Perspectives on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Task Force

Stay at home orders. Social distancing measures. We talked with Mark Bloom and Andrew Ross about the impact state and local orders are having on the construction industry. The top question on everyone’s mind: can projects move forward right now?

On March 16, 2020, United States Attorney General William Barr issued a memo directing all U.S. Attorneys to prioritize the detection, investigation, and prosecution of COVID-19-related fraud, amid reports of scams, malware, and other fraudulent efforts designed to capitalize on the pandemic. 

With consumers attempting to navigate quarantine and “shelter-in-place” orders, businesses that sell basic necessities are facing overwhelming demand.

Under the CARES Act, a $500 billion pool of money was created to make loans, loan guarantees, and other investments for distressed businesses that do not qualify for the small business relief, including airlines, large nonprofit companies, states, and municipalities.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, estimated to cost more than $2 trillion dollars, contains multiple tax-related provisions intended to offer relief to both businesses and individuals. Here we outline key provisions of which businesses and individuals should be aware.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act appropriates $150 billion toward COVID-19 relief for fiscal year 2020. The vast majority of this amount will go to the states, although $3 billion is reserved for distribution to the District of Columbia and U.S. territories, and $8 billion will go to Tribal governments.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provides $2 trillion in stimulus in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

If history is any guide, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic will provide many opportunities for fraudsters to separate the desperate and vulnerable from their money and personal information.

Consumers are stuck at home. How does business continue? We talked with Aaron Jacoby and Russ McRory about the impact of state and local “Stay at Home” orders in California and New York and how dealers and manufacturers can navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Friday, March 20, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the “New York State on PAUSE” Executive Order (“PAUSE,” Executive Order No. 202.8: Continuing Temporary Suspension and Modification of Laws Relating to the Disaster Emergency).

On March 27, 2020, President Trump signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), a Senate bill passed just days earlier in response to the public health crisis that has emerged from the spread of COVID-19.

To address the COVID-19 national emergency, hospitals throughout the country are seeking to bolster their ranks of health care providers.

This updates our prior Alert regarding the importation and distribution of face masks and respirators to be used to meet the significant US health care challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

After initially accepting requests from importers in light of the novel coronavirus (COVID–19) pandemic to defer payment of duties—a means of relief that the Trump Administration had reportedly been considering—US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued guidance withdrawing this option.

The DHS and ICE have issued Guidance Documents, Frequently Asked Questions, and a Reporting Template to guide higher education officials in staying in compliance with the applicable rules.

Governor Cuomo directed the Empire State Development Corporation (ESD) on March 27, 2020 to update New York State’s Guidance for various businesses, including construction, under the Governor’s New York State on “PAUSE” Executive Orders (EO 202.6 and thereafter).

Arent Fox continues to monitor the FDA activities and scientific reports on COVID-19 and the novel coronavirus.

On March 24th, the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division issued its first round of guidance regarding the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

Arent Fox is counseling clients on the business loan programs included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

On March 24 and 25, the U.S. Department of Labor released guidance on the implementation of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which we wrote about here when it passed last week.

The SEC extended its previously granted public company regulatory relief and issued staff guidance yesterday regarding disclosure obligations in light of the continued complications associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since last week when we wrote about the “shelter in place” and “stay at home” orders issued in California, New York, and Illinois, many more states have issued similar orders. The general discussion from our prior alert still applies, but below is an up-to-date list of the states that have adopted the stay-at-home approach to fighting the spread of COVID-19.

Earlier this week, the IRS released updates on the status of its operations as the COVID-19 outbreak continues and also on the IRS’s new People First Initiative. In addition, Illinois extended its tax filing and payment deadline (but not the deadline to make estimated tax payments) to match the IRS July 15 deadline.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a memorandum to State Survey Agency Directors that provides further guidance regarding survey priorities for health care facilities, providers, and clinical laboratories due to COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.

As we reported earlier this week, in an effort to increase the domestic supply of hand sanitizer, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced policies that temporarily relax certain requirements for the production of alcohol-based hand sanitizer.