In It Together
Coronavirus Update

While the days ahead will certainly be tough, we can all do our part to help our families, neighbors and communities by staying home when possible. But I understand this is not an option for everyone, especially our doctors, nurses, first responders, and public safety officers. To all of you on the front lines risking your own well-being for the safety and health of Georgia’s 12th District – thank you.

This week, I’ve been on the phone non-stop with various industries, businesses and hospitals across the district to hear how the coronavirus outbreak is impacting them. My top priority is ensuring that Georgia’s 12th District remains healthy, both physically and economically, during this uncertain time.

That being said, here are some new resources announced this week that you may find helpful:

For seniors on Medicare: Expanded telemedicine will allow you to heed the guidance of public health officials to stay home by scheduling a virtual visit. (AP News)
For small businesses suffering losses due to the pandemic: Georgia has received an official statewide disaster declaration from the U.S. Small Business Administration to provide assistance in the form of SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans to impacted small businesses. These loans are available due to Congress’ recent passage of the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplement Appropriations Act, which I supported, and which was recently signed by the President. (For more info and to apply, small business owners should visit https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela)
For those who have been exposed or are showing symptoms: Georgia launched a Coronavirus hotline: (844) 442-2681. Remember - please contact your primary care doctor, an urgent care clinic, or your local federally qualified healthcare center. Please do not show up unannounced at an emergency room or health care facility.
For agribusinesses using H2-A labor: Email feedback or concerns you might have to aglabor@usda.gov. Also, monitor the embassy websites of countries you are expecting labor from for updates, as well as www.farmers.gov.

We have taken several actions at the federal level to help small businesses, seniors and workers, including the second phase of coronavirus assistance which was signed into law this week by President Trump with my support. For a comprehensive breakdown, including frequently asked questions, click here.

As a reminder, please utilize these coronavirus resources for the most up-to-date information in an effort to keep you and your family safe:

My office stands ready to assist as we all work through this difficult time. If you have questions or need help, please do not hesitate to contact my office. We also just launched a new page on my website with a list of these coronavirus resources to help keep you and your family safe. As this situation continues to quickly develop, we will update this page regularly: https://allen.house.gov/covid-19/.

We are in this together.

Sincerely,

Rick Allen
Member of Congress