CORONAVIRUS UPDATES: Washington issues housing grant; recovered cases sought for plasma
This page includes coronavirus developments around Washington state for Wednesday, April 1.
Updated at 3:25 p.m.
The Washington Health Benefit Exchange announced it’s extending the current special enrollment period for individuals who are uninsured.
Originally, the special enrollment period was scheduled from March 10, 2020 to April 8, 2020. It will now continue through May 8, 2020. Coverage will start May 1, 2020 for customers who enroll after April 8. Since March 10, more than 4,000 uninsured individuals have requested a special open enrollment with over 2,500 having completed their enrollment for coverage starting April 1.
To request a special enrollment or to report a change in income, contact an enrollment center, broker, or navigator to initially request. These insurance experts are available by phone to answer questions, assist in reporting a change in income and get consumers enrolled in the right health plan.
Consumers can find contact information at https://www.wahealthplanfinder.org/_content/find-expert-advice.html. Consumers can also contact the Customer Support Center between 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday- Friday at 1-855-923-4633; TTY: 1-855-627-9604. Language assistance and disability accommodations are provided at no cost.
In addition, current customers seeing income changes due to a reduction in work hours due to COVID-19 or anyone who has lost employment altogether should report income changes. They may be eligible for Washington Apple Health or increased subsidy assistance to pay for premiums. More information is available here.
Those who experience a qualifying event — such as loss of income, loss of health insurance coverage, marriage, birth of a child or a move — are eligible to shop for coverage and/or those who qualify for Medicaid through Washington Apple Health is available year-round on Washington Healthplanfinder.
Port of Seattle approves short-term emergency financial relief package
Updated at 3:25 p.m.
The Port of Seattle Commission today approved an immediate, short-term emergency financial relief package for airport-based businesses, barred evictions of tenants at Port of Seattle facilities (including live-aboard residents) due to an inability to pay rent through June 30, 2020 and authorized the Executive Director to provide additional immediate relief to Port tenants such as maritime and real estate tenants.
The immediate, short-term emergency financial relief package for airport-based businesses includes a two-month deferral of rent and fees for airport tenants and concessionaires.
The Port will review information from tenants and concessionaires to assess the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic before considering an extension for additional two months.
Rep. Derek Kilmer to hold Facebook Live town hall
Updated at 3:20 p.m.
Rep. Derek Kilmer (WA-06) will hold a Facebook Live town hall on Thursday, April 2 at 4:00 p.m. The town hall will feature U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Regional Administrator Jeremy Field, who leads the economic development, small business initiatives and program operations for the SBA Pacific Northwest Region X, which serves Washington state.
Rep. Kilmer and Administrator Field will discuss new resources approved by Congress to address Washington state’s growing economic challenges, discuss how small businesses can access economic relief and answer questions from constituents.
Residents of the 6th Congressional District who would like to join should log-on to Facebook.com/Derek.Kilmer for the live feed. At the start of the event, a live video will appear at the top of Kilmer’s newsfeed. Participants who are logged into Facebook should click on the live video to watch the event in real time. Constituents will be invited to ask questions by entering their first name, hometown and question in the comment.
The video will also be available on Facebook after the event for those who could not join live.
Department of Social and Heath Services purchases facility
Updated at 12 p.m.
The Department of Social and Health Services has purchased a facility previously known as Paramount Rehabilitation and Nursing for $13.5 million. The nursing home, located in Seattle’s Central District, was closed in February.
The home will house as many as 165 patients from local hospitals who test negative for COVID-19 and can receive the level of care they need in a long-term care setting. DSHS transitioned nearly 400 patients out of hospitals across Washington and into nursing homes, assisted living facilities, adult family homes or other settings of their choice in March.
“Increasing hospital bed capacity is crucial during this crisis,” said Aging and Long-Term Support Administration Assistant Secretary Bill Moss. “We are committed to ensuring these patients continue to receive quality care, while at the same time helping to relieve some of the strain on hospitals and health care workers on the front lines.”
DSHS is now working to find a provider to operate the facility and hopes to have it reopened by early May. There will be an estimated 100 job openings for administrators, health care workers, cooks, dishwashers, servers, landscapers, painters, carpenters and other positions.
Department of Commerce announces state emergency housing grant
Updated at 12 p.m.
Hotel owners across Washington could have the opportunity to help their communities and fill empty rooms, thanks to a $30-million state emergency housing grant from the state Department of Commerce.
