gao report covid

 

As of June 17, 2020, the United States had over 2 million reported cases of COVID-19, and over 100,000 reported deaths, according to federal agencies. In addition, the CARES Act provided $1 billion for Defense Production Act (DPA) purchases—$76 million of which, for example, was awarded to increase production of N95 respirators. A warrant is an official document issued upon enactment of an appropriation that establishes the amount of money authorized to be withdrawn from the Treasury. The Department of Labor (DOL) has taken steps to help states manage demand, but DOL is developing its approach to overseeing the new UI programs. (Recommendation 2), 3. 116-139, 134 Stat. States are implementing three new, federally funded UI programs created by the CARES Act and, as of May 2020, states have received more than 42 million UI claims. This is the first report of COVID-19 complicated with fulminant myocarditis. In 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was unable to complete more than 1,000 of its drug inspections, putting the quality of drugs sold on the US market at risk, according to a US Government Accountability Office (GAO) testimony report to a House subcommittee yesterday. In May 2020, the House of Representatives passed H.R. Members of the House and Senate announced that they would reintroduce similar bills in the new Congress. GAO recommends that IRS should consider cost-effective options for notifying ineligible recipients how to return payments. But more than three-quarters (38) of the states that responded to the GAO's survey expressed concerns about having enough supplies to distribute and administer a COVID-19 vaccine. K-12 Education. In the report released Thursday, the GAO… If enacted, this bill would require the Department of Transportation, in collaboration with DHS, HHS, and other aviation stakeholders, to develop a national plan to prepare the aviation industry for future communicable disease outbreaks. Sales of the drug reached $1.9 billion in the fourth quarter alone, and Gilead estimates about half of all patients hospitalized with COVID-19 are treated with it. In a wide-ranging report on the US federal response to COVID-19, the GAO issued 16 new recommendations for federal agencies spanning the medical supply chain, vaccines and therapeutics, COVID-19 data, economic impact payments, the Coronavirus Relief Fund, guidance for K-12 schools, tracking contract obligations, and cybersecurity weaknesses. Treasury has also held and cancelled payments made to decedents, along with those that have been returned. The GAO also recommended the Department of Health and Human Services develop a comprehensive national Covid-19 testing strategy and establish an … Improved surveillance and tracking is a theme across multiple areas in the GAO report, besides supply chain, though, including monetary relief, COVID testing, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA's) COVID guidelines. Since March 2020, the Department of Justice has been announcing charges in numerous fraud-related cases associated with the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) program. The report found that only four of the 31 recommendations it requested of the Trump administration were implemented. This report examines the federal government’s continued efforts to respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, agencies have worked to expedite procurement and delivery of critical manufacturing equipment to address manufacturing challenges. The nationwide need for critical supplies to respond to COVID-19 quickly exceeded the quantity of supplies contained in the Strategic National Stockpile, which is designed to supplement state and local supplies during public health emergencies. Thompson Statement on GAO Report Detailing the Trump Administration’s Failed COVID Response (WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on the Government Accountability Office’s report on the Federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic: L. No. The CARES Act includes a provision for GAO to report bimonthly on its ongoing monitoring and oversight efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported incomplete and inconsistent data from state and jurisdictional health departments on the amount of viral testing occurring nationwide, making it more difficult to track and know the number of infections, mitigate their effects, and inform decisions on reopening communities. GAO is well-positioned to oversee the federal COVID-19 response, as we have extensive experience reporting fact-based information from officials and organizations across a wide array of federal issues. Improved surveillance and tracking is a theme across multiple areas in the GAO report, besides supply chain, though, including monetary relief, COVID testing, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA's) COVID guidelines. As of this month, 27 of 31 U.S. Government Accountability Office recommendations for addressing the Covid-19 crisis remain unimplemented, according to a report the agency released Thursday. And That Was Before COVID-19 Hit. Six areas—Paycheck Protection Program (PPP); Economic Stabilization and Assistance to Distressed Sectors; unemployment insurance; economic impact payments; Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund; and Coronavirus Relief Fund—account for 86 percent of the appropriations (see figure). DOL neither agreed nor disagreed with the recommendation, but noted it was planning forthcoming guidance. The agencies faced difficulties delivering payments to some individuals, and faced additional risks related to making improper payments to ineligible individuals, such as decedents, and fraud. Our recommendations address these and other issues. To mitigate fraud risks, GAO is recommending that the Small Business Administration: Unemployment Overpayments. It is unfortunate that the public will have waited more than 4 months since the enactment of the CARES Act for access to comprehensive obligation and expenditure information about the programs funded through these relief laws. To address these concerns, SBA and the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) issued a number of interim final rules and several versions of responses to frequently asked questions (see figure). 