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Hello friends,
Here is the latest information for you. Hope you find it helpful.
Highlights of the stimulus package include:
- Provides $150 billion to states, territories, local and tribal governments to use for expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency with respect to COVID-19 in the face of revenue declines, allocated by population proportions.
- Distribution is based on population. Every state will receive a minimum of $1.25 billion.
- 45% of a state’s funds are set aside for local governments, with populations that exceed 500,000, with certified requests to the U.S. Secretary of Treasury. Certification requires a signature by the chief executive of the local government that the uses are consistent with certain requirements.
- $8 billion for tribal governments.
- Funds can be used for costs that:
- Are necessary expenditures incurred due to COVID-19.
- Were not accounted for in the budget most recently approved as of the date of enactment of this section.
- Were incurred during the period that begins March 1, 2020, and ends Dec. 30, 2020.
- Establishes a $500 billion lending fund for medium and large businesses, cities and states.
- Establishes a $350 billion lending fund for small businesses.
- One-time tax rebate check:
- $1,200 for an individual, $2,400 for a couple, $500 per child.
- Not reduced for lower income Americans.
- Reduced for higher income Americans, starting at $75,000 or $150,000 per couple.
- Phases out completely for individuals with adjusted gross income of $99,000 or $198,000 for couples.
- Provides $30 billion for an Education Stabilization Fund for states, school districts and institutions of higher education for costs related to the coronavirus.
- Provides $45 billion for the Disaster Relief Fund for the immediate needs of state, local, tribal and territorial governments to protect citizens and help them respond and recover from the overwhelming effects of COVID-19.
- Provides $1.4 billion for deployments of the National Guard. This level of funding will sustain up to 20,000 members of the National Guard, under the direction of the governors of each state, for the next six months in order to support state and local response efforts.
- Provides an additional $4.3 billion, thorough the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to support federal, state and local public health agencies to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus.
- Extends Real ID deadline for full implementation by states from Oct. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021.
- Expands unemployment insurance from three to four months, and provides temporary unemployment compensation of $600 per week, which is in addition to and the same time as regular state and federal UI benefits.
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This event has given rise to the largest influx of unemployment claims in history. Naturally, the system is overwhelmed and seeing large wait times with lots of frustration. The CARES Act should alleviate some frustration and bolster the system from the national level. As details get sorted and resources are sent through the proper channels, claims and responses should begin to circulate.
The following link provides answers to frequently asked questions specific to Coronavirus: https://govstatus.egov.com/ORUnemployment_COVID19
Additional links to specific topics:
With the new assistance and stimulus package bill (CARES Act) signed into law, several resources are coming available to small businesses as they try to weather this storm. Since no two businesses are exactly alike and different businesses require different needs, below is a living list of resources available to help start the economic recovery part of this pandemic. The nature of the situation is fluid and things change rapidly.
As more programs and resources become available, try to update the list.
Industry Specific Guidance and Assistance
Digital Commerce, Connectivity and Remote Work
Commercial Tenant Rent Assistance
Financial Resources, Taxes, Insurance and Legal
Business Banking Assistance
Help Us Collect Data for Our Response
Resilience and General Information
Federal Resources – SBA ECONOMIC DISASTER ASSISTANCE
SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) now available statewide. Oregon small businesses needing financial help due to pandemic should apply online (paper forms here). This Three_Step_Process document can guide application process. Business Assistance Partners can consult this detail slidedeck about EIDLs to be prepared to help. In addition to local technical assistance providers (SCORE, SBDC, others) businesses can contact the Disaster Helpdesk which is open from 8AM to 8PM EDT 7 days a week by phone at (800) 659-2955 or by email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
Response-Related Business Opportunities
Comcast is offering free and expanded services over the next 60 days.
“During this extraordinary time, it is vital that as many Americans as possible stay connected to the internet – for education, work, and personal health reasons,” said Dave Watson, Comcast Cable Chief Executive Officer.
