COVID-19 Update
Dear Friend,
This has been a very long few weeks as our state has been impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the economic fallout from it. It is hard on all of us—hard for families who now have children learning at home while parents are trying to work at the same time, hard for workers who are now unable to work, and hard for small businesses now wondering if and when they will recover.
I have heard from thousands of you looking for answers and financial assistance from the federal government. Last week the House passed the $2.2 trillion CARES Act that will begin to address the economic impacts of this pandemic. I'll detail some key information below. But keep in mind, the CARES Act is not the final action from Congress. In the coming weeks, I will be working with my colleagues in the House on additional legislation to spur the economy once the pandemic is behind us and it is safe to begin to return to work and school.
I have been doing Facebook Live Q&As on my Facebook page several times each week to keep 8th District residents informed and to answer questions you may have about COVID-19. Make sure to "like" or "follow" so you get notified when these happen!
Small Businesses
The CARES Act has significant funding for loans that can turn into grants (forgivable loans) for small employers and sole proprietors. The loans, including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), will allow businesses to keep employees on payroll and pay necessary expenses like rent, even if the business can't be open right now.
Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) are also available for nonprofits and small businesses for up to $2 million over 30 years. Interest rates are set at 3.75% for businesses and 2.75% for nonprofits. EIDL has a built-in 12 month deferment period. Businesses will need to decide which loan will work best for their circumstances, although applying for one may not disqualify you from receiving the other.
In order to receive these loans, small businesses can check with their bank or apply directly through the Small Business Administration here: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance. I have heard from constituents that this has been a frustrating process because the website has been overwhelmed. The SBA is aware of this issue and they have assured me that they are working to fix this.
Late last week, I held a webinar with representatives from the SBA and the Employment Security Department. You can watch it here.
Unemployment
The Governor's "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" order was enacted to make sure that we stay healthy and don’t overwhelm our healthcare system with a surge of critically ill patients during this pandemic. And as a result, thousands of Washingtonians are out of work. Unemployment claims have increased almost 1,000% in the last month.
Washington state and the CARES Act have waived the one week required waiting period before people can apply for benefits. You can find out more information and how to apply here: https://esd.wa.gov/.
Unemployment under the CARES Act has been expanded to include the self-employed and independent contractors. Those receiving unemployment benefits will also be eligible to receive an additional $600 per week for the first 4 months to help make ends meet. As difficult as it is, we need people to stay home for the duration of the "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" order and this additional money will go a long way towards making people whole. Suzi LeVine from the ESD joined me for my webinar, mentioned above, and shared great information about what people can expect.
Staying Safe
The coronavirus is still a major threat to public safety. If you are experiencing symptoms, you should call your doctor before going into the doctor's office to protect you and everyone else there.
Testing capacity in Washington is increasing but still not near where it needs to be. Washington will soon receive shipments of rapid tests that will get results faster, but these will be limited in number. At this time, the reality is that most tests are for healthcare workers and hospitalized patients, with some available for close contacts of infected patients and high-risk people with symptoms. Supplies are not sufficient to have widespread testing. As frustrating as this is for all of us, testing will not change the treatment or the course of this illness. Many people will get this illness, recover, and only find out later through antibody tests whether they had it.
If your symptoms are severe enough to warrant hospitalization, we need to make sure tests are available for you. Stay home unless you are experiencing severe symptoms like difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Even then, call your doctor first, and notify medics about your symptoms so they don’t show up without proper protection. We need to slow the spread of the virus to allow our health care system to catch up and be able to handle the demand.
These are tough times facing our state and country. I share your concerns about the lack of testing and PPE for health care workers, and share your worries about our small businesses and workers during this economic slow-down. We will get through this.
As always, my office stands ready to assist you with personal or specific questions. Please use us as a resource! Office contact information is below, or follow me on Facebook and Twitter for the most up-to-date information. And sign up here for my newsletter.
Stay home and stay healthy.
More soon.
Sincerely,
Kim Schrier, M.D.
Member of Congress |