COVID-19 Resources
Michelle Stennett
COVID-19 RESOURCES
Governor’s State Wide Stay-Home Order issued 3/25/2020, in effect until April 15, 2020.
Here is the list of essential services
FAQs, including
If I don’t get a paycheck, I won’t be able to buy groceries or pay rent. Are there services to help me? Yes. You may be eligible for public assistance for food, medical care, rent, and more. Please call 1-877-456-1233 or visit www.livebetteridaho.org to apply.
Association of State and Territorial Health Official’s COVID-19 webpage.
COVID-19 resources for undocumented people: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18p9OSlLpSYanIoUC-gEbhVbRMYVUfw4wyrixa9ekGdc/htmlview#gid=0
The Centers for Disease Control has a covid-19 website and the World Health Organization has information on their website as well.
John Hopkins has a coronavirus map and international statistics.
Blaine County is under a mandatory shelter-in-place order. The order is available in Spanish. The Enforcement Plan is available in English and Spanish. More Blaine County information is available on their website. Blaine County COVID-19 Information Hotline – 208-788-5504 - The hotline is being staffed from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm daily and messages can be left after hours.
South Central Public Health District has a hotline available for the public to call to ask questions and obtain reliable information about the Coronavirus Disease COVID-19. The hotline number is (208) 737-1138. For those Spanish-speaking residents with questions, please call (208) 737-5965.
Governor Little’s press releases.
Idaho’s Novel Coronavirus website is regularly updated with information about the numbers of cases and testing.
The Idaho Board of Education has directed a “soft-closure” of all public schools until April 20. During this soft closure schools must provide three essential services:
· Provide food services to underserved populations and childcare for community members who provide critical services.
· Develop and implement plans for delivering remote or distance learning strategies (online, video or teleconference).
· Develop a plan for providing special education-related services
Idaho STEM Action Network has some at-home STEM activities. Monterey Bay Aquarium and the San Diego Zoo have kid-friendly information about animals.
Apply for unemployment benefits online through the Idaho Department of Labor or by calling (208) 332-8942, but call volumes are high causing long wait times.
St. Luke’s Wood River Medical Center has drive-thru testing at 100 Hospital Dr in Ketchum. It is open daily from 10am to 6 pm until further notice. No appointment necessary, but if you are unsure whether you should seek testing, call 208-381-9500 to speak to a nurse. Criteria for testing include shortness of breath, coughing, body aches, a fever of 100 degrees or higher, or potential exposure to the virus. Testing is not available if you do not meet the criteria.
St. Luke’s has a triage phone line to help people determine if they qualify for a covid-19 test. They have multiple drive-thru testing sites around the Idaho.
St. Alphonsus also has a phone line and testing available for those who meet the criteria. Call ahead before going to any facility if you believe you may have covid-19. Call 911 in case of emergency.
Kootenai Health also has a phone line and testing available for those who meet the criteria. Call ahead before going to any facility if you believe you may have covid-19. If you believe you have Coronavirus/COVID-19 based on meeting all of these criteria and need emergency care, please call the Emergency Department prior to arrival at (208) 625-5700. Staff will direct you to our screening tent on the south side of the hospital, near the emergency department.
Idaho Public Television has compiled covid-19 related resources on their website.
Apply for Medicaid (including Medicaid Expansion), food stamps, and other assistance through the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
Call 211 for help finding community services.
Anyone in need of help or who believes they may be in a violent relationship is encouraged to contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (A3PCON) and Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) have launched this reporting center to allow community members to report incidents of hate they have experienced. Individual information, including personal identification details, will be kept confidential and will only be shared with permission. In the aggregate, the information will be used for assistance, advocacy and education.
Find food banks, food pantries, or school feeding sites.
Changes to USDA rules to increase flexibility in programs that provide food.
Some Senior Centers are providing pick-up food:
· https://www.cityofboise.org/departments/parks-and-recreation/facilities/dick-eardley-senior-center/
· https://mountainhomeseniorcenter.org/
· Cottonwood and Winchester: https://www.idahocountyfreepress.com/news/covid-19/senior-meal-centers-closed-in-cottonwood-winchester-meals-still-available/article_6c69ae26-6d65-11ea-8da7-43365ee7ab29.html
· https://kunaseniorcenter.org/meals-calendar/
· Caldwell: https://idahonews.com/news/local/caldwell-senior-center-closes-but-meal-pickup-will-run-5-days-a-week
Facebook Covid-19 Mutual Aid Groups:
Jesse Tree is a non-profit organization that works to prevent homelessness. The physical Jesse Tree office will be closed to the public until further notice. You can still access programs by calling 208-383-9486 or by emailing office@jessetreeidaho.org. Leave a voicemail and your call will be returned within 1-3 business days. https://www.jessetreeidaho.org/jesse-tree-and-covid19
Idaho wants to hear from small businesses impacted by covid-19. Some small businesses may be eligible for low-interest loans through the federal Small Business Administration.
The Idaho Statesman is providing covid-19 coverage without a paywall and is translating important articles into Spanish.
State tax deadline extended: Idaho citizens and businesses now have until June 15, 2020, to file their state income taxes and make any state income tax payments and apply for the Property Tax Reduction, Property Tax Deferral, and 100% Service-connected Disabled Veteran Benefit programs.
Federal tax deadline extended: The 2019 income tax filing and payment deadlines for all taxpayers who file and pay their Federal income taxes on April 15, 2020, are automatically extended until July 15, 2020. This relief applies to all individual returns, trusts, and corporations. This relief is automatic, taxpayers do not need to file any additional forms or call the IRS to qualify.
Request an absentee ballot to vote in the upcoming primary and the November 2020 election at idahovotes.gov.
Blood donations needed due to shortage. Make an appointment to donate: https://www.redcrossblood.org/
Donate to the Idaho Food Bank: https://idahofoodbank.org/donate/
Drive to donate personal protective equipment in Boise on March 28. The drive will be held in the east lot of Albertsons stadium on the BSU campus from noon through 4 p.m.
Donate to Interfaith Sanctuary which provides shelter to homeless people in the Boise area.
Donate to Jesse Tree, a non-profit that works to prevent homelessness.
Blaine County's front line workers need Personal Protection Equipment (PPE). SVED is asking the community for donations of surgical or N95 masks, medical grade gloves, handsanitizer and disinfectant (spray or wipes) for Blaine County. Area responders are having a difficult time obtaining these much needed supplies to protect our community due to the shortage nationwide. If your business is shut down and you have a supply you would like to donate, contact SVED at David@SunValleyEconomy.org and Harry@SunValleyEconomy.org and we will help coordinate drop-off or pick-up points with the organizations in need. Thanks in advance.