The U.S. Government announced today the release of $62 million from the Emergency Reserve Fund for Contagious Infectious-Disease Outbreaks (ERF) at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to address the pandemic of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus now called SARS-CoV-2. This funding fulfills the pledge of up to $100 million for international efforts to combat COVID-19 announced by the U.S. Department of State on February 7, 2020. USAID issued a determination to make these funds available from the ERF because the current pandemic is an emerging health threat with severe consequences to human health which is in the national interest of the United States to respond. Since cases of COVID-19 emerged in Wuhan City, in Hubei Province, in the People's Republic of China, the United States has continued to call on nations to comply with their obligations under the International Health Regulations (2005) and for other donors to contribute to the effort to address the disease.

USAID will use these new funds and the $37 million from the ERF previously authorized and announced for critical interventions in developing countries affected by, or at high-risk for, the COVID-19 pandemic. These activities will include heightened risk-communications and engagement with local communities; the prevention and control of infection in health facilities, including through the provision of personal protective equipment and other critical commodities; increasing laboratory, disease-surveillance, and rapid-response capacity; the management of cases of COVID-19; screening at points of entry; and global and regional coordination.

Individuals and groups who are interested in helping persons affected by, or at risk of, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus should visit the COVID-19 response page of the Center for International Disaster Information, at CIDI.org.

To learn more about COVID-19, please visit the response page from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.