Coronavirus

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is closely monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

About Coronavirus

The U.S. government has established 3 top-level websites for the latest official information on Coronavirus (COVID-19).

coronavirus.gov is the primary portal for public information curated by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Task Force at the White House, working in conjunction with CDC, HHS and other agency stakeholders, and links to the appropriate Federal agency website as the authoritative source for that information as necessary.
cdc.gov/coronavirus provides the latest public health and safety information from the CDC and for the overarching medical and health provider community on COVID-19. The site contains consumer and medical information on how the virus spreads, symptoms, prevention and treatment, stigma, cases and what to do if you are sick, along with frequently asked questions.
usa.gov/coronavirus catalogs all U.S. government activities related to Coronavirus (COVID-19), and is also available in Spanish at https://www.usa.gov/espanol/coronavirus.

What the FCC is Doing

The FCC is working to ensure that Americans stay connected during the COVID-19 pandemic and is also taking steps to protect the health and safety of its staff.

COVID-19 Telehealth Program: The FCC has set up Round 2 of the COVID-19 Telehealth Program, a $249.95 million federal initiative that builds on the $200 million program established last year as part of the CARES Act. The FCC’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program supports the efforts of health care providers to continue serving their patients by providing telecommunications services, information services, and connected devices necessary to enable telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Supporting Consumers: The FCC has created a $3.2 billion Emergency Broadband Benefit to help households struggling to pay for internet service during the pandemic. This new benefit will connect eligible households to jobs, critical healthcare services, and virtual classrooms. The program will provide a discount of up to $50 per month towards broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 or less than $50 toward the purchase price. The Commission also is working to keep Americans informed about the latest COVID-19 phone and text-based scams. Learn more and hear scam audio. In addition, the FCC has issued a consumer alert that provides tips to consumers to help them optimize their home networks during the pandemic.
Supporting Schools: The FCC has created a $7.1 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund that will enable eligible schools and libraries to purchase equipment and advanced telecommunications and information services for use by students, school staff, and library patrons at locations other than a school or library. For more information, see https://www.emergencyconnectivityfund.org/
FCC COVID-19 Workforce Safety Plan: The FCC COVID-19 Workforce Safety Plan updates and memorializes the FCC’s framework for safe workplace operations as the Nation continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan is intended to be fully compliant with Executive Order 13991 and Memorandum 21-15 and will be updated periodically to reflect any additional federal government guidance directed to federal agencies.
FCC Facilities: On March 12, 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the FCC restricted visitor access to its facilities to only those visitors with a clear operational necessity. In light of the improved pandemic conditions, updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that focuses on COVID-19 Community Levels and the associated Safer Federal Workforce Task Force (the Task Force) guidance, beginning on June 9, 2022 the Commission will permit visitors with scheduled appointments, in conjunction with safety protocols identified by the Task Force, to enter its facilities. Our Visiting FCC Facilities page provides information to help guide visitors through the FCC’s facility security screening process and COVID-19 safety protocols for the FCC’s Headquarters and other facilities.
FCC Employees: As the FCC has continued to assess the situation and the latest guidance from the CDC, federal, state, and local authorities, the agency has decided to take an additional proactive and precautionary measure pursuant to 5 CFR § 550.409 and mandate telework beginning Monday, March 23, 2020, for all FCC employees, unless they are authorized to access an FCC facility to perform critical, mission essential functions that cannot be performed remotely. We take these steps while continuing to conduct the regular and ongoing work of the FCC. The FCC has also suspended until further notice non-critical FCC domestic and international travel. In addition, the Commission suspended until further notice any agency involvement in non-critical large gatherings. The Chairman's Office, in consultation with the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, the Office of Managing Director, and Office of General Counsel, will continue to monitor COVID-19-related developments and will implement additional precautions should circumstances warrant.