Click here for more information
NW Natural’s service is part of the region’s critical infrastructure. More than two million people are depending on them to heat their homes, cook their meals and keep their business running. That’s why they will continue all functions necessary to provide reliable service, including having their crews out in your community responding to customer issues or emergencies, and performing maintenance on the system. They have made further commitments to ensure customers do not receive disruption of services. They will not disconnect or charge late fees for customers who can’t make a payment due to impacts caused by the coronavirus. Customers will continue to receive bills and past-due notices. But NW Natural will not send a final shut-off notice and disconnect service.
Click here for more information
Venturing out of the house may be intimidating for some right now as we try to lessen contact with each other to avoid spreading the virus. Going to the grocery store is one the last places that we still need to interact with to survive. For some people it can be a gamble just exposing themselves, not because they might get sick but because someone at home. In your immediate family, there may be someone at risk.
So below are some general guidelines I hope you find helpful and best practices to use while at the grocery store. This advice comes from the Northwest Grocery Association.
1) SOCIAL DISTANCING WITH OTHER CUSTOMERS
At doors, in aisles, and in line, remember to take a step back and allow six (6) feet of distance
between you and your fellow customers. Think of it as maintaining a distance equal to two
shopping carts.
2) PLEASE DO NOT HOARD ESSENTIAL ITEMS:
Please don’t hoard or over consume. This is not a natural disaster. There are more products in
transit. Remember if your neighbor behind you in line doesn’t have soap to wash their hands,
the two cases of soap in your cart won’t keep you safe.
3) CHECKING OUT WITH A CLERK
This is a time to exercise an overabundance of caution. What you do matters for you, your
family, and the clerks (and their families) helping you with your groceries
- Practice social distancing while in line and bag your own groceries if you are able. This reduces the number of touches your merchandise receives during checkout.
- Normal bags are in short supply due to the high volume of shopping the past few weeks. In some areas, grocers will temporarily be using single-use plastic bags at no cost to meet demand. This temporarily allowance will be reevaluated in 30 days (April 25th).
- To limit the environmental impact of plastic during this time of emergency we ask that customers use only the minimum number of bags necessary. For customers bringing reusable bags, that’s one way to help conserve and we ask that you only bring freshly laundered bags. Bags should be laundered after each use during this time of emergency.
4) USING SELF-CHECKOUT
If you have a small quantity of items, self-checkout is a great way to practice social distancing
and limit face to face exposure.
- Ask the attending clerk for a station cleaning or use a sanitation wipe before each use
- And again, when bagging your own groceries, only use what you need.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP IN KEEPING YOUR GROCERIES SAFE AND PLENTIFUL!
District 15 - our community financial institutions are working to help you during these uncertain and unsettling times! *Please* reach out to find out how they are helping in your community! Here are a few:
During this unprecedented time, Willamette Community Bank is working diligently with their customer base to find ways to assist them, including the waiver of overdraft and late fees, loan modifications, etc. Additionally, we are continuing to support our local business economies by purchasing goods and services locally whenever possible.
Summit Bank has clients across the State including those businesses that are located in District 15! We are proactively reaching out to our clients to look at ways to alleviate the stresses from COVID 19. One of those ways is as a conduit for the Paycheck Protection Program. As a certified SBA 7A lender, Summit Bank will be participating in administering the funding for the Paycheck Protection Program through the recently passed CARES act. Small Businesses defined as less than 500 employees are eligible to access these funds, regardless if they are current Summit Bank clients or not. We are still awaiting final guidance from SBA, however we expect to start accepting applications soon to get money into the hands most hurt by this pandemic.
Wells Fargo has announced additional comprehensive steps to help customers, communities and employees grappling with the impact of COVID-19. The company has suspended residential property foreclosure sales, evictions and involuntary auto repossessions. Additionally, the Wells Fargo Foundation will increase its charitable donations to $175 million to help address food, shelter, small business and
housing stability, as well as to provide help to public health organizations.
Central Willamette Credit Union: Every member has a unique situation and we'll do everything they can to work with them, including fee waivers, interest only payments, loan payment deferrals, skip-a-pay, etc. We matched FISH donations for $7k+ and donated $2k to United Way’s recent campaign efforts!
