[Summit] Fw: IMPORTANT: UPDATE ON COVID-19 [Please Read] -- from 1st Ward City Councillor John Gonçalves [Covid News no. 23]

Mon Mar 16 19:51:18 UTC 2020

 As I said in my forwarding of Helen Anthony’s 2nd Ward letter, it’s worth reading both that and this.
Dave
   ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: John Goncalves, Providence Ward 1 <info at johnforward1.com>To:Sent: Monday, March 16, 2020, 11:26:43 AM EDTSubject: IMPORTANT: UPDATE ON COVID-19 [Please Read]

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|  Dear David, 

Thank you in advance for being a part of a caring, dedicated community that is committed to slowing the spread of the coronavirus. Thank you for staying home and thank you for taking the necessary precautions to keep the people of our community safe. Thank you for heeding the advice and guidelines from Governor Gina Raimondo, Mayor Jorge Elorza, the RI Department of Health, reliable news sources, your family, neighbors, and friends who understand the severity of COVID-19.
 This is an unprecedented challenge that affects all of us and no one can address it alone. Please take all of this information seriously and share it with your neighbors. We're in this together.  

   - Effective tomorrow, 3/17 thru Monday, 3/30: all dine-in food/beverage services at all restaurants, bars, coffee shops, cafes, etc. are being ordered to shut down. Delivery services and take-out services are allowed to continue.  Please pay online or by card. Guidance about food delivery options and take out protocols will be provided later today by the Rhode Island Department of Health. Please do not go to work if you are sick.
   - Gatherings of more than 25 people or more are restricted. 
   - Please stay at home and avoid other people. The Governor is directing everyone to avoid non-essential crowds: playdates, going to the mall, eating out, getting a massage, etc. is not-essential. Only go out for essential needs. Please ensure that your children/teenagers heed this advice and take this message seriously. 
   - The Governor announced the Economic Injury Disaster Declaration which will make loans available to small businesses and private, non-profit organizations in the area. The loans can be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact.
   - Effective immediately: enforcement of all-dine food/beverage services by Public Saftey officials.
   - Providence Place Mall will be closed until further notice. 
   - More updates with specific items coming later today - post 4 PM. 

As of the drafting of this email, Rhode Island is up to 21 positive Coronavirus cases with the Governor citing that each day there will be more cases. Please note that this number is likely to change.

So you are aware, members of the City Council have been in constant communication and have had daily briefings that include the Administration, the Providence Emergency Management Agency, the Providence School Department, and Public Safety officials to ensure the safety of all Providence residents during this difficult time.

Other Updates and Information: 

Please Help A Neighbor
Do you live in Ward 1 and are you able to help a fellow neighbor in need (e.g. volunteer, pick up and deliver prescriptions/groceries, talk to someone over the phone? etc.) 

Also, are you a senior citizen who needs help? (e.g. transportation, assistance, delivery of prescriptions, someone to talk to, etc.) 

Please fill out the form below! Thank you Ward 1 resident, Dr. Julia Carlson for helping to put this together! 
https://forms.gle/WRuPbsfG69dXvSnT6 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Neighborhood leaders/residents, please feel free to share this e-mail/form with your fellow neighbors. However, please hold off on initiating any services. We are working with city officials to develop safety protocols to ensure social distancing and best practices/guidelines to keep those who are willing to help safe. We will be sharing these guidelines with people who sign-up to this form. 
Meals For Students/Food Distribution 

On Friday, Governor Raimondo announced that school vacation week in Rhode Island is being moved from April to March 16th-20th. The Governor also directed childcare centers, daycare centers YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, and private and religious schools to close this week.

That being said, many Providence families rely on free school lunch to keep food in their kids’ bellies. Grab and Go Lunch sites for children start tomorrow.
Update: ANY School-Aged Child Under 18 is Eligible.  No identification required. 

