News
Coronavirus Government Response Update—EPA Web Tool Helps Consumers Find Best Disinfectants
May 14, 2020
Welcome to the Coronavirus Government Response Update. This information is intended to keep ISSA members up to date on fast-moving government affairs related to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other public policy issues important to the cleaning industry. Today’s update touches on a new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) web tool to help find the best disinfectants, the head of the Federal Reserve calling for additional fiscal support, weekly jobless claims totaling 2.98 million, and more.
EPA Web Tool Helps Consumers Find Best Disinfectants
The EPA has released a new web-based tool to help people identify disinfectant products best suited for their needs. The agency also announced an expedited review process for new antimicrobial product submissions for review under the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA). The new web tool is based on information from EPA’s List N, a list of more than 400 surface disinfectant products that meet the agency’s criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2, the novel human coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The List N Tool, which can be accessed on smartphones, allows users to search for disinfectants according to a number of criteria, including the active ingredient, use site, contact time, or keyword. The expedited PRIA review aims to shave one to two months from registration times for new disinfectant products. It builds on a previously announced coronavirus review for previously registered disinfectants that don’t require review of new efficacy data.
Fed’s Powell Calls for More Fiscal Support
The head of the Federal Reserve warned of an “extended period” of weak economic growth, vowed to use the U.S. central bank’s power as needed, and called for additional fiscal spending to stem the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Fed Chair Jerome Powell issued his review of an economy slammed by a record pace of job losses and bracing for worse ahead as most U.S. states moved toward reopening after weeks of shutdowns aimed at slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus. The pandemic has killed more than 82,000 people in the U.S. so far and many epidemiological models now point to a death toll that will surpass 100,000 in a matter of weeks.
Weekly Jobless Claims Total 2.981 Million, Bringing Coronavirus Tally to 36.5 million
New claims for unemployment insurance totaled 2.98 million last week. That brings the rolling total during the coronavirus crisis to 36.5 million, though the weekly tally has declined for six straight weeks. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had expected 2.7 million claims.
Other links of interest
- Register for ISSA Webinar – Legislative Update: COVID-19 and the Cleaning Industry
- Take Action Now–Urge Your Elected Officials to Support the Clean Start: Back to Work Tax Credit
- ISSA Coronavirus Government Response FAQ
- U.S. Department of Labor: COVID-19 and the American Workplace
- The Fed: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
