COVID-19 News
This week, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)'s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program reopened to all eligible businesses and nonprofits impacted by COVID-19. EIDL loans can provide long-term, low interest assistance to businesses in need. They can be used to cover payroll and inventory, pay debt or fund other expenses to alleviate financial losses caused by the virus. In addition, the EIDL Advance Program will provide up to $10,000 in emergency advance grants to businesses that are suffering financially, which do not have to be repaid. To learn more and apply for assistance, go to sba.gov/disaster.
As a reminder, the deadline to apply for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) SBA loan is June 30th. These loans provide vital relief to small businesses and will be fully forgiven if at least 60% of the loan is used for payroll. To learn more and apply, click here.
1. All Californians are now required to wear face masks in common and public indoor spaces and outdoors when physical distancing is not possible. Please remember to wear your mask to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
2. Due to public health concerns caused by COVID-19, every registered voter in California will receive a mail-in ballot in time for the November 2020 election. Voting from home will help protect yourself and others from the virus. For more information about mail-in ballots and to check your voter status, go to vote.ca.gov.
3. The state of California launched California Connected, a new contact tracing program to identify COVID-19 patients and reach out to the people they’ve come in contact with to ensure all parties receive a test and subsequent medical care. Through this program, tracers will work with patients and their friends and families to isolate cases and prevent the spread of COVID-19. If you tested positive for COVID-19, please call your local health department for help getting in touch with those you’ve recently encountered. Any personal information you share is confidential and the process will be done anonymously.
4. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Covered California opened a special enrollment period to help those who are uninsured enroll in quality, affordable health care plans. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 open enrollment period, more than 155,000 Californians have signed up for health care coverage. Any person who is uninsured and eligible can enroll in a health care plan that works for them by going to CoveredCA.com.
5. Effective today, June 19th, bars, wineries, tattoo parlors, spas, nail salons, casinos and card rooms in LA County may reopen with physical distancing and infection control protocols in place. Gyms may also reopen with no more than 50% occupancy in workout areas and classes. This new reopening phase will move LA County into Stage 3 of California’s Pandemic Resilience Roadmap. To read the updated LA County Health Officer Order, click here.
6. LA County restaurants can reopen for dine-in service with the proper health protocols in place.
7. Some high-risk businesses remain closed until further notice, including lounges and nightclubs; public entertainment venues; family entertainment centers such as bowling alleys and batting cages; and indoor and outdoor playgrounds. For a full list of what is open and closed in LA County, please click here.
Additional Resources
• For an update on the progression of coronavirus cases in California and LA County, visit update.covid19.ca.gov and publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/coronavirus.
• If you’re diagnosed with COVID-19, you should expect a call from a county public health specialist as part of an effort to contact trace and contain the spread of the virus. They are not law enforcement officers and will not ask about immigration status. The call will appear on your phone as “L.A. Public Health.” Please pick up – contact tracing can help save lives.
• The SBA and the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued new guidance to implement the new Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act signed into law on June 5th. The new guidance expands eligibility for businesses with owners previously convicted of a felony. Read more here.
• The LA County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs has created a new way to report incidences of price gouging during the COVID-19 emergency. If you believe you were a victim of price gouging and encountered unfairly inflated prices at a store, call (800) 593 – 8222 to file a complaint. You can also file a complaint online by going to stoppricegouging.dcba.lacounty.gov.
• If you’re an employer, please know that antibody tests are not a good determinant of whether it is safe for somebody to return to work. According to the CDC, there is not enough evidence to say the presence of COVID-19 antibodies will make people immune to becoming infected again. Until there is more evidence, continue taking these steps to protect yourself and others in the workplace.
• While we continue to limit the spread of COVID-19, we also must prepare ourselves for the upcoming 2020-2021 flu season. Please click here for CDC information and frequently asked questions on COVID-19 and the flu.
• The IRS established a non-filer portal for those who don’t normally file taxes to register for an Economic Impact Payment. Non-filers must register by October 15. For additional information on stimulus checks, including FAQs, click here.
• Blood supplies in California have decreased dramatically over recent weeks. If you are healthy and able, please consider donating blood to help those in need. Go to redcrossblood.org to get started.
• This time of isolation and stress increases the potential for domestic violence within households. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call 1-800-978-3600, or text 52-211 for help. Click here for information on intimate partner violence service providers, including shelters, legal services and more.
• If you own a business that was damaged in the recent protests, please complete this survey to help the LA County Disaster Help Center seek additional funding.
• If you lost your job due to COVID-19 and have questions about your unemployment benefits now that many are returning to work, please see these FAQs from the California Employment Development Department.
Information provided by US Representative Ted Lieu.