May 28 Coronavirus Update from the Trump Administration

Promoting Opportunity for All

• President Trump is working to lift up left behind communities through opportunity zones, which promote investment in distressed communities.
• Nearly 9,000 communities across the country have been designated as opportunity zones, creating an incentive to bring investment to areas that have been forgotten for too long.
  • Opportunity zones are located in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and 5 territories.
  • More than half of the residents in opportunity zone communities are minorities.
• President Trump created the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council to focus on building up opportunity zone communities.
  • Already, the Council has taken more than 270 actions to lift up opportunity zone communities.
  • This work is more critical now than ever and the President has refocused the Council to help distressed communities that have been impacted by the pandemic.

Ensuring No Community is Left Behind

• As our country faces the coronavirus pandemic, President Trump is working to deliver support to underserved communities that have been hit hard by the coronavirus.
• President Trump recently held a listening session with African American leaders in Michigan to discuss efforts to support minority communities during this pandemic.

• PRESIDENT TRUMP: “As our nation battles the invisible enemy, African American communities have been hit very hard, including in Detroit.  As you know, it’s been a very, very difficult time for certain areas of this country.  Detroit happens to be one of them.  My administration is working relentlessly to rush supplies and resources to these communities and to protect the health, safety, and economic opportunity of all African Americans and all Americans.”

• The President’s Paycheck Protection Program is helping to deliver capital to small businesses and underserved communities across the country, saving tens of millions of jobs.

• President Trump signed legislation providing $1 billion to Historically Black Colleges and Universities that have been impacted by this crisis.
• Earlier this month, the Administration began distributing $10 billion in funds to support rural healthcare providers, many of which provide care to underserved communities.

Response Update

Economic Impact Payments Being Sent by Prepaid Debit Cards, Arrive in Plain Envelope; IRS.Gov Answers Frequently Asked Questions (HERE)

• As Economic Impact Payments continue to be successfully delivered, the Internal Revenue Service today reminds taxpayers that some payments are being sent by prepaid debit card. The debit cards arrive in a plain envelope from “Money Network Cardholder Services.

U.S. Department of Labor Awards Nearly $24 Million in Dislocated Worker Grants in Response to the Coronavirus Public Health Emergency (HERE)

• The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of four Dislocated Worker Grants (DWGs) totaling $23,823,000 to help address the workforce-related impacts of the public health emergency related to the coronavirus. These awards are funded under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which provided $345 million for DWGs to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.

Department of Homeland Security Adds Brazil to List of Countries for COVID-19 Travel Restrictions (HERE)

• Based on a recommendation by DHS and its intergovernmental partners, such as the Centers for Disease Control, President Trump signed a proclamation on May 24 and amended on May 25 suspending the entry into the U.S. of any foreign nationals who were present in Brazil during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States. This travel restriction applies to flights departing after 11:59 pm Eastern Daylight Time on May 26.

Freedom Online Coalition Statement on COVID-19 and Internet Freedom (HERE)

• Access to factual and accurate information, including through a free and independent media online and offline, helps people take the necessary precautions to prevent spreading the COVID-19 virus, save lives, and protect vulnerable population groups.