Dear Friends and Neighbors,
While it’s only been about a week since I last wrote,
there continues to be some new developments surrounding
COVID-19 in Wisconsin that I wanted to bring to your
attention. This includes some of prevention steps to
avoid COVID-19, information on an assistance program for
farmers, details on new funding for child care
providers, a link to purchase a State Park pass online,
and much, much more.
Advocating for Brown County
In last week’s e-newsletter, I outlined some of the
efforts I’ve been taking to get financial assistance to
Brown County given the unique and substantial expenses
they’ve incurred due to the extent of the COVID-19
outbreak in their area. After sending a follow-up letter
to the Governor detailing this request on May 8th, I
recently heard back from him with no commitment to
providing any assistance from the nearly $2 billion in
federal funding at his disposal.
To reiterate this call for action, on Monday,
Congressman Gallagher and I released a joint statement
asking for the Governor’s partnership to secure funding
for Brown County sooner rather than later. The federal
funding, part of the CARES Act, was distributed to the
state nearly a month ago, and yet we still have very few
details on how this money will be spent to help local
governments with their extra expenses due to COVID-19.
Other local governments with sizable outbreaks have
received direct aid to assist in their ability to stand
up a more robust response and decrease the impacts to
other critical governmental functions. It’s my hope that
the Governor can quickly work with us to provide
certainty that Brown County is provided with the
financial flexibility they need to combat COVID-19. Read
the full statement from Congressman Gallagher and I and
view both letters that I’ve sent to the Governor on
my website.
Safely Getting Back to Business
As many businesses continue their operations and others
restart for their first full week back after closure,
please keep in mind the steps that can be taken to
reduce the risk of COVID-19 in the workplace. Many of
these steps are simple, and can easily be worked into a
daily routine. This won’t just help to protect against
COVID-19, but many of these steps are important to also
improve the experience for customers and staff, and help
to regain confidence in our economy.
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC)
has the most comprehensive list of recommendations for
reopening, and they include both general guidelines and
fifteen industry-specific guidelines ranging from
agriculture to restaurants to manufacturing and more.
Check out WEDC’s Reopening Guidelines on
their
website. The Wisconsin Safety Council also has a
series of recommendations for returning to work in eight
steps. Their recommendations can be viewed
here.
Both sets of guidelines recommend the use of personal
protective equipment, or PPE, in the workplace. If
you’re a business leader who’s looking to get a constant
supply of PPE for your employees, it just became a
little easier. WEDC has launched a new category in their
Wisconsin Supplier Network to connect PPE manufacturers
in Wisconsin with the companies that are looking to
purchase PPE. This means that you can buy local so that
the expense for this PPE will stay in our local
economies. Learn more about this new feature on the
Wisconsin Supplier Network on
WEDC’s website.
Individuals are also encouraged to take steps to help
prevent contracting COVID-19. These include:
-
Washing
your hands often with soap and water for at least 20
seconds, and use hand sanitizer between hand
washings
-
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
-
Coughing into your arm and cover sneezes with a
tissue, then throw the tissue away and wash your
hands
-
Consider
CDC’s recommendations on wearing a mask in
public, but preserve N95 masks for health care
professions
-
Avoiding close contact with others, even if they’re
not currently ill (known as ‘social distancing’)
-
Staying home, especially if you’re sick or if you
may have a compromised immune system
-
Cleaning and disinfecting frequently handled objects
and touched surfaces (such as cell phones)
The Department of Health Services (DHS) also has a
webpage to answer frequently asked questions about
COVID-19, including how long it can live on surfaces,
whether you should sanitize your groceries, how often
you should wash your clothes, and more. You can find all
of helpful answers to these questions and more on
DHS’s website.
Federal and State Farm Assistance Program
In the April 24th version of the Updates from the State
Senate e-newsletter, I discussed some different
assistance programs for farmers during these difficult
times. Following-up on one of the resources I mentioned,
the federal Department of Agriculture (USDA) has now
released some additional details on their Coronavirus
Food Assistance Program (CFAP) to provide direct payment
assistance to farmers impacted by COVID-19.
While the applications for this program don’t open until
the 26th, the USDA has created a webpage with
information that would be useful to interested farmers,
including eligibility criteria and details on how to
begin the application progress even before the
applications are open. Additionally, on this page, you
can watch a webinar that was held last week on CFAP to
gain further information. Learn more on the
USDA’s website.
