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Coronavirus
Contact Us

Frequent Questions Related to Coronavirus (COVID-19)

View frequently asked questions related to Coronavirus (COVID-19) and find key EPA resources.

  • Disinfectants
  • Drinking Water
  • Emergency Management
  • Grants
  • Indoor Air
  • Questions from State, Local and Tribal Leaders
  • Wastewater and Septic Systems
  • Waste

Disinfectants

  • Can I use fogging, fumigation, or electrostatic spraying or drones to help control COVID-19?

  • I need to disinfect a public space like a store or school. What do I need to know?

  • Is there anything I can do to make surfaces resistant to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)?

  • How can members of my household use disinfectants properly to control COVID-19 if a family member is asthmatic or has other chronic respiratory disease?

  • Are disinfectants harmful to children? Can children apply disinfectants?

View all frequent questions about disinfectants and Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Drinking Water

  • Do I need to boil my drinking water?

  • Do I need to buy bottled water or store drinking water?

  • What is EPA’s role in ensuring drinking water remains safe?

  • What should I do If I’m concerned about my drinking water?

  • Is tap water safe to use for hand washing?

View all frequent questions about drinking water and Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Emergency Management

  • What can communities do to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in cleaner air spaces and cleaner air shelters for wildfire smoke during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Grants

  • How should EPA grant recipients request that EPA provide them administrative relief from a requirement due to COVID-19?

  • Will EPA grant operations be impacted by the telework enacted in response to the COVID-19?

  • Is EPA providing any flexibility with respect to submission of assistance agreement forms/documents that traditionally have required wet ink signatures?

  • Can the Office of Grants and Debarment (OGD) provide exceptions on a case by case basis if a recipient believes a regulatory exception is necessary due to the impacts of COVID19?

  • What documentation does EPA require for resumption of non-competitive awards?

View all frequent questions about grants and Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Indoor Air

  • Is there HVAC guidance that building and maintenance professionals can follow to help protect from COVID-19?

  • How can I increase ventilation at home to help protect my family from COVID-19?

  • Can air cleaning devices that use bipolar ionization, including portable air cleaners and in-duct air cleaners used in HVAC systems, protect me from COVID-19?

  • What is Upper-Room Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI)? What is HVAC UVGI? Can either be used to disinfect the air and help protect myself from COVID?

  • Can I measure carbon dioxide (CO2) indoors to get information on ventilation?

View all frequent questions about indoor air and Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Questions from State, Local and Tribal Leaders

  • Will there be flexibility or relief for the regulated community for required sampling and monitoring? (Par ex. stack testing, daily hazardous waste tank inspections, many other examples) Some report lack of appropriate staff or materials to perform sampli

  • Can states expect any regulatory relief or flexibility if they temporarily suspend certain inspections, monitoring, and reporting requirements such as vehicle emissions testing programs or certain air quality monitoring reports under the Clean Air Act?

  • Will there be any flexibility for permit renewal applications and continuation of expiring permits?

  • Will guidance be made available for the handling and disposal of increased volumes of medical waste, particularly in the form of used personal protective equipment, including the landfilling of incinerator ash?

  • Will there be flexibility regarding inspection requirements under EPA grants to states, tribes or local governments such as those relating to RCRA large quantity generators, 3-year periodic inspection of USTs, and similar inspection requirements incorpora

View all Frequent Questions from State, Local and Tribal Leaders about Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Wastewater and Septic Systems

  • Can I get COVID-19 from wastewater or sewage?

  • Is it okay to flush disinfecting wipes?

  • Do wastewater treatment plants treat COVID-19?

  • Will my septic system treat COVID-19?

  • Should wastewater workers take extra precautions to protect themselves from the COVID-19 virus?

View all frequent questions about wastewater and septic systems and Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Waste

  • Has EPA developed guidance to help ensure public participation when in-person meetings for the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) program are not possible?

  • Has EPA developed guidance to help ensure public participation in the Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) approval process when in-person meetings are not possible?

  • What requirements would apply to export or import of wastes associated with the novel Coronavirus or Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)?

  • What information has EPA shared to provide the public, the regulated community and other government agencies with the most complete and up to date information on actions related to COVID-19?

  • Does RCRA regulate wastes that may contain the virus that causes COVID-19, such as used medical equipment or personal protective equipment?

View all frequent questions about waste and Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Federal Resources Related to Coronavirus (COVID-19)

  • The Biden-Harris Plan to Beat COVID-19: Review details of the Biden-Harris plan to beat COVID-19 and download The National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness.
  • Coronavirus.gov: Public information provided by the U.S. government related to Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)
  • CDC Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Current public health and safety information on COVID-19.
  • CDC Easy to Read COVID-19 Safety Information: Easy to read information about COVID-19 prevention, testing, and treatment.
  • USA.gov Coronavirus: What the U.S. government is doing in response to Coronavirus (COVID-19). View en español.
  • Leading a Coordinated Civil Rights Response to Coronavirus (COVID-19): U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) statement and resource guide meant to assist Federal agencies, state and local governments, and recipients of Federal financial assistance in addressing ongoing civil rights challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic.  
  • FEMA Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response: Updates on federal partners working with state, local, tribal and territorial governments to execute a whole-of-America response to the pandemic.
  • FEMA Rumor Control: A resource helping the public distinguish between rumors and facts regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
  • Coronavirus Home
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Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on June 27, 2022
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