620 (2020). HHS has worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Defense (DOD) to increase the availability of supplies. This review of the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic is the Government Accountability Office’s fifth comprehensive report since June 2020 about the implementation of the CARES Act. As of 14 June, 16:00 (CEST+6), Chinese authorities reported a total of 77 cases United States Government Accountability Office . OPERATION WARP SPEED . The mechanism of cardiac pathology caused by COVID-19 needs further study. Although the draft plan references detailed policies and procedures for some loan reviews and loan forgiveness reviews, they were not included in the document we received. This report examines, (1) efforts of Operation Warp Speed to accelerate COVID-19 vaccine and therapeutic development; and (2) FDA's use of EUAs for COVID-19 therapeutics and vaccines, among other objectives. With our latest report, we have now made 72 recommendations since June 2020. Since then, SBA officials have said the agency has completed oversight plans, but SBA has not provided documentation that fully details these plans. Communicating Pandemic Data. Appropriations for COVID-19 Response from COVID-19 Relief Laws Enacted as of May 31, 2020. GAO remains deeply troubled by the lack of sufficient federal action on critical gaps identified and by the lack of clear plans to address these gaps. Officials from grantee organizations told the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that grantees reported using the flexibilities to address unprecedented operational disruptions related to COVID-19, such as having to close offices or laboratories … Gao Fu, director of the China Centers for Disease Control, speaks at the National Vaccines and Health conference in Chengdu in southwest China's Sichuan province Saturday, April 10, 2021. As of June 12, 2020, the Small Business Administration (SBA) had rapidly processed over $512 billion in 4.6 million guaranteed loans through private lenders to small businesses and other organizations adversely affected by COVID-19. The latest report discusses small business loan fraud, unemployment overpayments, K-12 education, vaccine data, and more. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) yesterday published a report calling for actions such as increasing transparency in COVID-19 vaccine and treatment development and meeting states' needs for scarce medical supplies.. These laws have appropriated $2.6 trillion across the government. This initial report examines key actions the federal government has taken to address the COVID-19 pandemic and evolving lessons learned relevant to the nation's response to pandemics, among other things. The GAO expressed clear concerns about the FDA’s ability to monitor the foreign supply chain. Read the GAO report. OWS—a partnership between the Departments of Health and Human Services and Defense—aimed to help accelerate the development of a COVID-19 vaccine. The CARES Act requires GAO to issue bi-monthly reports on the impact of COVID-19. Establishing clear goals and defining roles and responsibilities for the wide range of federal agencies and other key players are critically important actions when preparing for pandemics and addressing an unforeseen emergency with a whole-of-government response. GAO has identified several challenges related to the federal response to the crisis, as well as recommendations to help address these challenges, including the following: Viral testing. Stay informed as we add new reports & testimonies. Published: Jun 25, 2020. This review of the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic is the Government Accountability Office’s fifth comprehensive report since June 2020 about the implementation of the CARES Act. The Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020, enacted in June 2020, modified key program components. CMS released the Nursing Home Commission’s report and recommendations in September 2020. GAO recommends that HHS take steps to ensure the complete reporting of race and ethnicity from state data. However, federal, state, and local officials have expressed concerns about the distribution, acquisition, and adequacy of supplies. Small Business Loan Fraud. In addition, the administration created the White House Coronavirus Task Force. The CARES Act requires GAO to issue bi-monthly reports … The recovered amount has not changed since August 2020. The list will be updated with new reports as they are published. Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have taken steps to implement our recommendation. On June 25, 2020 the Government Accountability Office (GAO) provided a comprehensive report to Congress detailing the US government’s response to the COVID pandemic, particularly the four relief laws passed prior to June 2020, and actionable steps to improve those efforts. View the Latest CARES Act Report  View All CARES Act Reports. HHS publishes its COVID-19 data across multiple websites, making it difficult for the public to access information on COVID-19. The $512 billion represents loan obligations for SBA and does not include lender fees. 281 (2020); and Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, Pub. However, HHS issued guidance on June 4, 2020, to laboratories that identifies required data elements to collect and how to report it to CDC. This recent report follows a June 2020 Report and details federal spending in response to the pandemic, metrics to monitor public health and the economy, and the status of recommendations from the June 2020 report. The Government Accountability Office wants HHS ... according to a March 31 Politico report. But more than three-quarters (38) of the states that responded to the GAO's survey expressed concerns about having enough supplies to distribute and administer a COVID-19 vaccine. These amounts could increase in the future for programs with indefinite appropriations. 