Agenda - Council - 09/13/2022 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Recipient governments do not need to have an official health or public health program in order to utilize these eligible uses; any recipient can pursue these eligible uses, though Treasury recommends consulting with health and public health professionals to support effective implementation. The CDC has provided recommendations and guidelines to help mitigate and prevent COVID-19. The interim final rule and final rule help support recipients in stopping the spread of COVID-19 through these recommendations and guidelines.70 The final rule reflects changing circumstances of COVID-19 and provides a broad range of permissible uses for mitigating and preventing the spread of the disease, in a manner consistent with CDC guidelines and recommendations. The purpose of the SLFRF funds is to mitigate the fiscal effects stemming from the COVID-19 public health emergency, including by supporting efforts to stop the spread of the virus. The interim final rule and final rule implement this objective by, in part, providing that recipients may use SLFRF funds for COVID-19 mitigation and prevention.71 A program or service that imposes conditions on participation in or acceptance of the service that would undermine efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 or discourage compliance with recommendations and guidelines in CDC guidance for stopping the spread of COVID-19 is not a permissible use of funds. In other words, recipients may not use funds for a program that undermines practices included in the CDC's guidelines and recommendations for stopping the spread of COVID-19. This includes programs that impose a condition to discourage compliance with practices in line with CDC guidance (e.g., paying off fines to businesses incurred for 70 See Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019- ncov/index.html (last visited November 8, 2021). 71 See 35.6(b); IFR discussion of CDC guidelines. 58