The Trump administration is calling on agencies to leverage their authorities and technologies "to the greatest extent practicable” in an effort to continue operations amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Margaret Weichert, deputy director of management at the Office of Management and Budget, said in a memo issued Sunday that agencies must update their “.gov” websites and user accessibility features in citizen-facing interfaces to streamline the delivery of digital and telephonic services to users.

Other suggestions include updating technologies to support virtual private networks, preparing help desk support for information technology assistance and providing employee guidance on information security and privacy controls.

In a separate memo, Weichert called on agencies to consider telework flexibilities for contractors and reassess current contract requirements which may be "retooled for pandemic response consistent with the scope of the contract".

The memo also urges agencies to use special emergency procurement authorities such as increasing the micro-purchase threshold to “reduce friction for contractors” and drive rapid response.

Agencies are additionally recommended to extend performance periods if contractors are "unable to perform in a timely manner due to quarantining, social distancing, or other COVID-19 related interruptions."

Battelle is donating $250 thousand to food banks and food rescues in several communities where it has a significant presence in lieu of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the company announced on Monday.

“As we rapidly research and develop tools and diagnostics to fight this virus, we’re going to financially support those among us who are at greatest risk. When the country has most needed us during our 90-year history, Battelle always has risen to the challenge, and this time will be no different,” said Battelle President and CEO and five-time Wash100 Award recipient, Lou Von Thaer. 

Battelle’s donations will be made in $50,000 allotments to five different agencies: the Mid-Ohio Food Bank in Central Ohio; the Capital Area Food Bank in Washington D.C.; the Community Food Bank of New Jersey’s Egg Harbor Township location; the Boulder Food Rescue in Colorado; and the Maryland Food Bank in Aberdeen.

The Mid-Ohio Food Bank serves Central Ohio, location of Battelle’s headquarters as well as research facilities in West Jefferson and Hilliard. “We are incredibly grateful to Battelle, an extraordinary organization that has been on the journey of connecting food to our hungry neighbors with Mid-Ohio Foodbank for decades,” said Matt Habash, President & CEO, Mid-Ohio Food Collective. 

In the Washington D.C. metro area, Battelle has four offices where employees conduct research and develop technology for a variety of federal agencies including those in the areas of defense, health, cyber and transportation. “This generous contribution simply could not have come at a better time,” said Capital Area Food Bank President and CEO Radha Muthiah.

Boulder is home to the National Ecological Observatory Network, which Battelle manages and operates for the National Science Foundation. The Battelle Eastern Science and Technology Center (BEST) is located in Aberdeen and performs research and provides support to a variety of federal agencies including the Department of Defense. 

In Egg Harbor, Battelle’s employees work on aviation security including screening technology used by the TSA to keep airports safe throughout the country. Community Food Bank of New Jersey President and CEO Carlos Rodriguez said the COVID-19 pandemic presents a new confluence of challenges.

About Battelle

Every day, the people of Battelle apply science and technology to solving what matters most. At major technology centers and national laboratories around the world, Battelle conducts research and development, designs and manufactures products, and delivers critical services for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio since its founding in 1929, Battelle serves the national security, health and life sciences, and energy and environmental industries.

Honeywell has announced that it will immediately expand its manufacturing operations in Smithfield, Rhode Island, to produce N95 face masks in support of the U.S. government's response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the company announced on Monday. 

"Our Rhode Island facility already produces industry-leading safety gear and soon will play a critical role in supplying the Strategic National Stockpile with N95 masks," said Darius Adamczyk, Honeywell chairman and chief executive officer.

Honeywell has projected that the addition of the new mask production line in Smithfield will create at least 500 new jobs. The company will begin recruiting, hiring and training manufacturing workers immediately.

The N95 face masks will be delivered to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to contribute to the American stockpile for use to support health, safety and emergency response workers. Honeywell's production expansion will support additional American businesses that are part of the supply chain, including industrial equipment providers and raw materials suppliers. 

The company has also collaborated with state and local officials to ramp up production efforts and support recruiting and training for workers. Honeywell's Smithfield factory was established in 1980 to produce UVEX-branded eye protection products, which include safety glasses, safety goggles and protective face shields. 

