COVID-19 Recovery Clearinghouse

Counties are on the front lines protecting our communities from the coronavirus and other illnesses that have the potential to become a pandemic. Counties support over 900 hospitals and operate over 1,900 public health departments, which are the ground troops in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak.

Local health departments are working to protect public health by communicating with transportation officials, educating health care providers and communicating to the public best practices to reduce the spread of infectious diseases. Local public health systems need sustained, predictable and increased federal funding to support their work.

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	Counties Matter: COVID-19 America’s counties are on the front lines of our nation’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. During this unprecedented public health emergency and the aftermath of an economic crisis, counties are committed to strong intergovernmental cooperation to mitigate COVID-19 and its far-reaching impacts on America’s people and places.
	Running on Fumes: Impact of COVID-19 on County Finances The COVID-19 pandemic could have massive budgetary impacts for counties of all sizes. America's counties could face budgetary impacts as much as $144 billion in lost revenue and increased expenditures through FY2021.
	County-by-County Breakdown of COVID-19 3.5 Supplemental Proposal The COVID-19 3.5 supplemental plan offered by congressional Democrats would provide $150 billion in new funding for state and local governments, including $29.5 billion directly to all of America's counties to help cover expenditures and lost revenue. Click here to see NACo's county-by-county breakdown of relief funding in the proposal.
	Analysis of the Third COVID-19 Supplemental: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act NACo's comprehensive analysis highlights relevant components of the CARES Act for county governments, including a section-by-section breakdown outlining items of significance for America's counties, parishes and boroughs.
	County Governments and COVID-19: Key Issues and Resources NACo's legislative brief highlights the county role in COVID-19 pandemic response, mitigation and recovery and outlines key county federal policy priorities.
	Counties and COVID-19: Safer at Home Orders Though reluctant to impose measures that may impact their local economies, counties recognize that safer at home policies and closures of nonessential businesses can help to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Federal Policy Resources

	Federal Actions, Resources and Next Steps This comprehensive memo includes an in-depth, targeted analysis of the $2 trillion CARES Act (H.R. 748), the third federal emergency supplemental package. It also features direct links to federal funding and other tools, NACo resources and updates on our federal policy advocacy.
	Analysis of the Third COVID-19 Supplemental: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act NACo's comprehensive analysis highlights relevant components of the CARES Act for county governments, including a section-by-section breakdown outlining items of significance for America's counties, parishes and boroughs.
	County Governments and COVID-19: Key Issues and Resources NACo's legislative brief highlights the county role in COVID-19 pandemic response, mitigation and recovery and outlines key county federal policy priorities.

• NACo National Calls FAQs on the Federal Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic (4/21)
• NACo Template Letter for Counties to Send to Members of Congress
• Joint NACo, National League of Cities (NLC), U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) Letter to President Trump (4/16)
• Joint NACo, NLC, USCM Letter to Congressional Leaders (4/16)
• Bipartisan Letter from New York Members of Congress (4/16) Supporting Direct Funding for Local Governments of All Sizes
• Joint Letter from State Associations of Counties (4/15) to Congressional Leaders
• NACo Letter to President Trump (4/14)
• National Forest Counties and Schools Coalition Letter to Congressional Leaders (4/15)
• National Forest Counties and Schools Coalition Letter to White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Douglas Hoelscher (4/14)
• U.S. Sen. Manchin letter on state and local funding (4/17)
• NACo Letter to Congressional Leaders (4/13)
• Bipartisan Congressional Letter (4/13) Supporting Direct Funding for Local Governments of All Sizes
• Bipartisan Congressional Letter (4/13) Supporting Local Government Eligibility for Paid Leave Tax Credits
• NACo Letter to Congressional Leadership on Continued Coronavirus Response (4/6) 
• NACo Welcomes Passage of Third Coronavirus Relief Package (3/27)
• NACo Calls on Congress to Make Counties Eligible for Stabilization Fund in COVID-19 Package (3/21)
• NACo Statement on Passage of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act
• NACo's Analysis of Federal Legislation on Coronavirus Pandemic
• NACo Letter to Congressional Leadership on Coronavirus Response Efforts (3/19)
• NACo Letter to Congressional Leadership on Continued Coronavius Response (3/17)
• NACo Letter to Congressional Leadership on Coronavirus Pandemic (3/13)

White House and Federal Agency Efforts

• President’s Coronavirus Task Force
• The President’s Coronavirus Guidelines for America: 30 Days to Slow the Spread
• U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Azar Declares Public Health Emergency for the United States.
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Disease Risks and Homelessness
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Preventing & Managing the Spread of Infectious Disease for People Experiencing Homelessness
• U.S. Department of Labor: Families First Coronavirus Response Act FAQ
• U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division: Temporary Rule on Paid Leave Under the FFCRA
• FEMA: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic: Eligible Emergency Protective Measures
• FEMA: Procurement Under Grants Conducted Under Exigent or Emergency Circumstances
• FEMA: Public Assistance: Non-Congregate Sheltering Delegation of Authority 
• FEMA: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic: Public Assistance Simplified Application

What steps have counties taken to address coronavirus?