Oregon State Credit Union: Our message is we are here to help. We will work with members to identify individualized financial solutions to assist them during their time of need. This also goes for member businesses who we know are being impacted negatively. We have created an Emergency Loan fund that members can apply for.
Northwest Community Credit Union:
Specific Assistance: We’ve developed the following products to assist with unexpected reduced income from certain sectors of employment:
• A hardship loan with the following parameters:
• We’ve modified our skip payment program to allow additional skipped payments for members and have waived the usual fee for this service.
• Since 3/16/2020, we have processed 700 requests for either our skip-a-payment or our loan modification program.
This is a summary of new ways we’re reaching out to members, in our commitment to help them meet the challenges of this special circumstance. We also offer a full range of financial products and services—needed now, more than ever.
SELCO Community Credit Union
If you’re a current SELCO member and your income has been disrupted because of COVID-19, we encourage you to take advantage of one or all of the options available through our COVID-19 Financial Assistance Program:
INCOME DISRUPTION LOAN
SPECIAL SKIP PAYMENT FOR ELIGIBLE LOANS
HOME EQUITY LOAN HELP
Thank you to our incredible community for helping each other wherever we can.
Thank you thank you thank you. We are all in this together.
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There has been a temporary lift on the prohibition of fueling up our vehicles in Oregon. Many are talking about it.
Click here for the official suspension
Click her for the Self-service Rules from the Office of the State Fire Marshal
A couple of points:
1. The goal here is to move to ATTENDED self-service of fuel. This will allow gas station attendants to avoid face-to-face, hand-to-hand contact with customers. Rather, they will now be sanitizing equipment and fuel nozzles and helping customers with refueling when needed.
2. Unattended self-service will only happen IF and ONCE a gas station owner exhausts all options for having employees at the station. This is a last resort, but a necessary measure as stations around the State have been forced to close due to the unavailability of employees for sickness, lack of childcare, etc. Many of you have seen closed gas stations in your areas.
3. This measure does not impact existing areas of the state already authorized for self-service refueling under Oregon Law. It is also OPTIONAL for gas stations. Nobody has to do any of this; it is just an option, but one that some gas stations and their employees desperately need right now.
Please let me know if there are further questions.
If you have flu-like symptoms – such as fever, coughing, or mild shortness of breath – first stay away from other people and take precautions to avoid transmitting illness to others (even beyond the social distancing measures everyone should follow).
Then, the best person to decide whether you require a test for COVID-19 is your health care provider.
If you have serious symptoms – such as trouble breathing, chest pains, or bluish lips or face – seek care. If it is an emergency, call 911. If it is not an emergency but you feel sick enough to need a medical appointment, call your doctor’s office. If you don’t have a doctor, call 211 for a list of clinics near you. If necessary, visit your local urgent care center.
A flyer about testing can be found here. More information about testing and other COVID-10 topics, including the flyer in more languages, can be found at www.healthoregon.org/coronavirus.
From Fish of Albany:
Calling in to request a food box will be the protocol for the duration of the virus event. We will give you a time to pick up your box. We cannot deliver boxes. Distribution will begin at 3pm. Please don’t arrive earlier than your pick-up time. This is for the safety of our staff, volunteers and clients. Thank you!
We anticipate an increased volume of requests over the next few weeks. Please be patient with us during the busyness anticipated, and watch for updates here and posted at our service sites. Our services, open hours, etc. could change at any time.
Increased sanitation and social distancing practices will be in place. We appreciate your understanding and compliance.
Our volunteers are awesome! Thank you!
Stay safe and healthy!
Click here for more Fish of Albany information
Reminder: The Oregon Health Authority – OHA: www.healthoregon.org/coronavirus211Info is an excellent source of information about resources and benefits, and they are also ready to answer your questions about coronavirus. They are open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. by phone (call 211), text (text your ZIP code to 898211) or email (help@211info.org).
Together, we will get through this. Be kind to one another and reach out if you or a loved one need assistance.
Better together,
 Follow me on FACEBOOK and TWITTER for up-to-date information.
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1415
Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, H-389, Salem, OR 97301
Email: Rep.ShellyBoshartDavis@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/boshartdavis
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