March 18 COVID-19 Update

Michael Dembrow

March 18, 2020

Dear Neighbors and Friends:

I hope you and your loved ones are doing well and staying healthy.  And if possible, that you’ve been able to get outdoors and enjoy this lovely weather.

I want to spend the bulk of this newsletter reporting on today’s first meeting of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Coronavirus.  In addition, I’ll give you the latest updates from today’s legislative briefing and other COVID-related news from Oregon, along with the latest executive orders coming from the Governor.

I’m also happy to report that the pace of federal action at last seems to be speeding up.  Congress has just passed the first of a series of bills needed to address the crisis.  They will get our state agencies more flexibility in disbursing federal dollars and eventually send federal dollars directly to families and businesses. 

The federal government of course has much more ability to generate dollars than we do at the state—we are constrained by the requirement to balance our budgets.  We can redirect existing dollars, but we cannot deficit-spend in order to stimulate the economy and get resources to Oregonians.  So it’s great to see Congress finally able to find common purpose and step up.

As I was reading through the public testimony that has been submitted to the Joint Committee and listening to the oral testimony, I’ve been struck by how much this crisis has been revealing weaknesses and outright gaps in our public health system and social safety net.  Whether we’re talking about shortages in medical supplies, or lack of universal access to quality health care, or fragile housing situations, or families living paycheck to paycheck, there is no doubt that the results of these weaknesses in our systems will be devastating for many Oregonians.

We need to get through this crisis as best we can, pull together and respond with kindness, intelligence, and creativity.  And then we need to learn from it. 

Today’s Coronavirus Update

  • As of 2 pm the total number of positive cases of coronavirus in Oregon is 75. That’s an additional 10, with cases all across the state.
  • Sadly, two additional deaths have been reported (bringing the total to 3): a 60-year-old woman in Lane County and a 71-year-old man in Washington County. Both had serious underlying medical conditions.   
  • There have been 1100 negative tests so far.
  • Providence Health system says it can process tests for 500 to 600 people a day now. (Requests must come from a patient’s primary care provider or county public health.)
  • The state has also reached agreement with Quest Diagnostics, one of the nation’s largest commercial labs, to purchase 20,000 tests for Oregon, with the first 5,000 coming any day. Again, the tests will be reserved for those with serious symptoms and those who have had contact with those who’ve tested positive. They must be ordered by medical providers.
  • As part of the effort to secure an additional 1,000 hospital beds projected to be needed by the middle of April, Governor Brown has ordered the Oregon National Guard to set up a 250-bed emergency hospital at the state fairgrounds in Salem to help increase capacity for the anticipated surge in coronavirus cases. 
  • The hospital should be operational by Friday and is part of an effort to increase by 1,000 the total number of hospital beds in the state. Hospitals around the state are also putting up tents to provide additional space for triage.
  • Declining stocks of Personal Protective Equipment remains a problem. According to the OHA, the state public supply has already been reduced by 28% of its N95 respirators, 66% of its surgical masks, and 83% of protective gowns.
  • While we’re waiting for federal supplies to come in and for manufacturers to make replacements, the Governor has put a ban on non-essential dental and veterinary procedures partially as part of the effort to preserve as many PPEs as possible.
  • Interestingly, we also learned that the dental community may eventually be called into work for front-line triaging.
  • In response to a constituent concern, I raised the problem of renters whose homes are in the process of being sold and who are faced with the prospect (a) of displacement and (b) of realtors and other strangers entering their living space. The Governor’s office will be looking into this problem.
  • The Governor is planning to issue an executive order any time now related to colleges and universities (see below for more details).

First Meeting of the Joint Task Force on Coronavirus

The task force met for 41/2 hours today, hearing from members of the Governor’s Office, OHA, representatives of Labor, Business, and Housing.  It was an excellent series of presentations, with good questions coming from task force members.  Dirk Vanderhart of OPB did a good writeup on it here.

Here are a few of the things that stood out to me:

  • With the huge ramp-up of unemployment insurance claims nation-wide, many would-be filers had a rough time with the system. Our state computer system (which is archaic and in process of being redone) needs to interface with the federal system, which was having a hard time verifying filers’ social security numbers.  We were told things are better today. We’re told that the Oregon Employment Department has the staff needed to do the job.  We’ll see.
  • There have been calls to eliminate the one-week waiting period for initiating a claim. This is apparently something that is at the discretion of the state.  Apparently, though, our archaic computer system will make it difficult if not impossible to make that change anytime soon.
  • With the closing of bars and restaurants, proceeds from video lottery have plummeted to near zero. This revenue shortfall will create challenges for the programs funded by lottery bonds.
  • As the committee was meeting, Congress was finalizing approval of its first relief bill, and more is coming. It will be crucial that any legislation we pass complements and does not interfere with new federal policies.  We need to be able to leverage federal money as much as possible while taking care not to jeopardize our existing programs that rely on federal matches.
  • The Governor’s new Coronavirus economic advisory council had its first meeting yesterday and will be making recommendations for legislation to implement strategies that are immediate, short term and long-term, statewide and regional.
  • The Governor has requested the federal Small Business Administration to provide emergency loans to Oregon small businesses. We should be hearing soon if that request has been approved.
  • Along with needed technical changes to Unemployment Insurance, we may need changes to Workers Compensation to make sure that workers who have contracted the virus while at work are covered by that system.
  • The Oregon Military Department (National Guard) has been involved in planning efforts, and we will likely see Guard members deployed to do front-line medical work for which they are trained.
  • The Legislature may have to grant licensing boards more flexibility in creating needed temporary licenses.
  • Employment groups that are particularly challenged within our current system:
    • Tipped workers
    • So-called independent contractors--“Gig” workers (e.g., Uber/Lyft drivers), artists/musicians/performers
    • Immigrant workers
  • Challenge of making sure people who have been laid off or had their hours reduced don’t lose their health insurance—the worst thing that could happen in a pandemic.