Implementation of Mitigation Strategies for Communities with Local COVID-19 Transmission This guide is a framework for actions which local and state health departments can recommend in their community to both prepare for and mitigate community transmission of COVID-19 in the United States. Download

Containment

• Bergen County (N.J.) has provided detailed information to its residents on the coronavirus and how to contain its spread. One town within the county (Teaneck) has asked residents to self-quarantine.
• Jackson County (Mo.) added COVID-19 as a target for its “Disease and Outbreaks” program and is encouraging residents to prepare an emergency kit with an online video and checklist.
• San Luis Obispo County (Calif.) officials are sharing an updated map on COVID-19 infections. They have also restricted jail visits to medical care and essential personnel only, though they allow virtual visits.
• Florida Association of Counties: COVID-19 County Response Dashboard

2016 Total Local Health Departments

Counties operate over 1,900 public health departments. Click here to view the map in County Explorer.

Community Mitigation

• King County (Wash.) is currently limiting all large gatherings of more than 50 people. Many other counties are implementing similar restrictions (though with varying limits for attendees), including: San Diego County (Calif.), Dane County (Wis.), St. Louis County (Mo.), New York City (N.Y.), Santa Clara County (Calif.) and Sangamon County (Ill.).
• Milwaukee County (Wis.) developed a “Public Health Emergency Supplemental Paid Leave Bank” of 120 hours for full-time employees that cannot perform their job duties remotely, in case they are unable to come in to work due to the virus. All other employees will telework.
• Arlington County (Va.) suspended nearly all nonessential county services, as did Loudoun County (Va.), while still remaining committed to providing services to vulnerable residents, such as free meals to students and child/adult protective services.
• Members of the NACo Tech Xchange – county CIOs, IT Directors, CISOs and other IT leadership – discussed technology efforts to support mitigation and response efforts.

Health

• Eagle County (Colo.) is asking residents to fill out an online form if they believe they are experiencing symptoms, since they do not have the testing capacity. This allows them to track data in real time, and to target their COVID-19 testing.
• Many counties are starting up drive-thru testing sites to help expedite the COVID-19 testing process, including: Toledo-Lucas County (Ohio), Westchester County (N.Y.)

Jails and Justice

• Orange County (Calif.) has suspended jail visits and is asking inmates to give attorneys to appear in court without them, among other changes, such as asking residents to stay home when not necessary (without ordering them to do so), moving meetings online, closing schools (while still providing free and reduced meals) and closing traffic and civil courts.
• Bexar County (Texas) has suspended arrests for minor offenses so as not to crowd the jail system. The county has also declared there will be no juries for 30 days.
• Alameda County (Calif.) is releasing 300 people from its county jails to reduce the jail population and spread of COVID-19 throughout the jail system. Only keeping violent offenders.
• Ascension Parish (La.) is taking steps to reduce the jail population. Currently, the DA and judges are working to release some non-violent offenders on a case-by-case basis.
• Los Angeles County (Calif.) is reducing arrests and releasing inmates early to stem coronavirus outbreak
• In Cuyahoga County (Ohio), the common pleas court held a special session for hearings aimed at reducing the number of inmates in the County Jail.

2017 Child Food Insecurity Rate

Click here to view the map in County Explorer.

Housing

• A number of counties have decided to postpone evictions and foreclosures until after the outbreak subsides. Among them are Alameda County (Calif.), Hudson County (N.J.), Miami-Dade County (Fla.), Montgomery County (Md.), Multnomah County (Ore.), Orange County (Fla.), Miami-Dade County (Fla.), Orange County (Fla.), San Francisco City & County (Calif.), Montgomery County (Md.), and Travis County (Texas) and others.
• Sacramento County (Calif.) is partnering with hotels and motels to house residents who are homeless during the outbreak.