The funds are available to local governments and non-profit organizations in communities, but not directly to private businesses. Communities will work with hotel owners to provide necessary rooms and services for alternative care sites during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funding will help counties meet expected sheltering needs necessitated by statewide social distancing orders. Existing shelters were already operating at capacity before the emergency rules took effect.
“We knew that to keep people safely separated, we were going to run into a situation where there just wasn’t enough capacity in the system,” said grant program manager Kathy Kinard. “This grant will open up more shelter opportunities across the state immediately.”
Benton County Human Services Manager Kyle Sullivan accessed some of the grant money to reserve 21 hotel beds from A-1 Hospitality Group for those in need of an emergency shelter. He is also partnering with a local taxi service to help people get to the facility even if they need wheelchair service.
Hotel owners interested in partnering with counties to house people during the crisis can use this contact list to call county staff immediately.
Kroger, UFCW Announce Washington Grocery Worker Pay Increase
Updated at 12 p.m.
Kroger Co. and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) International Union announced a new increase to the pay and benefits for more than 13,000 Washington grocery workers at Fred Meyer and QFC stores across the state.
This decision was secured by UFCW, which represents 1.3 million workers in grocery, retail, and other industries. UFCW welcomed the action by Kroger as an essential investment in grocery workers on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak.
“Following talks between UFCW, America’s largest food and retail union, and Kroger, UFCW is proud to join the company today in announcing a $2 per hour wage increase, additional emergency paid leave, new workplace safety measures, and other critical worker protections,” said UFCW International President Marc Perrone. “
Working together, UFCW and Kroger have listened to workers and customers across the country to identify the most urgent needs and determine the best way to support these hardworking men and women on the front lines who are serving our communities every day throughout this national crisis.”
UFCW and Kroger also announced the following increases to pay, benefits, and protections for frontline associates across the country:
▪ $2 Per Hour Pay Increase
▪ Providing Emergency Paid Leave
▪ Additional Cleaning and Sanitizing protocols
▪ Shortened Store Operating Hours
▪ Installing plexiglass partitions
▪ Adding floor decals to promote physical distancing
UW Medicine, Bloodworks Northwest seek volunteers for donation of plasma
Updated at 8:30 a.m.
UW Medicine and Bloodworks Northwest are seeking adult volunteers who have recovered from a documented COVID-19 infection to be considered for donation of plasma.
Plasma is the liquid component of blood that contains proteins that help defend bodies against infections, and donated plasma can be used to make medicine containing antibodies to treat people who are fighting a severe infection or who cannot make antibodies on their own.
It is currently unknown whether the antibodies in plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 can help people who have an active COVID-19 infection.
“We are excited about moving forward in this time of a serious pandemic to develop a potential new therapy for this infection,” said Dr. Terry Gernsheimer, a professor of medicine (hematology) at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
Gernsheimer and Dr. Anna Wald, UW professor of medicine, epidemiology and laboratory medicine, are co-lead investigators, working with Dr. Rebecca Haley, medical director of Bloodworks Northwest’s apheresis center.
If you are in general good health and have recovered from a COVID-19 infection, you might be able to help. More information on the process can be found here. If you might be interested in participating, please email your name and contact information to covidplasma@uw.edu or call 206-520-4212 and leave a message.
Inslee urges firms to help homeowners unable to make mortgage payments
Updated at 8:30 a.m.
The state is taking steps to help distressed Washington homeowners who are unable to make their mortgage payments because of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The state Department of Financial Institutions is urging companies that service mortgages to work with homeowners adversely impacted by COVID-19, including payment forbearance for those who need it, Gov. Jay Inslee announced. The guidance is posted on DFI’s website here.
Homeowners in distress may call DFI’s toll-free number, 877-RING-DFI (746-4334), or visit www.homeownership.wa.gov to get assistance on how best to contact their mortgage servicer and to learn more about their options.
“In addition to recent federal relief available to struggling homeowners, our financial institutions have responded positively to DFI’s recent guidance requesting that they offer immediate relief,” Charlie Clark, the department’s director, said in a written statement. “It is now extremely important that homeowners having difficulty paying their mortgage as a result of COVID-19 know about the options available to them.”
Inslee added: “The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the finances of Washingtonians hard. We know this is across the board and we are exploring ways to help alleviate some of the pressure. At my request, the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions has a team dedicated to assisting homeowners who are unable to make their mortgage payments due to COVID-19.”
