Coronavirus Impacts

Dear friends and neighbors,

As we work to slow the spread of COVID-19, the Governor has announced mandatory two-week closures for all restaurants, bars, and entertainment and recreational facilities, as well as ban on gatherings of 50 or more statewide. While this decision will help to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, I’ve also heard from constituents who are wondering how this will impact their job or their business.

The situation is evolving, and information may change, but there are some resources we can share now:

For Individuals:

• The Employment Security Department has resources on paid sick leave, paid family and medical leave, unemployment benefits, and more.
• The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions has information available on mortgage payments, rent payments, student loan deferments, short term and emergency loans, utility payments, and more.
• The Office of the Insurance Commissioner has a site set up to help with insurance questions, including a frequently asked questions page.
• The Washington Health Benefit Exchange has opened a special enrollment period for individuals without insurance which will run through April 8th, 2020. More details are available here.
• The City of Seattle has a page compiling information on the following:
  • Food support
  • Utility Bill Support
  • Support for restaurant workers, artists, LGBTQ + BIPOC people
  • Home education support
  • They have also enacted a temporary moratorium on residential evictions.
• Information about lunch support for students is also available:
  • Seattle Public Schools will provide grab-and-go meals for all students from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Monday-Friday
  • Tukwila School District will deliver meals along their bus routes at the regularly scheduled morning pick up times, and will have lunches available for pick-up at all schools in the district from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Monday-Friday.
  • Renton School District will have grab-and-go meals available for students at all schools in district and at multiple apartment complex locations. They’ll be available 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Monday-Friday. No signatures or ID is required.
  • Issaquah School District is working with the Issaquah food bank to provide food for students, even if they live in a different city.

For Businesses:

• The Employment Security Department has information on what resources are available to help businesses keep employees, & information about tax filing lenience.
• Governor Inslee’s website has a list of resources available:
  • How to apply for federal Small Business Administration loans
  • How to request tax filing extensions or penalty waivers from the Dept. of Revenue
  • Where to go for support from the Dept. of Commerce Export Assistance Team
• The Office of the Insurance Commissioner has a page on business insurance information, including one answering questions on event cancellation insurance.
• The City of Seattle has a page compiling information on the following:
  • B&O tax deferment
  • Qualifications & application for the Small Business Stabilization Fund.
  • Financial support for non-profit organizations

Additional Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources

The Washington State Department of Health has established a call center to address questions from the public. If you have questions about what is happening in Washington, or how the virus is spread, please call 1-800-525-0127.

Phone lines are currently staffed from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m, seven days a week. Please note that this call center cannot access COVID-19 testing results. For testing inquiries or results, please contact your health care provider.

You can stay up to date by following them online at the various websites and social media channels below:

• Washington State Dept. of Health Coronavirus Information Website
• Washington State Dept. of Health Facebook
• Washington State Dept. of Health Twitter
• Dept. of Health Fact Sheet: Coronavirus (Multiple Languages)

You can also stay up to date with King County specific information on the outbreak:

• King County Coronavirus Website
• King County Public Health Facebook
• King County Public Health Twitter

For information from the City of Seattle:

• City of Seattle Coronavirus Website

Sincerely,

Rep. Steve Bergquist