership says next stimilus bill will be the last.
- 5/20/2020 - Pelosi: Proxy voting for House floor next week.
- 5/18/2020 - Senators put support behind bill delivering more aid to state and local governments
- 5/11/2020 - House wont vote on new stimulus package before Friday.
- 5/8/2020 - Pelosi reveals multitrillion-dollar aid package proposal; negotiations with lawmakers yet to come. See summary here
- 5/7/2020 - Treasury may offer more time for renewable energy industry to qualify for tax credits.
- 5/5/2020 - DOL: Dislocated Worker Grants can fund coronavirus contact tracing efforts.
- 5/5/2020 - Senate split on money for state and local governments.
- 5/4/2020 - Today, the Senate returns to Washington DC.
- 4/30/2020 - Pelosi plans for House members to return the week after next.
- 4/30/2020 - Federal Reserve Board accounces expansion of Main Street Lending program.
- 4/30/2020 - Chair of Ways and Means committee says aid plan coming for state and local governments.
- 4/28/2020 - House pulls back, will not return on May 4th.
- 4/27/2020 - Fed expands scope of Municipal Liquidity Facility.
- 4/23/2020 - House passes $484 billion emergency aid bill.
- 4/22/2020 - Treasury releases guidance for COVID-19 relief fund.
- 4/22/2020 - Senate approves $500 billion in additional relief aid for small businesses, hospitals.
- 4/20/2020 - Lawmakers propose additional $500 billion for state & local governments.
- 4/16/2020 - Federal Reserve announces opening of Paycheck Protection Program.
- 4/13/2020 - House not expected to return before My 4th.
- 4/9/2020 - Dems block aid funding in hopes of providing more for hospitals and local governments.
- 4/9/2020 - Fed moves to make $2.3 trillion available in loans to support economy.
- 4/8/2020 - Dem leaders push for additional $500 billion in stopgap aid funding.
- 4/7/2020 - Education secretary authorizes funding flexibilities to support continued learning.
- 4/7/2020 - Work on 4th aid package continues; Pelosi hopes to have bill near end of month.
- 4/2/2020 - FTA announces aid funding availability, and outlines allocation.
- 3/30/2020 - Pelosi: Fourth stimulus bill in early stages. Will focus on recovery, infrastructure.
- 3/29/2020 - President Trump extends social distancing guidelines through April.
- 3/27/2020 - House passes historic stimulus package. CARES ACT SUMMARY
- 3/26/2020 - Senate package passes vote unanimously.
- 3/25/2020 - Deal struck for COVID-19 aid package.
- 3/24/2020 - Fed moves to boost market liquidity, pledges unlmited purchases of U.S. governmental bonds.
- 3/23/2020 - Fed moves to boost economy with emergency efforts.
- 3/23/2020 - House Dems to introduce aid package bill on Monday.
- 3/20/2020 - Tax day moved to July 15.
- 3/20/2020 - New travel restrictions for southern border expected.
- 3/19/2020 - Lawmakers, Treasury continue to work on relief packages.
- 3/18/2020 - US & Canada working on non-essential travel restrictions.
- 3/17/2020 - Congress working furiously to pass enormous aid package.
- 3/16/2020 - Senate waits on final draft of coronavirus bill from the House.
- 3/14/2020 - House passes coronavirus bill after the President's approval.
- 3/13/2020 - President Trump declares COVID-19 outbreak a national emergency.
- 3/6/2020 - President Trump signed the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 (H.R. 6074), a $8.3 billion supplemental spending package. The bill designates $1.05 billion for grants to state and local governments and allows funds to be used to reimburse state and local costs already incurred.
- 3/5/2020 - CMS announced the development of a new code that can be used by health care providers and laboratories to bill for certain COVID-19 diagnostic tests to help increase testing and track new cases.
- 3/4/2020 - CDC announces initial funding to jurisdictions to supporting COVID-19 response.
- 3/4/2020 - House of Representatives approves a $8.3 billion emergency supplemental package for the coronavirus, sending it to the Senate for consideration.
- 3/4/2020 - CDC updated its guidance for evaluation of Persons Under Investigation to include a wider group of individuals in an effort to make testing more widely available.
- 3/4/2020 - CMS announces actions to address the coronavirus, including an enhanced focus on infection control procedures and guidance for nursing homes.
- 3/2/2020 - CDC and FDA announced they are taking emergency action to allow more types of respirators to be used in health care settings amid several outbreaks of coronavirus in multiple states.
- 2/29/2020 – President Donald Trump issued a proclamation suspending entry of foreign nationals who have been in Iran within the past 14 days.
- 2/29/2020 - FDA issued a new policy for certain laboratories seeking to develop diagnostic tests for coronavirus in order to achieve more rapid testing capacity in the U.S.
- 2/28/2020 - CDC updated its guidance on testing and evaluation of suspected cases, expanding the criteria for who should be tested.