Read more: https://www.providenceschools.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&ModuleInstanceID=9&ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=37026&PageID=1

Please Note: We are advocating for a distribution center here in Ward 1, particularly for the children of Vartan Gregorian Elementary School and have reached out to the school's very responsive principal Matthew Russo. Currently, our closest food distribution center is Hope High School. Please be mindful that the city is doing its best to make food distribution accessible with the resources it has available. In the event that we cannot make a food distribution center in Ward 1 possible, please e-mail me if you need a ride.  

Employment Help

If you are a Rhode Islander who has been impacted by Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and you are unable to work, or your workplace has been temporarily closed, please review the following information about assistance available through State programs.

Rhode Islanders with questions on unemployment insurance (UI), temporary disability insurance (TDI), and other benefits, please review the COVID-19 Workplace Fact Sheet below. Requests for assistance can also be made by emailing dlt.covid19 at dlt.ri.gov or calling (401) 462-2020.

Read more: 
http://www.dlt.state.ri.us/…/COVID-19%20Workplace%20Fact%20…

Other Financial Assistance 
National Grid will not shut off gas and electric services during the coronavirus pandemic. As the company states: 

"We recognize that certain customers may experience financial difficulty as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, whether they or a family member fall ill, are required to quarantine, or because their income is otherwise affected...As a result, National Grid is temporarily suspending collections-related activities, including service disconnections, to lessen any financial hardship the COVID-19 pandemic may have on our customers. These policies are effective immediately and will be in place through the end of April. We will evaluate their continued need at that time. Please note that regular billing will continue for all customers."

Health Assistance

Governor Raimondo and Rhode Island Health Commissioner Marie Ganim announced new guidance for health insurers, which includes instructions to:

   - Update telemedicine policies to include telephone-only services for primary care and behavioral health providers.
   - Ensure testing and screening for COVID-19 can be done without prior authorization and without any cost to the patient.
   - Cover prescription refills even if the prescription has yet to run out, provided that the prescription itself would remain valid beyond the refill date. This will allow people to shelter in place while ensuring that they have adequate supplies on hand for continuity of care and medication compliance.
   - Work to remove barriers to access to services related to COVID-19 that may delay necessary care, including requirements for specialist referrals and prior authorizations.
   - In the event a federally-approved vaccine becomes available for COVID-19, it will cover the cost of the immunization for all enrollees.

HealthSource RI is opening a special enrollment period to allow Rhode Islanders to purchase coverage. The special enrollment period will be open from this coming Monday through April 15.

Read more: 
https://healthsourceri.com/coverage-through-healthsource-ri/

Small Business Assistance:

Commerce RI is ready to assist with business-related issues. If companies have questions regarding access to capital and other lending options, please call their Small Business Hotline at (401) 521-HELP or e-mail info at commerceri.com. Additionally, Commerce is working with the Small Business Administration on unlocking emergency tools at the federal level. If a business has been affected by this event, it is requested that you fill out this estimated disaster injury worksheet. Accurate responses to the questions below will assist in evaluating a request for an economic injury disaster declaration from the U.S. Small Business Administration. 

More Information
Useful links:Governor Raimondo/Department of Health Press Releases:
https://www.ri.gov/press/?agency_id=8

Mayor Elorza's Update On COVID-19: 
http://www.icontact-archive.com/archive?c=184633&f=9009&s=12781&m=515009&t=e15471990d613c05268bcda6e0822a8245b7f3e4b31a17ca9ae14500f8da294c

City Council Update On COVID-19:
https://council.providenceri.gov/2020/03/14/city-council-update-on-covid-19/?fbclid=IwAR3--I8nCkHq8__oe88GNDInPcsDD3XbylHLYIBNI6bdf0Z4g9TCbUqFyrg

FAQs about COVID-19 
https://www.providenceri.gov/pema/faqs-covid-19/  
My website has also been updated to include COVID-19 Updates and Information. More updates to come as we continue to talk to our hardworking state, city officials, and community partners who are working around the clock to address food distribution, housing, our homeless population, relief programs, public safety, etc.

Please e-mail me if you have any questions or concerns. Please stay safe and thank you for taking the necessary precautions to look out for each other. 

We're in this together. 

Sincerely, 

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 Friends of John Goncalves · PO Box [PENDING] · Providence, RI 02906 · USA 

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