FEMA COVID-19 Update

Posted & filed under News.

FEMA COVID-19 Update

Key Messages

  • On April 12, FEMA began processing applications for funeral assistance and will provide financial assistance for COVID-19-related funeral expenses incurred after Jan. 20, 2020 under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
  • Applicants may apply by calling 844-684-6333 (TTY: 800-462-7585) from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday. Multilingual services are available. Callers who use a relay service, videophone or captioned telephones should provide their specific number assigned to that service. It is important that FEMA is able to contact applicants. Please note, phone calls from FEMA may come from an unidentified number.
  • As of April 19, FEMA has received more than 101,000 funeral assistance applications.
  • In alignment with the recommendation from the CDC and FDA to pause the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, FEMA immediately ceased administration of these doses at our federal community vaccination center pilot sites and mobile vaccine units. This pause will continue until further guidance is received from CDC and FDA.
    • We are working with our state partners to determine the path forward and find alternative vaccine options for these sites.
  • There are 31 active or temporarily closed federal community vaccination center pilot sites and 20 mobile pop-up sites in 22 states. Additionally, there are 10 mobile vaccination units deployed to eight states. These centers and units have administered more than 3.4 million vaccinations.
  • Working with state governments FEMA will open additional federal community vaccination center pilot sites, which include federal support and supplemental vaccine allocation:
    • This week, federal community vaccination center pilot sites are scheduled to open in Bessemer, Alabama; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Central Point, Oregon.
  • Last week, FEMA transitioned management of the federal community vaccination center pilot sites in Los Angeles and Oakland to the state.
    • FEMA continues to support both sites with federal personnel. Additionally, FEMA has obligated more than $936 million to support the state’s vaccination efforts.
    • These sites administered more than 671,000 shots since they opened on Feb. 16.
  • FEMA mobile vaccination units have begun operations. These vehicles can bring vaccinations to hard-to-reach and high-risk populations who cannot access services from fixed sites.

Please note: further information and data on Vaccine Distribution is available in the attachment.

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FEMA Mission

Helping people before, during, and after disasters.