Governments begin rolling out relief programs for individuals and businesses

Courtesy of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association

Relief for Small Business Act of 2020

Yesterday, House Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) introduced the COVID–19 Relief for Small Businesses Act of 2020, comprehensive legislation that would provide relief to small businesses facing consequences from the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.

Small businesses eligible for disaster loans

Small businesses in many Washington counties are now eligible to apply for low‑interest U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loans to offset economic losses because of reduced revenues caused by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Check the SBA website (https://bit.ly/3dcz5vP) for the most updated information. This is one of the first SBA disaster declarations in the country related to COVID-19.

Emergency orders: You can find the emergency orders that the Governor has issued here. Please visit the state's Coronavirus website for more information, this site will be updated regularly.

For Workers: The Employment Security Department expanded benefits for workers impacted by COVID-19. For additional information on benefits for employees directed to isolate or quarantine, temporary layoffs related to COVID-19, or job loss related to COVID-19, please visit the Employment Security Department’s COVID-19 website for additional information.

For Businesses: For additional information on financial assistance, employer and worker assistance, please visit the Governor’s COVID-19 website for impacted Washington businesses and workers.

For Insurance-Related Matters: The Office of the Insurance Commissioner ordered Washington health insurers to waive deductibles and co-pays for COVID-19 testing. For information related to health insurance, travel insurance, and business insurance, please visit the Insurance Commissioner’s COVID-19 website.

For Washingtonians without health insurance, the Washington Health Benefits Exchange opened a limited-time special enrollment period through April 8, 2020. Enroll for health insurance at the Washington Health Benefit Exchange’s website. The Department of Health's (DOH) website is updated daily with statistics relating to the virus, you can find that page here. In addition, you can learn more about the Coronavirus outbreak on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website here.