Fred Meyer announces hero bonus for all hourly frontline associates
Updated at 8:30 a.m.
Kroger companies Fred Meyer and QFC announced Wednesday that they will provide all hourly frontline grocery, supply chain, manufacturing, pharmacy and call center associates with a Hero Bonus — a $2 premium above their standard base rate of pay, applied to hours worked March 29 through April 18. The premium will be disbursed weekly to ensure associates have access to additional cash.
Today’s announcement follows and is in addition to the stores’ previous commitment shared on March 21, which provided a one-time bonus to frontline associates, which pays out on April 3.
In addition to the Hero Bonus and appreciation bonus, the stores are taking several additional actions to support associates during this extraordinary time, including:
▪ Ensuring associates who are affected by COVID-19 – whether experiencing symptoms and self-isolating, diagnosed or placed in quarantine – can recover with the support of emergency paid leave.
▪ Beginning next week, the stores are adding ExpressPay – a new benefit that allows most hourly associates to access some of their pay faster, putting money in their pockets sooner than usual.
▪ Parent company, Kroger, is making $5 million available for those facing hardship, including lack of access to childcare and for those considered higher-risk, due to COVID-19 through the Kroger Family of Companies Helping Hands fund.
▪ Offering an associate hotline to answer benefit questions quickly.
▪ Providing access to mental health services and other benefits to support associates’ mental and physical well-being during this stressful time.
▪ Supporting associates by onboarding many new hires in the last two weeks, including workers from the hardest-hit sectors like restaurants, hotels and food service distributors.
Emerald Queen Casino to remain closed at least 2 more weeks
Updated at 8:30 a.m.
The Puyallup Tribe’s Emerald Queen Casino will stay closed for at least two more weeks in light of the continuing coronavirus outbreak in the state of Washington.
The continued closure will lead to job losses, furloughs and some pay cuts, according to the tribe in a news release issued Tuesday evening.
The tribe’s casinos in the county closed March 17 for an initial two-week period.
According to the release: “During those two weeks, Tribal Council said employees would not experience a disruption in wages or benefits. The casinos employ about 2,400 people. During the continued shutdown, about 12 percent of employees are being laid off and about 73 percent are going on furlough.
“Employees will keep their medical benefits while on furlough and will be able to file for unemployment. Most employees were notified by March 31. Some remaining employees have taken voluntary pay cuts.”
The tribe is Pierce County’s seventh-largest employer, with more than 3,000 employees in its various ventures.
FEMA grants Pierce County $15 million for coronavirus response
Updated at 8:30 a.m.
The federal government has awarded a $15 million grant to Pierce County to help cover the costs of responding to the coronavirus pandemic.
The money will help pay for new medical protective gear, testing sites and buying or renting space for isolation and quarantine centers.
Pierce County’s estimated costs for responding to the spread of the coronavirus is expected to be about $15 million through June 2020, according to the grant description submitted to Pierce County.
The grant will reimburse the county for expenses related to responding to the pandemic, spokesperson Libby Catalinich said. FEMA will review the submitted expenses and determine what will be covered.
Jimmy Lake not ruling out eventual spring practice
Updated at 8:30 a.m.
It won’t happen in April as originally planned, but Washington head coach Jimmy Lake isn’t ruling out the possibility of spring practice.
Due to the spread of COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, UW already canceled all athletic-related activities and events through the end of the spring quarter on June 5. The Pac-12 also announced a suspension of organized athletic activities through May 31.
But Lake, in his first season at the helm, is a self-described optimist. He hopes his team will be able to resume activities within the next 45-60 days. And if that’s the case, the Huskies would still have a chance to fit in its 15 spring practices.
“If this thing gets all the way to training camp, obviously, we wouldn’t be able to do anything like that and we’d just have to have training camp with the rest of the FBS and FCS,” Lake said during a teleconference with reporters on Tuesday. “To really answer your question, I’m still very hopeful. I’m very optimistic.”
If the Huskies don’t have time to fit in spring practice before August, Lake said he wouldn’t push for extra fall practices.
“If we started training camp the way we normally start training camp, I think that almost 30 days is gonna be good enough,” Lake said. “I think we can keep the schedule exactly the way it is. We are always constantly trying to keep our team healthy throughout that 30 days of training camp. Every practice is crucial, but I think 30 days will be enough.
This story was originally published April 1, 2020 at 8:44 AM.
