11/18/24 - 107 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA: http://tinyurl.com/3zb7jppr
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March 29 Update On COVID-19 In Pennsylvania
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Steps being taken to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania are constantly changing and evolving. For the latest information visit-- -- The Department of Health’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) webpage, Follow them on Twitter, or Like them on Facebook. -- Click Here For This Week’s PA Coronavirus Announcements & NewsClips Helpful Links: Responding To COVID-19 In Pennsylvania - General Resource Page All Topics State Agency Coronavirus Guidance Attorney General - Coronavirus Price Gouging Updates As of 12:45 p.m. March 29: On March 28, Gov. Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine expanded their stay at home order to a total of 22 counties: Allegheny, Beaver, Berks, Bucks, Butler, Centre, Chester, Delaware, Erie, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, Pike, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland and York counties. -- Governor Wolf’s Amended Order -- Secretary of Health’s Amended Order Read more about the expanded order here. 38 Deaths The Department of Health reported 38 deaths caused by COVID-19 in Pennsylvania. As of 12:00 a.m. March 29, there were a total of 3,394 cases of coronavirus in 58 counties. County-specific information and a statewide map are available. State Layoffs On March 29, Gov. Wolf took action to layoff about 2,500 part-time and seasonal state employees and interns in all agencies in response to worsening state revenues. PennDOT and the Department of Revenue were immediately affected and other agencies, like DCNR, could be as well. More details when available. Read more here. Federal Disaster Request On March 29, Gov. Tom Wolf requested a major disaster declaration from the President through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide additional support for state, county and municipal governments and certain nonprofits, as well as individuals who are struggling during the COVID-19 outbreak. Read more here. Business Assistance There are several programs now available through the state and federal government to provide help to businesses and nonprofits impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. The most significant so far are-- -- Businesses - COVID-19 Working Capital Access Program. This $50 million is in addition to the $60 million in new funding provided last week to help small businesses impacted by the coronavirus through a new program under the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority’s COVID-19 Working Capital Access Program (CWCA) which began accepting applications this week from businesses with 100 or fewer full-time employees. -- Businesses/Nonprofits - SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans are also available for up to $2 million in assistance and can provide economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing. The state Department Of Community & Economic Development regularly updates a special Business Resources webpage with information on business assistance programs. PennDOT - License/Registration On March 27, the Department of Transportation announced expiration dates for driver licenses, identification cards, learner’s permits, persons with disability placards, vehicle registrations and safety and emission inspections will be extended for Pennsylvania residents in response to statewide COVID-19 mitigation efforts. Deadlines on the following products will be extended effective March 27, 2020: -- Driver licenses, photo ID cards and learner's permits scheduled to expire from March 16, 2020 through April 30, 2020, the expiration date is now extended through May 31, 2020. -- Vehicle registrations, safety inspections and emissions inspections scheduled to expire from March 16 through April 30, 2020, the expiration date is now extended through May 31, 2020. -- Persons with Disabilities parking placards scheduled to expire from March 16 through April 30, 2020, the expiration date is now extended through May 31, 2020. These extensions are in addition to those announced on March 16-- -- Driver licenses, photo ID cards and learner's permits scheduled to expire from March 16, 2020 through March 31, 2020, the expiration date is now extended until April 30, 2020. -- Vehicle registrations, safety inspections and emissions inspections scheduled to expire from March 16 through March 31, 2020, the expiration date is now extended until April 30, 2020. -- Persons with Disabilities Parking Placards scheduled to expire from March 16 through March 31, 2020, the expiration date is now extended until April 30, 2020. As a reminder, customers may complete various transactions and access multiple resources via the Driver and Vehicle Services website. Federal Actions On March 18, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act was signed into law which includes new obligations on employers with fewer than 500 employees to pay