COVID-19 General Tips and Updates

March 25, 2020 Update

News

• Emergency Stimulus Package – The White House and Senate leaders announced that they have reached a deal on a nearly $2 trillion emergency relief package (The CARES Act). The deal would include:
• $250B for direct payments to individuals and families
• $350B for forgivable small business loans (see below)
• $250B in unemployment insurance benefits
• $500B in loans for distressed companies

The bill must now be passed by the Senate, then pass the House, then go to the President.

Our resource page can be more easily communicated now as:https://www.opportunitylouisiana.com/covid19

As of noon (12:00 PM) today, there were 1,795 reported cases in Louisiana and 65 reported deaths.  491 hospitalized COVID-19 cases. The primary lines of effort remain unchanged:

1. flatten the curve by limiting exposure
2. continue to surge medical capacity to prevent our hospital systems from being overwhelmed.

Governor Edwards stressed today that there is no evidence that the curve is flattening yet and the coming days will tell if we acted quickly enough. The Governor’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration to the federal government was approved today allowing for additional federal support for state and local agencies.

Regional Stakeholders,

During a crisis, timely, accurate, and actionable information is important.  In order to help you get this information, GNO, Inc. is sending out regular updates.  Please see below, and feel free to forward.

March 24, 2020 Update

News

• Major Disaster Declaration Granted – Following a request from Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, President Donald Trump tonight approved a Major Disaster Declaration for Louisiana.  The move unlocks significant federal resources and millions in disaster funding to deal with the coronavirus crisis.  Louisiana joins New York, California and Washington in receiving federal funds to prevent further spread of COVID-19.
• Emergency Stimulus Package – Congressional and Trump administration negotiators signaled Tuesday that they are on track to clinch a bipartisan agreement on a nearly $2 trillion emergency stimulus package, but the timeline for final passage has slipped.  As of this email, no deal has been announced.  As introduced in the Senate last week, the “CARES Act” seeks to provide between $1 and $2 trillion in aid for the US economy. As drafted, the bill provides:
  • Direct financial aid through “recovery checks” to most American households;
  • Rapid relief for small businesses and their workers in the form of forgivable loans, made via local banks, intended largely for payroll (a provision strongly advocated for by GNO, Inc. and partners); and
  • More support for hospitals and front-line health care workers to address supply shortages, speed vaccine development and encourage telehealth.