COVID-19 Update

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Over the past week, there has been a significant amount of work done and new information released to address the coronavirus pandemic. From Congress’ $2 trillion economic relief package, to state agency updates, to the latest modeling on Oregon’s COVID-19 epidemic trends, there is a lot to share with you. I have done my best to provide the most recent updates below.

Save the Date: Virtual Town Hall

Please save the date for my upcoming, virtual town hall: Thursday, April 2^nd from 5:00pm-6:00pm. I will send the details and instructions regarding the platform we will use in a future newsletter update.

During the town hall, I will provide a brief update on COVID-19, but I want to ensure we have plenty of time for your questions. To help ensure I cover the information that would be the most useful to you or your business, please submit your questions in advance by emailing them to Rep.AndreaSalinas@oregonlegislature.gov 

Stay Home. Save Lives.

This weekend, Governor Brown launched a public awareness campaign to spread the word about the importance of staying home and saving lives. You can view the campaign here. We all have a role to play to help flatten the curve and save lives, so please help share this message with your networks.

Video: Essential Heroes They are out there for you. Stay home for them.

Video: Numbers

Update on the Joint Special Committee on Coronavirus Response

Tuesday was the last meeting, for now, of the Joint Special Committee on Coronavirus Response. During that meeting, each committee member discussed their top priorities for a legislative package based on all the feedback and testimony we received. As I have mentioned previously, the committee first needed to prioritize actions the legislature could take in the very near future to provide resources and direction that would assist the medical response efforts and dramatically slow the spread of the COVID-19. As committee members, we agreed that providing economic relief and economic stability to low-income workers and small businesses is critical, and where relief efforts must begin.

This all culminated in the Committee Co-Chairs drafting a list of recommendations, which they shared with the Speaker and Senate President. You can read their recommendations here. You will see that the recommendations are broken up into the following categories: housing and shelter, food and community benefits, family support, healthcare access, and short-term employer support. There were many other proposals that were not included in this initial list, because they either require additional conversations or information, anticipated federal action will address it, or the issue can be resolved via the Governor’s executive authority. There were no easy decisions, but I do believe the recommended policy proposals are critical first steps.

In addition to the Committee’s work, the Ways & Means Tri-Chairs, and the Legislative Fiscal and Revenue offices have simultaneously been hard at work assessing the state budget, which is going to be impacted by plummeting revenues. Their analysis will determine how much funding we are able to allocate towards key programs and supports. All of this work and analysis will then culminate in the Governor likely calling us into a special session in the near future to pass the recommended policy changes and budgets. The Committee will continue to be an available option should we need to address other policy fixes.

Federal Action: $2 Trillion Emergency Aid Package

I am grateful to Oregon’s congressional delegation for ensuring Oregon’s priorities are represented in the latest federal emergency aid package, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. From an historic expansion in unemployment insurance, to significant financial aid for small business, to putting money directly in the hands of Americans, this package will anchor our efforts at the state level and provide desperately needed relief for everyday Oregonians. I will continue to provide updates on what Oregon can expect to receive and how those funds will be allocated. In the meantime, you can learn more from the Senate Appropriations Committee analysis, which provides details about the specific provisions.

Modeling Report Released

Earlier this week, the Oregon Health Authority released a COVID-19 modeling report from the Institute for Disease Modeling. You can read the report here. The model, based on coronavirus trends in other states and countries, projects the cumulative number of cases in Oregon between now and May 8^th based on different scenarios.

The green line represents ‘aggressive interventions,’ which includes the Governor’s ‘Stay Home, Stay Safe’ order. This is the measure that strengthened social distancing efforts and closed non-essential businesses. As you can see from the graph above, continuing to follow these orders is the only way we can ensure the fewest number of COVID-19 cases and ensure that our health care system has the capacity to take care of those who do get sick.

COVID-19 Hospital Care Action Plan

You may have heard about the concern for hospital bed capacity and the availability of critical medical supplies. This is a concern health and hospital officials have been working diligently to address. Earlier this week, they announced a statewide action plan to dramatically bolster the state’s ability to treat people with COVID-19 who require hospital care.

Read the press release, new projections, and the Governor’s Joint Task Force for Health Care Systems Response to COVID-19 report.

Food Banks

Pantries and food assistance sites remain open — with increased cleaning and changes in service to help minimize contact among groups of people.

If you’re sick and in need of food assistance, you can send someone else to pick up food at any of the Oregon Food Bank’s distribution sites. If you don’t have someone who can pick up food for you, call your local food bank for assistance. You can find contact information on the Oregon Food Bank website.

Hunger Fighters is also doing an incredible job of feeding our community, which the Oregonian highlighted in the video below. They are operating on expanded hours, which you can learn more about here.

Additionally, our partners at 211info have information on more than 1,000 different food programs across the state. For more information call 211 or visit https://www.211info.org/food

Testing: OHA Guidance

Many people exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 are wondering what steps they can take to get tested, and this is a concern I hear about regularly from you. The Oregon Health Authority updated its guidance on COVID-19 testing:

• If you have flu like symptoms (fever, coughing, or mild-shortness of breath), first isolate yourself to prevent it from spreading to others.
• Then, contact your health care provider. They are the best person to decide whether or not you need to be tested for COVID-19.
• BEFORE YOU VISIT: Alert them if you think you might have COVID-19. This allows them to take precautions so other patients at the facility are not exposed
• If they believe you need to be tested, they can order a test at one of Oregon’s commercial labs. The testing capacity is nearing 1,000 per day, but it’s not unlimited.
• But even if you are showing symptoms, the health care provider may not order a test if they do not think a positive reading would change the type of care you would receive.
• Instead, they may recommend you stay home, recover, and take precautions to ensure you do not spread the illness to others.
• HOWEVER, if you are having serious symptoms, like trouble breathing, chest pains, or bluish lips or face – seek care.
• If it’s not an emergency but believe you need medical care, call your doctor’s office. If you do not have one, dial 211, and if necessary, visit your local urgent care center.
• In the event of an emergency, call 911.

Oregon State Police Guidance

We have also been hearing questions about the Governor’s Stay Home, Save Lives executive order. The Oregon State Police recently issued guidance clarifying how they will be enforcing this order. You can read that guidance here.

Tax Deadline Delayed

Oregon's state deadline to file 2019 personal income and some other taxes has been extended to July 15, 2020. The deadline for 2020 estimated tax payments has not been changed.

For more information, and to learn how this will apply to corporate/excise taxpayers, you can view the Department of Revenue’s press release which provides further detail.

Insurance

The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services issued a temporary emergency order in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The order requires all insurance companies to extend grace periods for premium payments, postpone policy cancellations and non-renewals, and extend deadlines for reporting claims.

Insurance companies must immediately do the following until the order is no longer in effect:

• Institute a grace period for premium payments on all insurance policies issued in the state.
• Suspend all cancellations and non-renewals for active insurance policies.
• Extend all deadlines for consumers to report claims and communicate about claims.
• Provide consumers the ability to make premium payments and report claims while maintaining safe social distancing standards.

Be well,

Andrea Salinas, State Representative

email: Rep.AndreaSalinas@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1438
address: 900 Court St NE, H-485, Salem, OR, 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/salinas