COVID-19 Updates 3/19/2020

Rep. Sollman

Friends and Neighbors,

In our effort to keep you apprised of new information and give you tools for resources during this stressful and difficult time, our newsletters are coming to you more frequently. Please do not hesitate to email or call my office if you need specific information. My staff and I are working to make sure you are connected to the services you seek. That is what truly brings me joy and good feelings in this fortunate role I am in. We strive to bring you reassurance and comfort in this storm, it is privilege to serve you.  

Governor's Executive Orders

New protections put in place by the Governor's office can be found here and include the following: 

  • Schools are to remain closed through Tuesday, April 28, 2020.
  • Districts are to provide learning supports and supplemental services to students and families during the closure period, such as meals and child care. This includes the delivery of food assistance and offering child care for essential health care professionals and first responders.
  • School districts may call on public school educators and employees to deliver limited learning and support services.
  • Each district will pay all their regular employees during the closure.
  • The Oregon Department of Education, Oregon Health Authority, and Department of Human Services are directed to support public schools in the continuity of mental health services.

The Governor's office has compiled a resource page with much of the necessary information needed to navigate during these unprecedented times. 

Here are some other critical links:

PREVENTION

Please continue to practice social distancing in the days and weeks ahead. Limit your outings to necessity. In order to protect the health and safety of Oregon families, we must work together and support each other. The weather is beautiful, get out and take a walk in the sunshine and soak in the fresh air and the sun’s rays. New social distancing measures that Governor Brown announced earlier this week are so important. Even if coronavirus is not present in your area right now, social distancing is important for all Oregonians to follow. We have to slow the transmission of COVID-19 to preserve hospital capacity and protect our health care professionals. Young and healthy people need to practice social distancing as well — you may very well be contagious, even if you don’t have any symptoms. Following the guidelines on social distancing is a matter of life and death for others. Health care professionals and first responders need to be healthy so they can do their jobs — which are very challenging now, and promise to be even more so in the near future. Please do anything you can to assist a friend or neighbor who is a health professional or first responder: bring them a meal, watch their child, walk their dog. You can be a good neighbor and a good human, just take extra precautions.

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Learn more about why social distancing and "flattening the curve" are so important during this coronavirus outbreak.

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RESPONSE TO COVID-19

What to do if you are sick:

  • If you are sick, please stay home.
  • Not everyone who is sick needs to be tested and your medical professional or local health department can help determine that. Please contact your health care provider.
  • Call your health care provider before going in to check on best practices for a visit.
  • Limit movement and contact with others.

School Links

Our local school districts continue to provide meals and online resources. Please continue to check in with them for the latest information and updates.

RENTAL, MORTGAGE OR HOUSING ASSISTANCE

  • The Federal government announced yesterday that HUD has authorized the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to implement an immediate foreclosure and eviction moratorium for single family homeowners with FHA-insured mortgages for the next 60 days.
  • 211.org and Community Action may be able to direct you to resources for payment assistance.
  • Reach out to your bank or credit union directly if you are having trouble making a mortgage payment.
  • See this statement from Oregon Bankers Association on ways that banks may be able to help the banking community and its customers. They urge that if you are experiencing financial hardship to call your bank or credit union and discuss what options may be available to you.

What to do if you are laid off from work at this time

The Governor's office has compiled a resource page that can help employees navigate where to begin. If you qualify, file for unemployment insurance as soon as possible here. Due to high call volume, the best way to file a claim right now is online. Be patient, traffic to the online site is high as well and may have intermittent outages. Click on the image below to visit Oregon's resource page for both Employees and Employers to find answers on specific questions and scenarios.

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Utilities Assistance

See below a list of utilities that will not disconnect customers/suspend service for those who can’t make a payment due to impacts caused by the coronavirus. If your utility company is not listed below and you are experiencing a hardship in making a payment, reach out to them. They may also be offering assistance.

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

  • The Small Business Administration will work directly with state Governors to provide targeted, low-interest loans to small businesses and non-profits that have been severely impacted by the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program provides small businesses with working capital loans of up to $2 million that can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing. 
  • The Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental expanded the disaster definition for the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to include COVID-19. Economic Injury Disaster Loans are SBA loans that are available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, and most non-profits that have experienced substantial economic injury as a result of a disaster.
  • EIDLs are available in areas that are declared a disaster area by the SBA. There has to be an SBA Disaster Declaration in an area for EIDL loans to be made available, which originates from a request made by the Governor. Governor Brown has made the request for an SBA Disaster Declaration and expects a response within the next couple of days. Continue to check back here.
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Avoid Scams

Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum has created a price gouging hotline and has some tips to avoid coronavirus related scams. Here are some additional links from her office:

In order to avoid becoming a victim of a coronavirus-related scam, follow these six tips:

  • Do Not Click on links from sources you don’t know. They could download a virus onto your computer or device. Make sure the anti-malware and anti-virus software on your computer is up to date. One virus to worry about is enough!
  • For the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus, take it upon yourself to visit the websites of the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the World Health Organization (WHO). If you receive an email or text claiming to be from one of these, do not click – it could be an imposter scam.
  • Ignore online offers for vaccinations. If you see ads touting prevention, treatment, or cure claims for the coronavirus, ask yourself: if there’s been a medical breakthrough, would you be hearing about it for the first time through an ad or sales pitch?
  • Give wisely when it comes to donations, whether through charities or crowdfunding sites. Don’t let anyone rush you into making a donation. If someone wants donations in cash, by gift card, or by wiring money, don’t do it.
  • Be alert to scam “investment opportunities.” The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is warning people about online promotions, including on social media, claiming that the products or services of publicly-traded companies can prevent, detect, or cure coronavirus and that the stock of these companies will dramatically increase in value as a result.
  • Excessive prices? Contact the Oregon Department of Justice’s Consumer Hotline if you see merchants charging exorbitant prices for goods and supplies like face masks, toilet paper and hand sanitizers. Oregon law protects consumers from being charged excessive prices for essential consumer goods and services. These include food, shelter, bottled water, fuel and other items necessary for the health, safety and welfare of Oregonians. To reach the Oregon Department of Justice’s Consumer Hotline, call 1-877-877-9392 or visit www.oregonconsumer.gov

City Resources

Please know that while we may not have all the answers yet in these uncertain times, Governor Brown and state legislators, along with your cities, counties, and school districts are working tirelessly to figure out the best way to help Oregonians. Here is a link to the Joint Special Committee on Coronavirus Response meeting that met yesterday to discuss next steps for the State of Oregon. The next meeting is tomorrow in Salem and you can watch online here. To submit testimony to the Committee, use this email. Keep checking in with the links provided above. Share them with your local family, friends, and neighbors. Stay home and stay strong. Please don't hesitate to reach out to my office with any questions or concerns.

Onward and Upward,

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Capitol Phone: 503-986-1430
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-487, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.JaneenSollman@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/sollman