The first case of Coronavirus in West Virginia occurred on Tuesday, March 17th, meaning the virus has now impacted all 50 states. With the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 climbing in the United States, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday afternoon that his administration is ramping up its response to the virus through invoking the Defense Product Act. President Trump said the following in response to invoking the Defense Product Act, “It can do a lot of good things, if we need it, and we will have it all completed, signing it in just a little while.”

As the Coronavirus continues to surge, federal, state, and local governments are working to respond in a timely manner to reach those most susceptible to the disease and slow the spread. While social distancing is something that we all can do as individuals to respond to the crisis, it’s important to note how federal contractors come into the mix. We’ve mentioned how the General Services Administration can prepare for the pandemic and how contractors can best come to the aid of state and local governments through the Disaster Purchasing Program. Now that the military is starting to be called to contain the coronavirus, it’s crucial to consider how defense contracts will play the situation surrounding COVID-19. Enter DPAS. The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) is used to prioritize national defense-related contracts/orders throughout the U.S. supply chain in order to support military, energy, homeland security, emergency preparedness, and critical infrastructure requirements. We’ve broken down DPAS to show you how it applies to you as a defense contractor.

President Donald Trump will reportedly be signing a disaster or emergency declaration under the Stafford Act today in response to the Coronavirus, or COVID-19. With universities closing, the N.B.A. suspending its season, and flights being cancelled left and right, the Coronavirus outbreak is no laughing matter. However, the outbreak should be confronted with facts and figures rather than hysteria. With regards to your government contract, the world will continue to turn. The General Services Administration is designed to continue to function in times of national emergency or disaster. GSA's Disaster Purchasing Program allows federal, state, and local governments to buy services and supplies directly from GSA Schedules to assist with disaster preparation, response, or major disaster recovery. Purchases made in support of recovery must be in response to a Stafford Act Presidential declaration, like the one President Trump is likely to announce this afternoon. So let’s break down how the GSA Schedule Program can help in a national emergency or disaster.