It’s not sloppy reporting. It’s accurate, even as my words in that post were sloppy. Passport application acceptance is distinct from issuing passports.

Passport applications being accepted is not the same thing as issuing passports for applicants without documented “life and death emergency” accompanying the passport application.

Received passport applications without such emergency being documented end up in the file of applications set to the side for now and not to be processed for issuing a passport until some time in the future.

I don't agree with your interpretation. US state department site in a recent update is very clear that the family emergency stipulation is for in person applicants, that expedited processing is suspended, and that regular processing is only delayed, not suspended.

It’s not an interpretation. It’s a fact of how passport processing is currently being handled. Any new applications sent this month and received Friday without any such emergency indication affixed to them means the application is to be sidelined and not processed for issuing currently. And what went on Friday is also what will happen this coming week too.

Here is the exact wording of what State posted on Friday. Note that non-emergencies should expect "significant" delays and people ought to consider "waiting to apply." In government speak, this can be read as that State is not likely to address your request (and return your docs) until after the crisis abates. Putting the pieces together, recent reporting had State designating passport processors as "essential" and had them working at a facility in close-in cubicles with no special cleaning in effect. The light apparently went on that this was not a good thing and this Guidance follows.

Because of public health measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, effective March 20, 2020, we are only able to offer in-person service at passport agencies or centers for customers with a qualified life-or-death emergency and who need a passport for immediate international travel within 72 hours. Learn more below to see if you qualify for a life-or-death emergency appointment.

While you can still apply in person for a U.S. passport at some acceptance facilities and renew through the mail, you should expect significant delays receiving your passport and your citizenship evidence documents. Please consider waiting to apply until we resume normal operations. We suspended expedited service on March 19 and are not offering this service to any applicants.

What If I Applied Before March 20?

If you applied and requested expedited service on or before March 19, 2020, we made every effort to meet our commitment of 2-3 weeks door-to-door service. However, due to limited staff, we are still working on a small portion of incomplete expedited applications submitted on or before March 19. You may experience additional delays.

If you applied and requested routine service on or before March 19, 2020, you should expect significant delays receiving your passport and your citizenship evidence documents.

If you received a letter from us requesting additional documents or information to process your passport application, you may mail your response to the address in the letter. We are able to receive mail at this time. Expect significant processing delays.

This terrifies me as I have the bad luck of my passport expiring in March of next year. What is the best course of action to not get stuck, considering that there is a chance that the crisis may last for a while?

Is there any way to request a second passport (a two year passport) such as one that is used to visit countries that do not have the best relations with each other without sending in my current passport (thus not knowing when I will receive it back again)? Is there any hope with any of the renewal expediter services that are still advertising online?

I sent renewal application for both passport book(about to expire) and passport card(expired last year)

3/19 USPS delivered my renewal application to the Philly passport processing center

3/19 State Dept passport status website shows that they received the application

no updates...

4/06 passport card showed up in my mailbox today

still no updates on the status page... so I guess they are just not updating it for now?

Your application was sent and noted as sent before the change in policy and practice would have prevented a received non-emergency passport application from ordinarily resulting in a passport being issued for the applicant.

Updating the status for that purpose (there or elsewhere) has never been 100% complete and accurate.

at least now I have a new, valid passport card...

worst case, I can get a boat and sail to a foreign country and sail back. I have a friend who's been living on his boat for the last 3 weeks to avoid contact with anybody... (in Chesapeake Bay)

Although... are passport cards valid if you're on a private boat? or is it just for cruise ships?

Routine Service sent to Irving, Texas - Sent via Priority Mail on 2/22, check cashed on 2/24 and application system shows it was received from 2/25.

Still no passport

Mine expires in March [EDIT] 2021 too, and I live abroad! My kid's passport expires in August this year, but she's a dual national and has another to rely on that is valid until August 2020, plus they are issuing passports here still, I think.

I will have to email the consulate and ask what I ought to do, though I have 2-3 months anyway until the 6-month rule would be violated. Plus, travel is really not on the table.

Your passport expires in 2021, not 2020. Or am I wrong about that?

Yup you're right. I've edited the post.

I would not be terrified in the least. That is 11 months away and I am certain that in the interim, either passport issuance will have been restored or all cross-border traffic will have been suspended and having a passport won't matter.

Current turnaround time for (US) passport renewal? [MERGED]
 

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/undefinedSeeing as my passport is expiring next year, and not likely to see much use in the coming few months, it seems like this would be a good time to take care of renewal.

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/undefinedPer the Dept of State site, renewal applications by mail are being accepted, but to "Expect significant processing delays" - any have any insight as to what that means? I (tentatively) have my next overseas trip in September - I'd think as long as they're operating on some basis, I'd likely have it back in 5 months, no?

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/undefinedHard to say. Is this a tourist passport? I know that the office that handles official passports has stopped processing non-emergency applications. I turned in mine two months ago and I'm told that they won't look at it until things calm down. Normal processing time is two months after that.

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/undefinedMight not be applicable to you, but it's a data point.