You can watch video of the hearing here.

By the end of the day, more than 300 pieces of public testimony had been submitted for the record.  I started reading through them this morning when there were only 50 and will try to get through them over the next couple of days.  From what I’ve seen so far, they mainly have to do with the economic and social aspects of the crisis, and the challenges they point to are truly daunting.  You can read through them here.  I’m told that committee staff is going through and summarizing their topics and recommendations in a single document that will be posted on the site.

The committee will meet again on Friday at 2 pm.  Among other things, it will be hearing from disease modelers at OHSU about the timelines and potential severity of the outbreak.

As you can see, we are facing many challenges.  Over the next couple of weeks, these insights and more will have to be culled and turned into legislative proposals and prioritized for a special session of the Legislature.

Governor Extends the Previous School Closure Period

Just to show you how quickly things change, within minutes of my sending out yesterday’s newsletter, the Governor announced her order extending school closures to April 28. 

As you’ll see, school districts will continue to receive their full state financial support during this period.  In return, school districts must continue to pay their regular employees (they can deploy them to do other tasks such as food delivery), and districts are charged with providing child care for essential workers, such as healthcare providers, first responders, and other emergency personnel.

Food Resources for Oregonians Who Need Them

I want to share with you a message that I just received from Partners for a Hunger Free Oregon with a number of important resources.  Please share this information with people who you think might need it.

“Hunger-Free Oregon has compiled resources that we hope your constituents will find helpful in navigating challenges that seemed unfathomable even just a week ago. Finding access to food is essential. It's also true that asking for help can be hard and humbling for many, so we want to make sure to share accurate, clear, compassionate information about how to ask for help getting food.

  • Accessing Food During the COVID-19 Outbreak - a comprehensive list of food resources from how to apply for SNAP (or report a decrease in income) to food pantries to school meal replacements.
  • School Districts Offering Grab and Go Meals - Nearly all school districts are offering "grab and go" meals at locations (such as schools or bus dropoff sites) since many kids now don't have access to school meals. We've compiled a list of districts that have posted their policies, and we're updating it daily.

SNAP in particular will be a critical resource at this time. It's available to anyone who is income eligible, entirely federally-funded, and in addition to putting food on the table, supports grocery stores, businesses, farmers - everyone throughout the food supply chain.”

In addition, I just learned that in order to help support our food distribution networks, the Oregon Food Bank has requested help from the Oregon National Guard.  Here is their request to the Legislature for several actions needed to help Oregonians get food onto their tables.  

In-Person Contact at Colleges and Universities Suspended

In order to prevent the spread of the disease, the Governor has just issued an executive order related to all of Oregon’s degree-granting colleges and universities, public and private alike.

Campuses will essentially be closed between March 21 and April 28 with just a few exceptions. Where possible, classes will continue via distance learning (e.g., online and videoconferencing).

Essential personnel required to maintain the infrastructure, labs, and computer systems will still have access to campuses.  In addition, dorms and food service may be allowed on a case-by-case basis in order to accommodate foreign students and those (such as former foster youth) who have no other homes they can reasonably go to.

There may also be some exceptions made for students in their final terms in certain health care and other degree programs considered essential in addressing the coronavirus crisis.

I know that this was a difficult decision for the Governor to make. (PCC just made the decision last night to voluntarily implement a similar program.)  It will create hardships for many students, challenges for staff, and will create critical budgetary and financial aid challenges that I hope the Legislature will be able to address.  More on these later.

But I believe that someday we will look back and agree that this was the correct decision. 

Correction: SORRY, You Must File

Yesterday, I must have lost control of my fingers when I wrote that the IRS is extending the deadline for filing by three months.  You still must file, but you can file for an extension using Form 4868 (for individuals) or 7004 (for businesses) and delay payment by three months without penalty or accrued interest.

It’s still not entirely clear whether or not the same (no penalty or interest) will be true for state taxes. Here's the appropriate page on the Oregon Department of Revenue site.  I’ll let you know when we know more.

AND FINALLY,

Here again are some resources that you will find useful:

If the above links are not providing you with answers to your questions or directing you to the help that you need, please consider me and my office to be a resource.  We’ll do our best to assist you or steer you in the right direction. 

Best,

dembrow signature

Senator Michael Dembrow
District 23


email: Sen.MichaelDembrow@oregonlegislature.gov
web: www.senatordembrow.com
phone: 503-986-1723
mail: 900 Court St NE, S-407, Salem, OR, 97301