Local leaders will deliver America's communities through this crisis. That's why Bloomberg Philanthropies created the City Hall Coronavirus Daily Update, to elevate the critical information city leaders need to respond to and recover from the challenges at hand.

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Public-health doc’s prescription for city leaders: Fill gaps now!  

Social distancing is buying U.S. city leaders time, and Dr. Josh Sharfstein of John’s Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, says they should spend it bolstering their cities’ health-care facilities and protecting health-care workers. “Right now, the biggest reason for time is PPE [personal protective equipment],” he told city leaders earlier this week. “Try to get…as much as possible before the patients come in.” Read on for more of Sharfstein’s prescription for city leaders.

LATEST CITY ACTIONS

A roundup of responses to the coronavirus crisis. See the
Covid-19: Local Action Tracker for more.

ECONOMIC CHALLENGES

• San Francisco considers an income-relief fund for gig workers. 
• A proposed plan would help New York City residents pay their April rent. 
• Mayors from Massachusetts to Florida demand that subcontracted workers are included in congressional airline bailout.  

GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

• Portland, Ore., police chief says suicide calls are up 23 percent since Covid-19 crisis.
• Milwaukee, Wis., mayor suggests that April 7 election be modified to “vote by mail.”
• Indianapolis to provide discounted childcare for first responders.
• Grovetown, Ga., mayor self-quarantines with Covid-19 symptoms, while a part-time city employee in Rochester, N.Y., who helped pass out grab-and-go meals, tests positive. 
• Asheville, N.C., city council extends additional authority to mayor.

CANCELLATIONS, CLOSINGS & SOCIAL DISTANCING

• Denver Mayor Michael Hancock adds liquor stores and recreational marijuana shops to the list of “essential” businesses after his initial stay-at-home order sparks panic buying at these stores. 
• Lynchburg, Va., Mayor Treney Tweedy speaks out against Liberty University welcoming students back to campus.
• Iowa mayors urge the state to issue a stay-at-home order.

VULNERABLE POPULATIONS

• For seniors unable to leave their homes, the city of Miami is launching an at-home testing service. 
• Spokane, Wash., to house homeless residents in its downtown public library, while Chicago partners with the YMCA to convert its facilities into temporary shelters. 
• San Jose, Calif., mayor urges California to eliminate regulatory barriers for building emergency housing.

TESTING & MEDICAL

• As Jacksonville, Fla., expands residents' access to testing, the city is working to convert its convention center into a field hospital. 

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES

• NEW One Fair Wage is providing cash assistance to tipped and service workers through a new support fund.
• Facebook Messenger supporting government health organizations (Facebook)
• U.S. Digital Response is matching data and digital service volunteers with local and state governments to assist with rapid response Covid-19 projects.
• Music blog compiles list of emergency funding and resources for artists.
• Free or reduced cost high-speed internet access (AT&T) (altice) (Charter Communications) (Comcast) (Cox) (Mediacom)
• Forbes is curating a list of Covid-19 small business relief programs.
• Facebook is offering small businesses cash grants and advertising credits.
• Here's a U.S. map of local foundations that are setting up Covid-19 response funds in their communities. Local United Way efforts are being tracked here.
• The U.S. Small Business Administration is relaxing criteria on Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million for impacted small businesses. Coordinate with your governor's office.
• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is distributing $560 million to state and local jurisdictions to support Covid-19 response.
• For K-12 schools, Zoom is temporarily lifting the 40-minute time limit on its basic videoconferencing service.

• NEW Travel recommendations by country
• Travelers returning from high-risk countries
• Travel alerts
• Preparing community- and -faith based organizations
• Clinicians on therapeutic options
• Children and coronavirus
• Travelers returning from cruise ships and river cruises
• Checklist for older people
• How to protect yourself
• Caring for someone at home
• Mass gatherings and large community events
• Retirement communities and independent living
• Emergency medical services and 911 operators
• What law enforcement personnel need to know
• Health care facilities
• Long-term care facilities & nursing homes
• Homeless shelters
• K-12 schools and childcare centers
• Businesses and employers
• Higher ed & student travel
• Cleaning and disinfection of rooms and community facilities
• Disinfecting your home if someone is ill

• NEW Urban Health Vulnerability Index (RS21)
• NEW Disaster distress help line expands services to counsel people through Covid-19 (SAMHSA)
• NEW Latest Covid-19 research information (National Institutes of Health)
• NEW A modeling tool to project Covid-19 impact by state (Covid Act Now)
• 50-state tracker of “shelter-in-place” orders (WIRED)
• Tips on effectively communicating during video conferencing (PCMag) (Information Age) (The Verge)
• UrbanLeap is helping leaders in city hall connect to share ideas and questions (Chief Innovation Officers) (city managers)
• Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication manual (CDC)
• Public Health On Call Podcast (Johns Hopkins University)
• Resources for hospitals and healthcare professionals preparing for patients (CDC) 
• What mayors need to know (Mayors Innovation Project)
• Resources for Colorado cities (Colorado Municipal League)
• Resources for California cities (League of California Cities)
• Local Government Response and Resource Bank (What Works Cities)
• Crowdsourced local government response resources (ELGL)
• Support for public servants (Apolitical)
• Resources for local leaders (National League of Cities)
• What mayors need to know (US Conference of Mayors)
• Fact sheets, posters & free communications resources (CDC)
• State response trackers (NCSL) (AEI)
• Resources for nonprofits (Chronicle of Philanthropy)
• 50-state school closure tracker (Education Week)