116-123, 134 Stat. GAO is recommending that DOL collect data on how much of the PUA overpayments have been waived by states. Our past work has found that during economic downturns-when Medicaid enrollment can increase and state economies weaken-the formula, which is based on each state's per capita income, does not reflect current state economic conditions. Jun 03, 2020 The GAO expressed clear concerns about the FDA’s ability to monitor the foreign supply chain. For example, according to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, as of April 30, almost 1.1 million payments totaling nearly $1.4 billion had gone to decedents. FraudNet is a GAO program for the public, government workers, and contractors to report allegations of improper activities in the federal government—including fraud, waste, or abuse of funds provided under the CARES Act. The CARES Act includes a provision for GAO to report on its ongoing monitoring and oversight efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. To provide agencies access to Social Security Administration's more complete set of death data, we urge Congress to provide the Department of the Treasury with access to the Social Security Administration's full set of death records, and to require that the Department of the Treasury consistently use it. GAO will continue to examine activities related to COVID-19 testing. When asked about the GAO report, the White House pointed to the national covid-19 strategy that President Biden released on his second day in office. GAO remains deeply troubled by the lack of sufficient federal action on critical gaps identified and by the lack of clear plans to address these gaps. The number of economic impact payments going to decedents highlights the importance of consistently using key safeguards in providing government assistance to individuals. Read more about our latest report in our press release here and below. Note: COVID-19 relief laws enacted as of May 31, 2020 include the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020, Pub. GAO Report: COVID-19 — Federal Efforts Could Be Strengthened by Timely and Concerted Actions, September 2020 By John Greenewald September 24, 2020 No Comments 2 Mins Read Background The Department of Education has taken steps to begin tracking state and school district spending on certain COVID-19 relief funds, but there is a lag between when schools use the funds and when it is reported as spent to Education. SBA officials told us these policies and procedures were being updated. Conduct and document a fraud risk assessment for the EIDL and PPP programs, Implement a comprehensive oversight plan that looks for fraud risks in the EIDL program, Develop a strategy for how to address those risks in the EIDL program, Outline specific actions for how to monitor and manage PPP fraud risks on an ongoing basis. As of May 31, 2020, SBA had expended about $2 billion in lender fees. Sharing this data will allow agencies to enhance their efforts to identify and prevent improper payments to deceased individuals. This initial report examines key actions the federal government has taken to address the COVID-19 pandemic and evolving lessons learned relevant to the nation's response to pandemics, among other things. 116-136, 134 Stat. The report was requested by the Senate Appropriations Committee in September 2019, when their annual committee report asked GAO to report “on the cost of operating, including extending … Post Office. As tradeoffs were made, however, agencies have made only limited progress so far in achieving transparency and accountability goals. 116-127, 134 Stat. y 2021. Washington, D.C. (January 28, 2020) — Today, Rep. James E. Clyburn, Chairman of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, issued the following statement following a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on the Trump Administration’s failed response to the coronavirus pandemic and refusal to heed the watchdog’s repeated warnings: You can find a categorized list of these reports on this page: Past Pandemic-Related Reports. Following our recommendation, DOL issued guidance on August 12, 2020, that clarified that individuals working full-time and being paid through PPP are not eligible for unemployment insurance (UI), and that individuals working part-time and being paid through PPP would be subject to certain state policies, including state policies on partial unemployment to determine their eligibility for UI benefits. Timeline for Paycheck Protection Program, as of June 12, 2020. Accelerated COVID-19 Vaccine Development Status and Efforts to Address Manufacturing Challenges . Washington, D.C. (April 14, 2021) — Today, Rep. James E. Clyburn, Chairman of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, issued the following statement regarding a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report detailing efforts by the federal government to increase the availability of coronavirus vaccines. The U.S. The GAO report substantiates many of the repeated criticisms from Illinois leaders who pounded the Trump administration during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of our oversight, we draw on the lessons learned from our broad portfolio of work on how the federal government can prepare for, respond to, and help people recover from disasters and pandemics. (Recommendation 1), 2. Postal Service 'Unsustainable,' Says GAO. How are federal agencies administering this spending? A new Government Accountability Office report ... have the capacity to provide states with supplies at the scale necessary to respond to a nationwide event such as the COVID-19 pandemic." 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