At a glance
- On May 11, 2023, the federal Public Health Emergency for COVID-19, declared under Section 319 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, expired.
- The Frequently Asked Questions below were provided during the public health emergency and remain available as a reference but are no longer being updated.
- For information about public health emergencies and administrative flexibilities, see the CDC general guidance page.
Frequently asked questions
1. What funding has been provided to states, tribes, localities and territories to combat COVID-19?
CDC is actively funding state, tribal, local, and territorial public health organizations to meet the challenges of COVID-19. CDC is allocating funds from the following congressional acts – the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, and the American Rescue Plan Act. For more information, please visit the Grants COVID-19 Webpage.
2. Will you accept late applications?
When a delay occurs because the applicant or recipient is directly impacted by COVID-19, CDC will consider extending the application due date beyond the date specified in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on a case-by case basis, in accordance with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Grants Policy Statement "Submitting an Application," Part I-25-26. Please submit your request to extend the NOFO deadline to the assigned grants management specialist/program official noted in the NOFO under Agency Contacts as soon as possible, but at a minimum prior to the NOFO closing date. Your request should include enough detail about the delay so that CDC can determine whether circumstances justify extending the NOFO application submission deadline. For more information, see the Flexibilities Guidance, Flexibility #10.
3. Can I receive relief on the submission of continuation applications?
Yes. CDC may accept a brief statement from recipients for non-competitive continuation requests scheduled to come in from April 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021, for projects with planned future support. CDC programs will post any specific instructions in their continuation guidance. For more information, see the Flexibilities Guidance, Flexibility #5.
4. Can I request an extension to submit letters of support?
If the impact of COVID-19 prevents an applicant from securing required letters of support, please submit your application without that documentation by the established due date, with an explanation of the cause for delay and any information about the expected timeline for submission of the required letters. Letters of support should be submitted as soon as possible after the deadline. Please contact your assigned grants management officer/program official for further discussion and guidance.
5. Can you provide guidance regarding recipients/subrecipients not completing activities due to COVID-19?
If a recipient, either directly or via its subrecipients, is unable to complete approved activities because of disruptions created by the COVID-19 public health emergency, please contact your assigned grants management officer and program official as soon as practicable for further discussion and guidance.
6. Will local and county governments receive funding?
To ensure funding was awarded as quickly and efficiently as possible, much of the COVID-19 supplemental funding has been awarded as supplements to existing grants or under existing grant mechanisms, which means that funds were awarded to those entities that are currently eligible applicants. Generally, those have been state and certain local jurisdictions consistent with the underlying award. The expectation, also consistent with the awards, has been that the recipients will conduct critical public health activities as necessary and appropriate in their respective communities during this emergency. County and local governments that have not received direct funding as a prime recipient should contact and coordinate with their state health officer for additional information on the distribution of funding already made available under direct awards to their state.
7. Are there any flexibilities for grant management activities?
Yes. In April of 2021, CDC posted new Flexibilities Guidance in accordance with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum M-21-20. These flexibilities apply to applicants and recipients of COVID-19 related federal financial assistance and those applicants and recipients affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Please contact the program official or grants management specialist listed in your notice of award if you have questions or need to discuss available flexibilities.
8. Is there guidance for the temporary reassignment of state, tribal, and local personnel during a declared federal public health emergency?
Grant recipients may need to temporarily reassign state, tribal, or local personnel during a declared federal public health emergency. CDC's webpage provides information about the HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) guidance for the temporary reassignment of state, tribal, and local personnel. The webpage includes links to the ASPR website, including the ASPR temporary reassignment request form so that a state governor, tribal leader, or designee can request the reassignment of personnel.
9. Can recipients redirect funds within their cooperative agreement to COVID-19 activities?
Redirection of funds may be allowable when the funds that will be redirected for COVID-19 activities are within the scope of the current award and the award’s statutory authority and do not duplicate activities with other CDC funded and federally funded activities. Please contact your assigned grants management officer and program official for further discussion and guidance concerning whether redirection of funds may be allowable for a specific grant.
10. Do the requirements from the HHS laboratory reporting guidance from June 2020 apply to CDC-funded awards for global health activities?
As a term and condition for awards made using funds provided under the various COVID-19 supplemental appropriations, CDC included language specifying that "to the extent applicable, Recipient will comply with Section 18115 of the CARES Act, with respect to the reporting to the HHS Secretary of results of tests intended to detect SARS-CoV-2 or to diagnose a possible case of COVID-19. Such reporting shall be in accordance with guidance and direction from HHS and/or CDC. HHS laboratory reporting guidance is posted at https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/covid-19-laboratory-data-reporting-guidance."
The HHS laboratory reporting guidance from June 2020 specifies requirements for all laboratories to report SARS-CoV-2 data to the appropriate state or local health department based on the individual's residence. Since the HHS guidance specifies reporting to state and local health departments, the requirements in this June 2020 guidance are not applicable to an award in which the CDC-funded activities take place outside of the United States.
11. Is there guidance regarding recipient use of federal funds to provide incentives to support the COVID-19 response?
Yes. Recognizing that the use of incentives can sometimes be a useful tool to start, expedite, or complete approved activities, CDC issued incentives guidance in 2021. The use of CDC funds for incentives requires prior approval by CDC. Please review the incentives guidance for more information.