On Mar. 13, 2020, declared a COVID-related emergency under Section 501(b) of the Stafford Act [18]. Under the Act FEMA supplement efforts of HHS, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (White House 2020). This includes emergency protective measures taken in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Under this provision, FEMA assistance is provided to states with a 75% federal match for disaster-related costs such as cost of state emergency operation centers, use of the National Guard, law enforcement, and other measures necessary to protect public health and safety.

The first US case of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection was confirmed on January 20, 2020 and on January 27, 2020, the Secretary of Health and Human Services officially declared a public health emergency and activated new authorities for regulators and financial resources to support public health to contain this novel pathogen.

the Federal Government, along with State and local governments, announced preventive and proactive measures to slow the spread of the virus and treat those affected, including by instituting Federal quarantines for individuals evacuated from foreign nations, issuing a declaration pursuant to section 319F-3 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d-6d), and releasing policies to accelerate the acquisition of personal protective equipment and streamline bringing new diagnostic capabilities to laboratories.