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U.S. Representative for California's 44th District - Covid 19 Update

Coronavirus Update and Census Information

March 25, 2020

Dear Neighbors, It is important for you to have accurate information and timely updates on the Coronavirus public emergency. To help make sure you have that information, I’ve posted a new page of Coronavirus resources that my staff and I will keep updated with the latest news on the crisis. I hope it will be useful to you as you keep yourself and your loved ones healthy.

To see my new page on Coronavirus resources and updates, click here.

Weekly Telephone Town Hall

Tomorrow, Thursday, March 26th at 7 p.m. I will host my second telephone townhall meeting to discuss two very important topics: Coronavirus and the Census.  A live Spanish translation of the telephone town hall will be available. Habrá traducción en español disponible del ayuntamiento telefónico.

Please join us to hear from local public health officials on the status of the Coronavirus in Los Angeles County and to ask any questions you may have.

We will also be joined by an official from the U.S. Census Bureau who will tell us the status of this year’s count and explain why it is so important for you to be counted.

To join this week’s telephone town hall, please click here.

Click here to hear a recording of last week’s telephone town hall, with Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, the chief medical officer and director of the Disease Control Bureau for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, and Dr. Elaine Batchlor, CEO of MLK Community Hospital. Thank you to everyone who called in.

Federal Response

Last week, Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which is focused directly on providing support for American families by providing: 

• Free Coronavirus testing for everyone who needs a test, including the uninsured.

• Paid emergency leave with both 10 days of paid sick leave to workers who might not have that benefit and up to three months of paid family leave for parents with children whose schools are closed due to Coronavirus.
• Enhanced unemployment benefits that allow people to collect unemployment insurance for a longer period of time.
• Access to nutritious meals for low-income students who might miss meals because schools are closed.
• Increased federal funds for Medicaid as states face increased costs.

Congress is currently negotiating a third bill right now, and it will continue to focus on the economic hardships this health emergency is causing for workers and families.

Many Americans need – or will need – financial help, and this legislation aims to put money directly into their hands to protect them from personal disasters like foreclosure or eviction.

California and L.A. County Response

Governor Gavin Newsom issued a Stay at Home Order last week. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and other mayors in L.A. County quickly followed and are urging people to stay at home unless they must go to work at an essential business, shop for food, visit a doctor’s office or attend to other essential business.

Gatherings of 10 people or more are prohibited both in public and private spaces. Every effort to maintain social distancing and wash hands should be observed to limit the spread of COVID-19.

For more information on Governor Newsom’s Stay at Home order, to see the list of essential services and a list of frequently asked questions about the order, please click here.

COVID-19 Testing

Testing is still hard to come by at most hospitals, clinics and doctors’ offices. The City of Los Angeles is only offering testing to City residents that meet the following requirements:

• Those with symptoms who are 65 and older.
• Those with symptoms who have underlying chronic health conditions.
• Those who are subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine period due to a confirmed COVID-19 exposure (with more than seven days of quarantine remaining).

To see if you qualify for a test in Los Angeles, please click here.

Census

Please don’t forget about the Census! It only happens once every 10 years and determines how billions of dollars is given to communities throughout the country for local schools, health clinics, public transportation, roads, hospitals, food stamps, school lunches, and much more. Make sure you and everyone in your household is counted so your neighborhood gets the funding it deserves.

The Census is now open and you may have already received the form in the mail. You can also fill out your Census form online at https://my2020census.gov or by phone. You can call (844) 330-2020 for English or (844) 468-2020 for Spanish.

In community, 

Nanette Diaz Barragán

U.S. Representative for California's 44th District