Tax Revenue

• A number of California counties have pushed back the deadline for residents to pay property taxes, willingly delaying their primary annual cash infusion despite rising expenditures, including San Mateo County, San Francisco City & County, and Kern County. Other counties, like Imperial, Placer and San Bernardino counties, are keeping the deadline the same, but planning to waive late fees for those impacted when possible. Since the state sets the property tax deadline, however, many California counties do not think they have the authority to push back the deadline, and instead discuss other ways to support residents in financial difficulty on a case by case basis, such as Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, and Solano counties.

Children and Families

• Henderson County (N.C.) has made grab-and-go pickup meals will be available at no cost to children ages 2-18 at 12 school sites. Meals On the Bus has also begun delivering meals..

County Employees

• Dona Ana County (N.M.) has mandated a fourteen day self-quarantine for all employees that travel outside the state of New Mexico. They have also provided more flexibility for employees to telework or stay home if sick or needing to care for children.
• Hamilton County (Ind.) is giving all employees up to two weeks additional paid leave for COVID impacts, including having symptoms or a positive test, childcare, recent travel to a foreign country, or elevated health risk.

NACo Partner Resources for Counties

County Tech Xchange: COVID-19 Software Guide for Counties Find COVID-19 free software options and security tools.

	Nationwide: Avoiding Headline-Driven Investment Decisions
	Esri COVID-19 GIS Hub
	Google’s COVID-19 Community Mobility Reports
	Witt O’Brien’s Community Preparedness Resources
	Thomson Reuters COVID-19 Response Resources
	Broadnet: Virtual Town Halls for COVID-19 Outreach and Education
	Comcast: Find Xfinity WiFi Free Hotspots in Your Community
	Atlassian Collaboration Tools to Kickstart Remote Teamwork
	Xtreme Cube’s Products for COVID-19 Emergency Shelters, Medical Facilities, Emergency Response and Shelter-in-Place
	Netsmart Virtual Care Resource Center
	three+one COVID-19 Resources
	Housing for Health Care Workers, National Guard, and Patients: IHG Contact
	Tyler Technologies: COVID-19 Resources and Tools
	UnitedHealthcare’s COVID Resources

Medical Care

Medicaid Waivers 

The President’s emergency declaration in March authorized the HHS Secretary to create flexibilities for state Medicaid programs under Section 1135 of the social security Act. The emergency provision allows the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to waive some requirements in Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP to create flexibility to meet local health demands as a result of the pandemic.

• Section 1135 Waivers- Guidance At a Glance
• Medicaid & CHIP disaster preparedness toolkits
• List of approved section 1135 waivers

Additional Resources

• COVID19TechEffortsSummary.pdf
• NACo_Letter_to_Congressional_Leadership_on_Continued_Coronavius_Response.pdf
• COVID-19 Eligible Emergency Protective Measures Fact Sheet (FINAL)(3.19.20).pdf
• NACo COVID-19 Letter 3.19.20 f.pdf
• FS COVID 19 Non-congregate Sheltering 03192020.pdf
• Non-Congregate Sheltering Delegation of Authority Waiver Memo.3.18.20.final_.signed.pdf
• Procurement_Under_EE_Circumstances_Memo_508AB.pdf
• Procurement_During_EE_Circumstances_Fact_Sheet_508AB.pdf
• NACo_COVID-19_Letter_3-19-20.pdf
• NACo_COVID-19_Digest_3-20.htm
• COVID-19_Package_Action_Alert_3_22_2020.htm
• COVID-19 LEAVE ORDINANCE 3-16-20-A.pdf
• TotalTaxRevenue_4-10.pdf
• NACo-letter_04-13.pdf
• NACo-Letter-to-President-Trump_4-14-2020.pdf
• NLC-NACO-USCM Fiscal Assistance Letter 031620_President- Final - .pdf
• NLC-NACO-USCM Fiscal Assistance Letter 031620_Congress - Final .pdf
• Local Funding Letter to Pelosi (002).pdf
• 4.15.2020 McConnell Pelosi Shumer McCarthy re Forest Management for Rural Stability Act and Coronavirus Economic Recovery.pdf
• 4.14.2020 Hoelscher re S.1643.pdf
• COVID19_04.16.20_A_v1.pdf
• NACo COVID-19 Digest (4_15).htm
• NACo-County-by-County Breakdown-of-COVID-19-3.5-Relief-Package.pdf
• COVID19 3.5 Talking Points.pdf
• BAI20328.pdf
• Paycheck Protection Program Increase Act of 2020 Section-by-Section_FINAL.pdf
• Summary Hospital and Testing FINAL 4.21.20.pdf