sick leave for employees and other changes. It becomes effective April 1. The Department of Labor has recently issued its first set of summaries and guidance on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act which the agency has been tasked with implementing-- On March 27, the Phase 3 Coronavirus Stimulus Package, was signed into law, which includes these provisions, among others-- -- $350 billion to aid small businesses with less than 500 employees through a new special type of SBA 7(a) loan called the “Paycheck Protection Program” to help them make payroll and other expenses. -- $17 billion to wipe out all principal, interest, and fees on all existing SBA loan products, including 7(a) loans, for six months to provide relief to small businesses negatively affected by COVID-19. Click Here for more detailed information and additional 7(a) details will be released by SBA in the near future. -- Employee retention credit for employers subject to closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. Specifically, a refundable payroll tax credit for 50 percent of wages paid by employers to employees during the coronavirus crisis will be available to employers whose (1) operations were fully or partially suspended, due to a COVID-19-related shutdown order, or (2) gross receipts declined by more than 50 percent when compared to the same quarter in the prior year. -- An additional $900 million for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). -- An additional $15.51 billion for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in anticipated increases in participation as a result of coronavirus. Additional provisions: -- A technical correction to the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” that now allows businesses to immediately write off costs associated with improving facilities instead of having to depreciate those improvements over the 39-year life of the building. -- Direct payments of up to $1,200 to taxpayers depending on income ($2,400 for couples filing joint tax return, $500 additional for every child) that phase out after taxpayer reaches $75,000 in adjusted gross income ($150,000 for couples). No checks for anyone earning more than $99,000, $146,500 for head of household filers with one child, and $198,000 for joint filers with no children. The amount will be based on each taxpayer’s 2019 tax return if filed, or in the alternative their 2018 return. -- Waives the 10-percent penalty for the early withdrawal of retirement funds up to $100,000 specifically for coronavirus-related purposes. -- Deductions of up to $300 on charitable contributions made this year. -- A delay in employer payroll tax payments. -- Changes to allow companies to utilize net operating losses to increase funding. -- A change to the loss limitation applied to pass-through businesses and sole proprietors to increase funding. -- A change that allows companies to recover AMT credits -- A change increasing the amount of business expenses companies can deduct on tax returns. $500 billion fund for loans to corporations that will be overseen by an inspector general and a congressional panel. -- Hospitals will receive over $130 billion. -- State and local governments to receive $150 billion. -- BBan on stock buybacks for companies receiving government loans during the term of their assistance plus one year. Click Here for a full detailed list of tax provisions. For the latest information on the coronavirus and precautions to take in Pennsylvania, visit the Department of Health’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) webpage, Follow them on Twitter, or Like them on Facebook. NewsClips/Announcements: Click Here For This Week’s PA Coronavirus NewsClips Click Here For The Week’s Environment & Energy NewsClips - Support Local Journalism Click Here For The Week’s Political NewsClips Helpful Links: Responding To COVID-19 In Pennsylvania - General Resource Page All Topics State Agency Coronavirus Guidance Attorney General - Coronavirus Price Gouging Updates Related Articles: PA Capitol Report: Historic Week Responding To A Historic Crisis Senate, House Have A $172 Million Surplus In Their Accounts, Just Sayin’ Hundreds Of COVID-19 Tests Administered Daily In Montgomery County With Help Of PA National Guard Don’t Be Careless With Fire: 85% Of PA’s Wildfires Occur In March, April, May A Pandemic Isn’t A License To Litter View PA Assn. For Sustainable Farming Webinar For Farmers On Coronavirus On Demand U.S. Dept. Of Agriculture Centers Taking Precautionary Measures To Help Prevent Spread Of COVID-19 DEP Extends Deadline To Apply For New Section 902 Recycling Implementation Grants To May 22 Centre County Suspends Curbside Recycling Collections In Response To COVID-19 PUC Urges Homeowners To Delay Digging Projects During COVID-19 Emergency PUC Warns Public About Telemarketing Scams During COVID-19 Pandemic; Do Not Call List EPA Announces Enforcement Discretion Policy Related To COVID-19 Pandemic [Posted: March 29, 2020] |
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3/30/2020 |
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