Another USDA program, the Farmers to Families Food Box
program, is already beginning to help Wisconsin farmers
with $317 million having been spent to purchase milk and
other dairy products to package and help feed Americans
struggling from school closures and job losses. This is
part of an overall $1.2 billion effort to buy
agricultural products from U.S. farmers. It’s good to
see that the Farmers to Families Food Box program is
helping local farmers find a market while also providing
local residents quality nutrition during this difficult
time. Learn more about this program from a recent
Dairy Business Association press release.
In Wisconsin, yesterday the Governor announced that he’s
creating a $50 million Wisconsin Farm Support Program,
matching a request sent last month by several
agricultural groups and dozens of my colleagues and I.
This program, made possible through federal funding,
will help farmers struggling with low commodity prices
amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. While we are awaiting more
details on the program, including eligibility and the
application process, I believe this will be a good step
to help rural Northeast Wisconsin recover.
I’ll share more details on this program when they become
available, but in the meantime, you can learn more about
the announcement on the
Wisconsin State Farmer website.
Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness
The federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) has been a
widely utilized tool to help many Northeast Wisconsin
small businesses get through these difficult times by
offering loans with the potential for forgiveness. To
have a loan forgiven, the recipient must use at least
75% of their funding for payroll expenses and keep good
records of their expenses paid with the funding. Earlier
this week, the Small Business Administration (SBA)
released details and an application for loan
forgiveness. If you’ve received PPP funding, learn more
about loan forgiveness and apply on
SBA’s website.
Nursing Home Updates
As many of us have a friend or family member in a
long-term care facility, such as a nursing home, we’ve
been concerned about the greater impact that COVID-19
has on these vulnerable populations. The staff at
long-term care facilities throughout the state
understand these concerns, and they’re not only taking
steps to find, isolate, and treat cases of COVID-19
sooner, but they’re also using proactive measures to
prevent new cases and keep residents safe.
To help keep the chance of spread in nursing homes as
low as feasible, the state Department of Health Services
(DHS) continues to update
their guidance for these facilities. Consistent with
federal guidance, DHS is continuing to recommend that
long-term care facilities should restrict all visitors
and nonessential health care personnel, except for
certain compassionate care circumstances such as an
end-of-life situations. The guidance also talks about
measures within a facility, such as limiting certain
resident interactions and health screenings of all
staff.
While these steps are important, finding cases of
COVID-19 that may exist in long-term care facilities is
perhaps the most crucial action that can be taken. Plans
were recently announced to provide free testing and
diagnostics to all of Wisconsin’s 373 nursing homes to
test all residents that consent to testing and all
staff, with the goal of having this testing completed by
the end of May. This is an important action, and I
applaud this announcement and hope to see this testing
completed within this timeframe.
Symptoms and Local Testing Sites
The symptoms of COVID-19 aren’t exactly the same as the
normal seasonal flu, and with the federal Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently revising
their list of symptoms, I wanted to take a moment to
list the symptoms of this illness. They include:
Not every person with COVID-19 will experience the same
symptoms, and some people may not experience any. These
symptoms may appear between two and fourteen days after
exposure to the virus. To learn more about these
symptoms, to check your symptoms online, and to learn
when it’s the right time to seek medical care, please
visit the
CDC’s website. Additionally, you can visit the state
Department of Health Services’ (DHS) website called
Wisconsin Health
Connect to enter your symptoms and hear from an RN
with advice on your next steps.
If you’re concerned about symptoms you’re having, or are
concerned about potential exposure to the virus, please
remember that local testing options are available. Along
with calling your health care provider and asking how to
receive a test, drive-thru testing options remain open
in both Brown and Outagamie Counties, and a new site
will be opened in Waupaca County next week. To learn
more about these options and find the latest information
on other drive-thru testing sites, please visit
DHS’s website.
Additionally, if you’re in the greater Green Bay area,
Prevea Health just announced today that they’ll be
offering free testing to any Northeast Wisconsin
residents with symptoms at a drive-thru site in
Ashwaubenon. You do not need to be a Prevea patient to
use this service, and results will be available in two
to seven days. To learn more and register for a test
with Prevea, check-out this
WFRV article.
State Park Stickers for Sale Online
Summer’s just around the corner, and Wisconsinites are
itching to get outdoors and enjoy the sunshine, spring
flowers, and fresh air (while practicing social
distancing, of course). For the first time ever, due to
decreased services at properties as a result of
COVID-19, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
(DNR) is now making annual State Park admission stickers
available for purchase online!
With it now being easier than ever to get ready to
explore some of Wisconsin’s most pristine lands, all
you’ll have left to do is lace up your shoes and get
outdoors. Learn more and purchase a sticker for your
vehicle on the
DNR’s website.
