Latest Information on COVID19

West Virginia Strong - The Comeback Plan

This week, Governor Jim Justice announced his plan for reopening the economy. Reopening will not happen suddenly, but with time. We should be able to open in a safe and cautious manner as long as we continue to follow the social distancing guidelines.

Phase one began on Thursday, April 30th. From there, each phase of the reopening process for Weeks 2-6 will begin on Monday of each subsequent week. COVID-19 case numbers will continue to be monitored throughout the entire reopening process.

The STAY-AT-HOME order will be lifted on Sunday at 11:59pm and a SAFER-AT-HOME order will be in place starting Monday at 12:00am.

For more information on Governor Justice's plan, click here.

Fighting to Protect the Safety of Our Corrections Officers and Community

As you may know, the Federal Bureau of Prisons and U.S. Marshals chose several locations across the country including Hazelton United States Penitentiary and the Gilmer Federal Correctional Institution to be quarantine sites for out-of-state inmates. Hazelton could be receiving up to 200-300 inmates from prisons in Washington D.C. where there has been a confirmed outbreak.

The transfer of these prisoners not only puts the health and safety of inmates, correctional officers, support staff, and the children and families of Hazelton staff but all throughout the region. Our office has been working on this from the very beginning. We have held calls with BOP leadership and correctional officers, sent a letter to BOP opposing this move and more. We will continue to work diligently on this matter.

For more information, click here.
To read more on the letter sent to BOP, click here.

Small Business Resources

The U.S. Department of Treasury and U.S. Small Business Administration applications for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) are OPEN again! Small business owners can visit the SBA website for more information on what programs may be best for your business.

Who is eligible for PPP? Small businesses with fewer than 500 employees, non-profits, sole proprietors, self-employed, independent contractors, and gig economy workers. The PPP is a forgivable loan, if an employer maintains its payroll, then the portion of the PPP loan used for covered payroll costs, interest on mortgage obligations, rent, and utilities would be forgiven.

My office is collecting stories from small businesses in West Virginia that have received/benefited from the Paycheck Protection Program. If you are interested in sharing your story, click here!

For more information on PPP, click here.
For more information on EIDL, click here.
To share your story of PPP, click here.

Media Roundup

Tune in at 6 pm on WCHS & WVAH TV as I discuss the latest information on what legislation Congress is working on to help combat COVID-19.

ICYMI: Last week, I joined my colleagues Senator Shelley Moore Capito, Senator Joe Manchin III, Congresswomen Carol Miller and Doctor Clay Marsh from West Virginia University on WDTV 5 News to discuss West Virginia’s response to COVID-19 and next steps.

Be on the lookout next week on Thursday, May 7th my office will be hosting a telephone town hall event at 5:30 pm. I will be posting on social media next week the phone number needed to call in. I am looking forward to answering your questions and to provide an update on what Congress is doing.

Click here to stream WCHS & WVAH TV interview tonight.
Click here to watch the town hall video from last week.

Do you have 5 minutes?

West Virginia is ranked second to last on the self-response rate to the 2020 census. The national average rate of completion is 54.6%, whereas in West Virginia the self-response rate is 42.3%. When you respond to the census, you help your community gets its fair share of money per year in federal funds spent on schools, hospitals, roads, public works and other vital programs. Complete the census online, by mail, or call-in so you can be counted!

For more information on the census, click here.

CDC Recommendations

We encourage everyone to follow the CDC recommendations on how to help protect yourself and others.

Take these steps to protect yourself:

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, which the chorus to Country Roads lasts about that long.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% of alcohol.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Put distance between yourself and other people if COVID-19 is spreading in the community.
Wear a cloth face covering in public settings.

Take these steps to protect others:

Stay home if you are except to receive medical care.
Cover coughs and sneezes with tissues and throw away the tissue.
Clean and disinfect touched surface areas daily.

For more updated information from the CDC click here.

West Virginia Resources COVID-19

Over one thousand COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in West Virginia as of today. The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources established a toll-free hotline for questions from the public and medical providers concerning the pandemic. The department also has a website with the most up-to-date information regarding the confirmed and pending cases.

Click here for more information.

West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources
Toll-Free Hotline 24/7
1- 800 - 887- 4304

CONTACT INFORMATION

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