Coronavirus Roundup: Troops to Take Part in Early Detection Study; CDC Advisory Committee May Delay Vote on Vaccine Distribution 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance on how to safely celebrate Halloween, Día de los Muertos and Thanksgiving. The agency assessed the risk levels associated with activities specific to each holiday. Overall, the CDC cautions against large, indoor gatherings and says, “Using alcohol or drugs, which can cloud judgment and increase risky behaviors” is “high-risk.” Here are some of the other recent headlines you might have missed. 

The Health and Human Services Department is seeking public comment on the coronavirus data collection portal it launched in July that has raised questions about the quality of the data, process by which a contractor received the award to run the portal and potential political interference. “We acknowledge the burden placed on many hospitals, including resource constraints, and have allowed for some flexibilities,” said a notice published in the Federal Register on Wednesday. However, “it is our belief that collection of this information daily is the most effective way to detect outbreaks and needs for federal assistance over time, by hospital and geographical area, and to alert the appropriate officials for action.” Comments are due by November 23. 

The Trump administration sent over 250,000 rapid coronavirus tests to 42 historically Black colleges and universities in order to prevent outbreaks on their campuses and in high-risk communities. It anticipates sending an additional 300,000 to 65 more HBCUS next week, The Charlotte Observer reported on Tuesday. 

The fourth large-scale coronavirus vaccine trial in the United States began Tuesday. Up to 60,000 volunteers will be enrolled in the clinical trials at about 214 sites domestically and internationally. The vaccine was developed by Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, which received funding under the Trump administration's Operation Warp Speed.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s advisory committee may delay its vote on who should receive the vaccine first while it waits for the Food and Drug Administration to authorize one, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. “Some [Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices] members think it is tough to make definitive plans without knowing which vaccine will be available first, and what its characteristics are,” said the report. “The continuing clinical trials, for example, could show that a vaccine’s safety or effectiveness varies by age group, which could determine whether older adults who are at high risk of more severe COVID-19 should get vaccinated.”

The FDA is expected to release tougher standards for emergency use authorization for a vaccine that will make it more difficult for one to be approved before Election Day. The goal is to increase the public’s trust in the vaccine and boost transparency of the process, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.

Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., wrote to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Tuesday criticizing its “feckless” citations for two meat-packing facilities earlier this month and “shameful inaction” during the pandemic. “We are therefore writing to seek information about why OSHA took so long to take enforcement action, why OSHA’s enforcement action was so lenient, and whether OSHA will now, finally, issue an Emergency Temporary Standard to protect workers from COVID-19 risks,” they wrote. Read Government Executive’s full coverage of the citations and reaction from experts here. 

Warren, Booker and Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., wrote to the U.S. Marshal Service and Prisoner Transportation Services, a private prisoner transport firm, earlier this week to inquire how they’re mitigating the spread of coronavirus when they move prisoners. “Reports suggest that USMS has not instituted the necessary protocols to contain the virus, including failing to implement widespread diagnostic testing of detained individuals in its custody,” they wrote to USMS Director Donald Washington. “USMS is also not reporting any information about COVID-19 among the detained individuals in its custody or USMS staff.” Therefore they asked for responses to a list of questions by October 5. 

A Homeland Security Department temporary rule took effect on Wednesday that says asylum applicants who cannot go through their interview in English aren’t required to bring an interpreter, but rather use a DHS-provided interpreter over the phone. The department said this 180-day rule would mitigate the spread of coronavirus among U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officers and asylum seekers. 

Over 5,000 troops will take part in an early coronavirus detection study, which is a joint effort by the Defense Department and Koninklijke Philips, a health technology company. One of the hopes for the study is to learn more about asymptomatic carriers of the virus, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. 

Sens. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, introduced a bill on Wednesday that would create an independent, 10-member commission to study the nation’s preparedness and response to the pandemic. It would be similar to the one created after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. 

Upcoming: President Trump will hold a news conference at 6 p.m.

Today’s GovExec Daily podcast episode discusses the future of federal employees’ pay and benefits under either Trump or former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee.

Help us understand the situation better. Are you a federal employee, contractor or military member with information, concerns, etc. about how your agency is handling the coronavirus? Email us at newstips@govexec.com.