Grant Program for Child Care Providers
Child care services have faced many obstacles during the
COVID-19 pandemic. According to the state Department of
Children and Families (DCF), over 1,700 of the state’s
4,500 child care providers made the decision to close
during this outbreak. Some providers faced obstacles
from being closed as rent or mortgage and utility
payments still came due. In addition, those child care
providers that remained open to ensure persons headed
into work still have this critical service available
also faced problems including new expenses for extra
cleaning and protective measures, along with lost
revenue from the reduced number children under their
care.
Thanks to a federal grant program, the state received
about $51 million to help all child care providers with
some of their extra expenses and lost revenue due to the
COVID-19 outbreak. The program, approved last week by
the Legislature’s budget committee, won’t only help out
the child care center owners, but it will give a little
extra money to workers in the child care field that kept
coming to work during the pandemic.
The new ‘Child Care Counts: COVID-19 Emergency Payment
Program’ opened for the first of three rounds of
applications Monday and runs through May 29th. Learn
more about the program and, if you work in the child
care industry, apply for grant funding on
DCF’s website.
Virtually Visit Wisconsin’s Best Travel
Destinations
Soon, we’ll be able to return to some of our favorite
Wisconsin vacation destinations, even if there’s a few
changes. Maybe you’re already making plans to get back
to the Northwoods for a few days on the lake, looking
for a room closest to the water park entrance in the
Dells, or are finding the best parks for a hike during a
daytrip to Door County. Whatever your plans are, there’s
plenty to explore in Wisconsin.
Have you wanted to visit Taliesin but haven’t made it
there yet? Have you ever wondered what skiing the
Birkebeiner looks like? Would you rather explore some
historic planes in the EAA Museum? If you answered yes
to any of these, you’re in luck. Travel Wisconsin has a
page with dozens of free virtual experiences for people
of all ages. This is not only a good way to pass a few
hours indoors, but you may just find a new experience to
add to your summer plans. Check out the full listing of
virtual visits on
Travel Wisconsin’s website.
Tips on Being a Smart and Alert Consumer
The state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer
Protection (DATCP) and state Office of Commissioner of
Insurance (OCI) are reminding residents to be on the
lookout for scammers looking to capitalize on the
COVID-19 pandemic with a few simple tips:
-
Before you make an online purchase, research the
company to determine its legitimacy;
-
Be aware that if offers or shopping deals online
sound too good to be true, they probably are;
-
Verify a charitable organization’s authenticity
before you donate by visiting the
Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) website;
-
Be skeptical of texts, emails, and calls from
persons that claims they are with the government or
government agencies, especially if they ask for
personal information;
-
Do not respond to communications about COVID-19
vaccinations, as there are no approved vaccines at
this time, and;
-
Get information about government actions regarding
COVID-19 from reputable sources.
With these simple, yet important reminders, you can
better protect your identity and your finances. These
are just some of the steps you can take to protect
yourself from scammers. Learn more on the
FTC’s website. If you’re aware of any suspected
scams, price gouging, or other consumer complains,
report them to DATCP on
their website.
OCI is also asking Wisconsinites to avoid
insurance-related scams stemming from COVID-19. This
fraud can come in many forms, but all of these scams can
put your personal identity and finances at risk. Some of
the common fraudulent activities that have been seen
include fake ‘Corona’ insurance, bogus calls about
cancelled health insurance plans, scams offering free
tests online or over the phone that require your Social
Security or Medicare number, and fake travel insurance.
Learn more about how to protect yourself from these
insurance scams and learn how to report one of these
suspected scams on
OCI’s website.
Until Next Time
My staff and I continue to remain available to assist
with questions you may have involving state government
during this difficult time. While we may not always have
the answer right away, we’ll do our best to assist with
your questions and concerns involving COVID-19 or other
issues related to state government.
To find the most up-to-date information on the
Governor’s actions along with each state agency’s role
in this outbreak, I’d encourage you to visit
this
website. To find the most up-to-date numbers on
confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Wisconsin, visit the
Department of Health Services’ website. You can also
find the information I’ve shared in my last six
e-newsletters on COVID-19 by visiting
my website.
And as always, please feel free to
contact my office with any questions or concerns you
may have, and be sure to connect with me on
Facebook,
Twitter, and
Instagram for regular updates on Coronavirus and
more from around the
2nd Senate District and in the State Capitol.
Thanks for reading!
Senator Robert Cowles Proudly Serving Wisconsin's
2nd Senate District
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