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After speaking to state health officials, the testing process seems to be driven by each hospital system or health care provider, depending on their resources of staffing, PPE, testing supplies, commercial lab partner capacity, etc. Therefore, hospitals, like St. Luke's, are sharing and promoting their services and where DRIVE UP testing facilities are available.
Generally, medical staff look for the following symptoms for testing:
- temperature over 100
- shortness of breath/respiratory problems
- persistent cough
- some GI or nausea symptoms
People who are ill with symptoms should consult their primary care physicians. If you do not have a primary care physician, contact an urgent care facility. Of course, those very sick should go to the hospital.
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FROM IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
RESOURCES TO HELP IDAHO BUSINESSES OVERCOME COVID-19 IMPACTS
(SUBSCRIBE TO THEIR NEWSLETTER)
With the passage of the CARES Act and expansion of other SBA assistance programs, there are several relief options available to Idaho businesses to help mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 emergency. Read more...
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)
- The SBA will provide $349 billion in loans through the Paycheck Protection Program to small businesses and non-profits.
- Portions of these loans will be forgiven to the extent that recipients maintain their existing workforce or rehire.
- Loans can be up to $10 million with a 4% maximum interest rate for portions of the loan that do not qualify for loan forgiveness.
- Learn more here.
Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)
- The 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.
- Borrowers can request an emergency advance of $10,000 within 3 days of submitting the application and do not have to repay the advance if they are denied a loan.
- Learn more here.
Express Bridge Loan
- The program allows small businesses who currently have a business relationship with an SBA Express Lender to access up to $25,000 with less paperwork.
- Learn more here.
Business Dislocation Response
- Small businesses and their owners as they generally do not have access to unemployment insurance benefits, and their business resources are often very limited. Certain small business services are "essential" in terms of the 21-day stay at home order.
Small Business Administration loans: website up, funds online.
CARES Act has a Paycheck Protection Program and Loan Forgiveness provision, $350 billion
- For 100% federally guaranteed loans for 8 weeks of assistance to small businesses, 501c3, and 501c19 non-profit veteran organizations.
- Disaster loans have a 3.75% interest for a business loan and 2.75% interest on a non-profit loan. SBA has 30-year amortization loans to keep payments low.
- Proprietors, independent contractors, self-employed individuals are also eligible for these loans.
- These loans can be forgiven when used for payroll costs, interest on mortgage obligations, rent and utilities.
- SBA and non-SBA lenders will be authorized to make these loans, alleviating a lot of bottleneck, including their online portal. This will be expedited and most of the lenders in Idaho are SBA lenders.
- If you are going online to apply for a disaster loan, right now you can receive up to $2 million of disaster relief, an economic entry disaster loan.
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND WELFARE UPDATES
Medicaid
IDHW is reducing /removing barriers to the provision and receipt of medical care.
WIC (Women, Infants and Children) and SNAPP (Food Stamp) Benefits
IDHW is relaxing inventory requirements that grocery stores must normally meet.
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Unemployment Insurance
Under the Federal Cares (Coronavirus Aid Relief & Economic Security) Act
- Will bring at least $1.25 billion to Idaho to help businesses and individuals.
- Rescue Package will direct distribution of $1,200/ individual (up to $75,000/year income), $2,400/joint returns, $500/child delivered (in 3 weeks if direct deposit, longer if check is mailed).
- Unemployment benefits will be increased an extra $600 per week for up to 4 months, and benefits will run for 39 weeks.
- Lending fund for businesses, educational stabilization money for schools and universities.
- Unemployment benefits will be paid for the first week of an unemployment insurance claim (referred to as a "waiting week" because benefits are not normally paid for the first week of a claim). Waiving one week waiting period for those eligible makes it easier to seek. An additional 14 days to appeal claims/decisions will be added to the existing 14 days.
- Unemployment claimants will be considered "job attached," meaning they are assumed to be able to return to their old jobs when the crisis has passed and will not be required to look for alternative work.
- The Cares Act will also relieve employers from having to pay higher unemployment insurance taxes because of benefits paid to their employees.
- Businesses who pay a quarterly employment tax, will not be charged when their employees will be laid off due to the virus. Again, an addition 14 days to appeal is added to the current 14-day time period.
These provisions are in effect beginning March 8, 2020.
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Financial Assistance Offered from State/Federal Programs
Senator Risch outlines some of the federal resources at these links:
https://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=covid-19-outbreak
https://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/information-on-upcoming-direct-financial-help-for-the-american-people-during-covid-19
New State Income Tax Filing Deadline: June 15, 2020
The Governor would have liked to extend the Idaho income tax filing deadline to the new federal income tax filing deadline of July 15th, but Idaho's current budget year must be in balance on the fiscal year end of June 30th. This necessitates receiving income tax payments that remain due before the end of the budget period.
Plus $39.3 million is being transferred from the State Tax Relief Fund to the Disaster Emergency account, the maximum under law, for critical needs PPE, test kits, lab supplies, hospital beds, to build extra facilities, and for critical childcare.
Tenant Info and Evictions
The Administration has found reaching out to large apartment complex owners fairly easy, but smaller operators are more difficult to identify and reach. The large operators will have access to government loans. The Governor noted that eviction cases are not a high priority for the courts now, that his Administration has been working with utilities, including cable companies, to keep services in place and that appeals have been made to small and large apartment owners not to evict for nonpayment of rent. The Governor noted that it doesn't make sense to evict right now because it is unlikely an apartment can be re-rented to someone else who can pay rent.
Jesse Tree is a non-profit organization that works to prevent homelessness. The physical Jesse Tree office will be closed to the public until further notice. You can still access programs by calling 208-383-9486 or by emailing office@jessetreeidaho.org. Leave a voicemail and your call will be returned within 1-3 business days. https://www.jessetreeidaho.org/jesse-tree-and-covid19
Anyone in need of help or who believes they may be in a violent relationship is encouraged to contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON) and Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) have launched this reporting center to allow community members to report incidents of hate they have experienced. Individual information, including personal identification details, will be kept confidential and will only be shared with permission. In the aggregate, the information will be used for assistance, advocacy and education.
Find food banks, food pantries, or school feeding sites.
Some Senior Centers are providing pick-up food:
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It is especially important during this difficult time to participate in the 2020 Census, everyone. An incredible amount of services and infrastructure rely on the Census data which impacts the quality of all our lives. The easiest way to be counted is online at 2020census.gov.
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