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In following with the new measures issued by Bay Area health officials, all activities at La Peña will be closed today through April 7th. The staff will also be operating remotely, until then. If you need to contact us, please use this form, as we will not be answering phones.

The Bay Area measure is stricter than the statewide measures, and indicates: “Residents cannot leave their homes for anything other than “essential activities” — for health and safety reasons, to pick up food and supplies, or to go outdoors without coming in close contact with another person.”

This applies to the following counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara.

Below are some resources that could be useful for you all, as this is impacting lots of people financially. Additionally, here is a link to funding resources for artists and cultural workers that could be useful.

We will be sending more announcements this week to support you all as much as possible during these difficult times.

State Assistance for Workers Impacted by COVID-19 Gov. Newsom signed an Executive Order on March 12 that, among other things, waives the one-week waiting period to apply for unemployment insurance or disability insurance benefits for people who are unemployed and/or disabled as a result of COVID-19. More information about how to apply for these and other worker benefits is described below. The Executive Order also delays the deadline for state tax filing by 60 days for individuals and businesses unable to file on time based on compliance with public health requirements related to COVID-19. State Capitol Building in Sacramento. Photo: www78 (Creative Commons License). The Governor said during a press conference today that an announcement related to eviction protections for tenants would be released tomorrow. State legislators will likely introduce additional relief measures, and I’ll keep you updated as they get signed into law. Unemployment Insurance Why? If you have lost your job or your hours are reduced due to COVID-19. What? Partial wage replacement benefits to workers who lose their job or have their hours reduced through no fault of their own. Benefit. Range from $40–$450 per week for up to 26 weeks. How to Apply. File an unemployment insurance claim HERE. Disability Insurance Why? If you’re unable to work due to medical quarantine or illness related to COVID-19 (certified by a medical professional). What? Short-term benefit payments to eligible workers who have a full or partial loss of wages due to a non-work-related illness, injury, or pregnancy. Benefit. Approximately 60-70 percent of wages (depending on income); ranges from $50-$1,300 per week for up to 52 weeks. How to Apply. File a disability insurance claim HERE. Paid Family Leave Why? If you’re unable to work because you are caring for an ill or quarantined family member with COVID-19 (certified by a medical professional). What? Up to six weeks of benefit payments to eligible workers who have a full or partial loss of wages because they need time off work to care for a seriously ill family member. Benefit. Approximately 60-70 percent of wages (depending on income); ranges from $50-$1,300 per week for up to six weeks. How to Apply. Seek paid family leave HERE. Workers’ Compensation Why? If you’re unable to do your usual job because you were exposed to and contracted COVID-19 during the regular course of your work, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. What? Benefits include temporary disability (TD) payments, which begin when your doctor says you can’t do your usual work for more than three days or you are hospitalized overnight. You may be entitled for TD up to 104 weeks. TD stops when either you return to work, your doctor releases you for work, or your doctor says your illness has improved as much as it’s going to. Benefit. TD generally pays two-thirds of the gross wages you lose while you are recovering from a work-related illness or injury, up to a maximum weekly amount set by law. In addition, eligible employees are entitled to medical treatment and additional payments if a doctor determines you suffered a permanent disability because of the illness. How to Apply. File a worker’s comp claim HERE. Federal Assistance to Combat COVID-19 So far, there are three forms of assistance that the federal government has made available: (1) an economic relief package passed by the House early on Sat., March 14, (2) $8.3 billion in funding to fight COVID-19, and (3) Small Business Administration loans. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced today that a third COVID-19 response package is in the works. U.S. Capitol Building. Photo: LunchboxLarry (Creative Commons License). Here’s what’s in the House-passed economic relief package that will need to be taken up by the Senate: Paid Sick Leave. The bill requires 14 days of paid sick leave at not less than two-thirds the regular rate of pay (maximum of $4,000) for individuals who: (1) are sick and have to be quarantined or treated for COVID-19, (2) have to take care of a family member who has COVID-19, or (3) have to stay home because they have a child whose school or daycare facility closes due to COVID-19. The proposal applies retroactively to Jan. 19, 2020 and exempts all large employers (+500 employees) and small employers (<50 employees) that apply for a hardship waiver. Paid Family and Medical Leave. Under existing law, workers can receive unpaid family and medical leave for up to 12 weeks without fear of losing their job. The relief plan would provide workers with two-thirds of their typical rate of pay for the 12 weeks. The benefit, which applies to companies with fewer than 500 employees, would be available for a year for people affected by COVID-19 and is paid for by a tax credit for employers equal to 100 percent of the paid sick leave wage benefits they’ve paid out. Additional Funding for Unemployment Insurance. The plan provides $1 billion for emergency grants to states, with half of the funds for immediate staffing, technology and other administrative costs and the other half to states that experience at least a 10 percent increase in unemployment. Increased Federal Funding for Medicaid. The federal-state health program for low-income populations (known as Medi-Cal in California) would receive a 6.2 percent increase in the federal matching percentage, which equates to billions of dollars in new funding. Additional Funding for Food Programs. The plan provides $1.25 billion in additional funding for food security programs and removes existing work requirements for the food stamps program (known as CalFresh in California) for the duration of the pandemic. Free COVID-19 Testing. A broad swath of the nation’s private health insurers have agreed to waive costs for COVID-19 testing. The relief plan provides $64 million for the Indian Health Service to cover COVID-19 testing for members of federally-recognized Native American tribes; $60 million for the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide free testing for veterans; and $1 billion for the National Disaster Medical System to reimburse the costs of free testing and services to people without health insurance. $8.3 Billion for COVID-19 Response. This funding, signed into law on March 6, includes: more than $3 billion for research and development of vaccines, test kits and medical treatments; $2.2 billion to aid public health activities on prevention, preparedness and response; and $1.25 billion to help international efforts aimed at reining in the virus. Small Business Administration (SBA) Loans. In his Oval Office address on March 11, the President announced that he is seeking $50 billion in additional funding from Congress to provide low-interest loans to small businesses impacted by COVID-19. Legislation will be needed to make these additional funds available. There is some funding available now, and the SBA provides more information about the process for applying for COVID-19 Disaster Relief Funding HERE. PG&E and EBMUD Announce Moratoriums on Customer Shutoffs for Non-Payment Both PG&E and EBMUD announced that service will remain in place for all customers, regardless of non-payment, throughout the COVID-19 emergency.