COVID-19 Update: June 8, 2020

Coronavirus update for Monday, June 8 as of 2:30 p.m.

Pennsylvania Update

The Wolf Administration

The Wolf administration announced the launch of an enhanced dashboard with data on COVID-19 in the state. Find the announcement here and the dashboard here.
The Wolf administration has issued a universal testing order requiring all nursing homes to complete initial baseline testing no later than July 24. It also published updated testing guidance to all long-term-care facilities in the state. See the announcement here, the nursing home testing order here, and the guidance for long-term-care facilities here. Also released today as part of this initiative: requirements for testing of residents and staff in skilled nursing facilities and an FAQ about these requirements.
The Wolf administration announced that the Public Health Management Corporation will become the state’s health care emergency preparedness vendor as of July 8.

Department of Health – by the numbers

The weekend’s COVID-19 new case count continued its downward trend while the death count declined significantly.
More than 5700 health care workers have contracted COVID-19.
1174 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 and 257 of them are on ventilators.
The state has seen 20 confirmed cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Another 14 possible cases are currently being investigated.

Federal Update

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

CMS has updated its “COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Blanket Waivers for Health Care Providers” document. Added since the last version are a new section, on page 14, on altered time lines for Medicare’s Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Model, along with two modifications: one on page 10, addressing site-neutral payments for long-term care hospitals, and another on page 13, in support of care for patients in long-term care hospital patients.

CMS – Stakeholder Engagement Calls

CMS hosts recurring stakeholder engagement sessions to share information related to the agency’s response to COVID-19. These sessions are open to members of the health care community and are intended to provide updates, share best practices among peers, and offer attendees an opportunity to ask questions of CMS and other subject matter experts. Conference lines are limited so CMS encourages interested parties to join via audio webcast.

Calls recordings and transcripts are posted on the CMS podcast page here.

COVID-19 Office Hours Call

Office Hour Calls provide an opportunity for hospitals, health systems, and providers to ask questions of agency officials regarding CMS’s temporary actions that empower local hospitals and health care systems to increase hospital capacity, expand their workforce, and make greater use of telehealth.

Tuesday, June 9 at 5:00 (eastern)

Toll Free Attendee Dial In: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 4892554

Audio Webcast link: Go here.

COVID Home Health and Hospice Call

Tuesday, June 9 at 3:00 – 3:30 PM (eastern)

Toll Free Attendee Dial-In: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 7359947

Audio Webcast Link: Go here.

COVID Nursing Homes Call

Wednesday, June 10 at 4:30 (eastern)

Toll Free Attendee Dial-In: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 9782909

Audio Webcast Link: Go here.

COVID Dialysis Organizations Call

Wednesday, June 10 at 5:30 (eastern)

Toll Free Attendee Dial-In: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 6553907

Audio Webcast Link: Go here.

COVID Nurses Call

Thursday, June 11 at 3:00 (eastern)

Toll Free Attendee Dial-In: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 2863547

Audio Webcast Link: Go here.

Food and Drug Administration

On Tuesday, June 9 at noon (eastern), the FDA will hold a webinar about emergency use authorizations for respirators, importing respirators, and more. Learn more about the webinar here.
The FDA is reissuing certain EUAs to specify which respirators are appropriate for decontamination and reuse.
The FDA has issued EUAs for two new commercial diagnostic tests for COVID-19. Find them here and here.
The FDA has issued an EUA for a new commercial serology test for COVID-19.
The FDA has published its temporary policy on prescription drug marketing act requirements for the distribution of drug samples during the COVID-19 emergency.