Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update – May 19, 2020

Dear Friends,

It has been several weeks since our first COVID-19 update, and we hope that these informational emails have been helpful for you and your family. We’ve included some of the most recent developments below, including important information from Governor Abbott’s press conference yesterday.

PHASE II: TEXAS RE-OPENING

In a press conference yesterday, Governor Abbott discussed further steps in the phased reopening of Texas. As outlined in Abbott’s updated guidance, the following businesses may re-open as we move into under Phase II of the re-opening plan:

• Effective immediately: child-care facilities are allowed to re-open.

• May 22: Bars, wine tasting rooms, craft breweries and bowling alleys can resume operations under 25% occupancy. Restaurants opened in the previous phase can expand to 50% occupancy. Outdoor seating at restaurants and bars is not subject to the occupancy limitation provided there is sufficient room to maintain social distancing between tables.

• May 31: Youth camps and professional sports leagues may resume operations. Parents are allowed to watch those events provided they observe physical distancing. Summer camps including overnight camps will be allowed to open on this date as well.

• June 1: In-person summer school can begin. Per the TEA guidelines, the summer school must be optional, desks have to be 6 feet apart, no groups or pair work except for early childhood or students with disabilities, and no more than 11 people in an enclosed space.

Reminder: As part of the Phase I openings announced by Governor Abbott on May 5, the following businesses were able to resume some operations today:

• Gyms are allowed to reopen starting at 25% occupancy. They must also ensure proper social distancing and sanitizing. Customers should wear gloves while using equipment. Locker rooms and showers are not yet be allowed to reopen.

• Manufacturers that closed under Abbott’s previous orders are allowed to reopen at 25% capacity and using staggered staffing to limit interaction.

• State parks are set to begin honoring reservations starting today, just in time for the upcoming holiday weekend.

• Office buildings may open at 25% capacity.

• More information on the phased reopening and guidance for businesses and patrons of businesses can be found on the Governor’s “Open Texas” website.

INCREASED TESTING

Yesterday, Governor Abbott announced that in the first half of May, Texas has administered more COVID-19 tests than in all of March and April combined. We are now testing up to 25,000 Texans each day.

As of May 17, a total of 47,784 confirmed cases of COVID-19 had been reported across 222 of our 254 counties. According to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services,Texas had a total of 1,512 people hospitalized as of yesterday. The 7-day average positive test rate is 4.66%. 57.70% of all cases have recovered, 39.51% are active and 2.80% have died.

Governor Abbott announced a new initiative to increase COVID-19 testing in nursing home facilities. Local fire departments are partnering with public health authorities to provide testing in nursing homes throughout the state. Costs associated with providing these tests are eligible for federal reimbursement.

New testing sites are scheduled to open in HD 108. Beginning on May 22, the CVS located at 3133 E. Lemmon Avenue will begin offering self-swab tests. Testing will be scheduled online and take place through the pharmacy drive-thru window; no testing will take place in-store. Employees participating in the test collection process will maintain safety using personal protective equipment and follow sanitization protocols after each test.

The federal government approved the extension of the community-based testing centers in Texas. As a reminder, The Dallas testing sites at the American Airlines Center and the Ellis David Field House have expanded the criteria to allow testing of grocery stores employees or employees of other essential retail regardless of symptoms. They will also administer tests to any first responders, DART drivers, and healthcare workers regardless of symptoms. Other who can be tested are those 65+, those with chronic health issues or those with a temperature of 99.6+, shortness of breath or a cough.

SUPPORTING TEXANS

Governor Abbott announced that Texas will receive more than $3 million for family and domestic abuse services. These federal funds will provide shelter and services to survivors of family and domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds will be directed toward 78 local family violence centers across the state who offer services such as 24-hour shelter, counseling, mobile advocacy, telehealth, peer support, rental assistance, and relocation expenses. The funding also assists family violence centers to cover the costs of providing remote services to those in need. For more information, visit the Family Violence Program webpage. Texas residents can dial 2-1-1 to learn about HHSC programs and services.

Texas has received $1 billion in pandemic food aid from the federal government. This aid comes as part of the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program to families with children who have temporarily lost access to free or discounted school meals due to COVID-19-related school closures. P-EBT provides a one-time benefit of $285 per child, which can be used in the same way as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits to pay for groceries. Visit hhs.texas.gov/pebt to learn more.

RESOURCES FOR TEXAS WORKERS & BUSINESSES

Texas Workforce Commission currently has all 8 of their call centers are up and running and staffed by over 1,000 people. Their staff is working hard to ensure that they are processing claims as quickly as possible. Since the week of March 14, over 2.2 million claims have gone through. They’ve made updates to their website and chatbots in an effort to avoid slowing down the web portal during busy access times.

Our office has been assisting those with questions about eligibility and the claims process and helping make sure claims are handled quickly and correctly. If you need assistance with TWC, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at the contact information provided at the end of this email.

Governor Abbott also issued an Executive Order with new guidance for the Texas Workforce Commission. Under this guidance, Texans can continue to receive unemployment benefits throughout the COVID-19 response if they choose not to return to work for certain reasons as specified by TWC. Each unemployment insurance claim is currently evaluated on an individual basis. However, because of the COVID-19 emergency, the following are reasons benefits would be granted if the individual refused suitable work.

• At High Risk: People 65 years or older are at a higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19.

• Household Member At High Risk: People 65 years or older are at a higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19.

• Diagnosed With COVID: The individual has tested positive for COVID-19 by a source authorized by the State of Texas and is not recovered.

• Family Member With COVID: Anybody in the household has tested positive for COVID-19 by a source authorized by the State of Texas and is not recovered and 14 days have not yet passed.

• Quarantined: Individual is currently in 14-day quarantine due to close contact exposure to COVID-19.

• Child Care: Child’s school or daycare closed and no alternatives are available.

• Any other situation will be subject to a case by case review by TWC based on individual circumstances.

As a reminder, we’ve set up a COVID-19 webpage in coordination with the United Way. We encourage you visit the page to submit your questions, requests for assistance or to learn more about how to help those in our community who are deeply impacted by this crisis.

I’ll send further updates and information as needed. In the meantime, should you have questions or concerns, please feel free to reply to this email or call us at (469) 554-0428.

Sincerely,