“It poses another challenge because we have to keep our employees safe but at the same time do your jobs to help America recover from the pandemic,” the administration official said.

The coronavirus poses a unique challenge to FEMA, which is more accustomed to dealing with natural disasters like hurricanes or devastating floods. Dozens of employees work at the NRCC and to achieve social distancing, a number of people are working virtually or have spread to other parts of FEMA’s headquarters.

The NRCC is where FEMA receives all states’ requests for personal protective equipment and other supplies and works to fill those requests alongside the nearly 20 federal agencies also working in FEMA headquarters, along with other private sector and nonprofit partners.

A couple of employees on FEMA’s medical device supply chain coronavirus task force also tested positive late last week, bringing the number of people to 25 who have tested positive for Covid-19 and were working out of FEMA headquarters or other FEMA offices.

To protect its employees, FEMA has initiated 24/7 “no-contact temperature screenings” so that people who have a fever of 100.4 degrees or above aren’t permitted to enter FEMA headquarters. FEMA’s C Street headquarters and conference center are also cleaned nightly.