Important Overview About Covid 19

Dear friends, This week, Governor Janet Mills issued an Executive Order mandating that all non-essential businesses and operations in Maine close their physical locations if they are public-facing or have 10+ employees working in a close proximity to each other. Non-Essential Businesses included in the Governor’s Executive Order, but not limited to: Shopping Malls, Theaters, Casinos, Fitness & Exercise Gyms, Spas, Barber Shops, Hair Salons, Tattoo and Piercing Parlors, Massage Facilities, Nail Technicians, Cosmetologists and Estheticians, Electrolysis Services, Laser Hair Removal Services. Essential Businesses: Food Processing & Agriculture, Fishing & Aquaculture, Industrial Manufacturing, Construction, Trash Collection & Transfer Stations, Grocery & Household Goods (including Convenience Stores), Forest Products, Essential Home Repair, Hardware & Auto Repair, Pharmacy and other Medical & Psychiatric Long-Term Care Facilities, Group Homes & Residential Treatment Facilities, Health Care, Dental Care, Long-Term Care Facilities, Child Care Providers, Post Offices & Shipping Outlets, Banks & Credit Unions, Gas Stations, Laundromats, Veterinary Clinics, Animal Welfare and Animal Feed Supply Stores, Truck Delivery and Distribution of Goods, Public Transportation, Legal Permitting, Insurance Services, Hotel & Commercial Lodging, All Utilities. If the function of your business or non-profit is not listed, but you believe that it is essential, you may request designation as an essential business at: https://www.maine.gov/essentialservice. This order extends through April 8th. Federal COVID-19 Stimulus Bill As I am preparing to send this communication out to you, the Federal Government in Washington, DC has tentatively approved a $2 trillion stimulus package in response to the COVID-19 pandemic A few highlights of what’s included in the package: • Creates a $150 billion Coronavirus Relief Fund for state, local and tribal governments. • Provides $30 billion for an Education Stabilization Fund for states, school districts and institutions of higher education for costs related to the coronavirus. • Provides $45 billion for the Disaster Relief Fund for the immediate needs of state, local, tribal and territorial governments to protect citizens and help them respond and recover from the overwhelming effects of COVID-19. • Provides $1.4 billion for deployments of the National Guard. This level of funding will sustain up to 20,000 members of the National Guard, under the direction of the governors of each state, for the next six months in order to support state and local response efforts. • Provides an additional $4.3 billion, thorough the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to support federal, state and local public health agencies to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus. • Extends the Oct. 30, 2020, Real ID implementation deadline to Sept. 30, 2021. • Provides $25 billion for transit systems. These funds would be distributed through existing formulas including the Urbanized Area Formula Grants and Formula Grants for Rural Areas using fiscal year 2020 apportionment formulas. • Provides $400 million in election security grants to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus in the 2020 federal election cycle. States must provide an accounting to the Election Assistance Commission of how the funds were spent within 20 days of any 2020 election. • Expands unemployment insurance from three to four months, and provides temporary unemployment compensation of $600 per week, which is in addition to and the same time as regular state and federal UI benefits. • Establishes a $500 billion lending fund for businesses, cities and states. • Provides a $1,200 direct payment to many Americans and $500 for each dependent child. As the bill is currently agreed upon, the direct payments will be made to lower and middle-income Americans. Individuals get $1,200, and married couples get $2,400 - $500 per child younger than age 17. These payments will phase out for individuals with adjusted gross incomes over $75,000 ($150,000) according to their 2018 Federal Tax Filings. Anyone making over $99,000 would not get a payment. Money is expected to go out by April 6th. If you have any questions regarding Federal or State actions on COVID-19, please get in touch with me at Walter.Riseman@legislature.maine.gov. More information is coming out daily and I will communicate frequently. Sincerely, Walter