Honeywell will utilize its intelligent safety solutions and personal protective equipment to help organizations keep their workers safe and healthy on the job. The company's offerings additionally include hazardous gas detectors, safety software solutions and personal protective equipment such as gloves, protective eyewear, respiratory protection, safety suits, hard hats and boots.

"We are honored to support the U.S. government's efforts to protect Americans with personal protective equipment made right here in the United States," added Adamczyk.

About Honeywell

Honeywell is a Fortune 100 technology company that delivers industry-specific solutions that include aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help aircraft, buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable.

The coronavirus pandemic has stalled the global economy, impaired businesses and continues to impact the world and global economy; as a result, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics has requested that policymakers protect the defense industry supply chain, the organization announced on Monday. 

The aerospace and defense industry currently supports over 2.5 million jobs and 17,000 suppliers from large manufacturers to small businesses that form the backbone of the supply chain. It represents more than $928 billion in economic output for the United States and more than $237 billion in wages. 

As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, the aerospace and defense sector has filled an essential need to protect national security and provide logistics capability to bring critical supplies to areas. The sector has provided a skilled workforce and has made significant advances in areas such as autonomy, cybersecurity, air mobility, and space exploration. 

The aerospace and defense workforce is an essential driver of innovation for the U.S. economy, national security, and has expanded the utilization of space for future generations. The industry has been an integral part of the United States in global competitiveness, innovation and technical leadership. 

The aerospace and defense contribution to the economy after recovery from the COVID-19 crisis will be crucial for restarting and building the economic engine. The industry has experienced an economic downturn that's worse than 9/11. 

Airlines have laid off thousands of workers and cut flights. Maintenance, repair and overhaul workers have also experienced major impacts. AIAA has requested federal government officials and lawmakers to be mindful of and support the aerospace and defense industry throughout the pandemic. 

About AIAA

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world's largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense.

Everbridge has launched COVID-19 Shield, a new set of Coronavirus Protection Solutions designed to protect the safety of employees and customers, maintain business operations, safeguard supply chains and reduce costs and liabilities stemming from the impact of the global coronavirus pandemic, the company announced on Monday. 

“Everbridge works with thousands of organizations to help them protect their people and their operations. In one week alone, our customers sent more than 30 million coronavirus communications using our platform, a testament to the need for accurate and real-time information in a quickly evolving situation,” said Claudia Dent, SVP of Product Marketing at Everbridge.

Everbridge’s COVID-19 packages will mitigate the impact of coronavirus by leveraging the company’s industry-leading CEM platform to help organizations identify their risks, safeguard their workforce and manage disruptions to their operations and supply chain. 

COVID-19 Shield will offer three new out-of-the-box solutions to help organizations. The individual offerings include Know Your Risks through COVID-19 alerts correlated to an organization’s locations. 

The solution will provide pandemic Situation Reports developed from the world’s largest vetted database of risk data, derived from machine learning analysis of over 22,000 data sources from 175+ countries and validated by a 24/7 team of analysts monitoring local verified sources. 

In addition, COVID-19 Shield will offer “Protect Your People” to manage critical response plans and automate communications with impacted people, responders, leadership and other stakeholders. Protect Your People correlates a specialized Everbridge-developed threat feed on incidences of the coronavirus with the previously visited, last known and expected location of people to help businesses understand the risks and take appropriate actions. 

The solution will provide “Protect Your Operations and Supply Chains” by correlating alerts to physical assets including offices and facilities, production plants, suppliers and supply chain routes, in addition to people. The section will pinpoint potential impacts to your assets and production resources, initiating standard operating procedures to quickly resolve issues.

The COVID-19 Shield packages will also provide access to the Everbridge Data Sharing Private Network, which enables customers to share information publicly or privately. A business, for example, can share information with local government agencies and healthcare facilities to gain more local situation intelligence and to better coordinate response activities.

“As the CEM leader for almost 20 years, Everbridge is uniquely positioned to meet this need and to provide highly relevant information to help understand and mitigate the impacts of this global outbreak,” said Rebecca Scorzato, Partner at leading specialist risk consultancy, Control Risks.

About Everbridge

Everbridge, Inc. (NASDAQ: EVBG) is a global software company that provides enterprise software applications that automate and accelerate organizations’ operational response to critical events in order to keep people safe and businesses running.