Representative Paul Cook
is a member of the House Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, and Natural Resources
Committees,
Cook served as an infantry officer and retired after 26 years as a
Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps.
During
his time in combat, he was awarded the Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts.
Washington
D.C. Congressman Paul Cook ____ March
2020
Updates
recent concerning Coronavirus
issues and the services available:
Coronavirus Legislation
The House and Senate passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
President Trump signed this legislation into law.
Among the highlights of this critical bill include:
Ensuring free testing for all
Americans:
• Requires all commercial insurance, Medicare,
Medicaid, CHIP, Indian Health service, and TRI-CARE to cover, and impose no
cost-sharing for testing diagnosis of COVID-19
• Helps to cover the costs of coronavirus
testing, including funding to eliminate copay requirements for service members
and veterans
Requiring paid sick
leave for impacted American workers:
• Businesses with fewer than 500 employees are
required to provide 14 days of paid sick leave to employees affected by
COVID-19. The vast majority of businesses with more than 500 employees already
offer paid sick leave.
• Additionally, under the Family and Medical Leave
Act (FMLA) expansion, employees unable to work due to childcare circumstances,
like a closed school, are entitled to at least 10 weeks of paid leave at
two-thirds of the employee's pay
• Affected
employees include those with COVID-19, under quarantine, caring for someone
affected, and with children whose school has closed.
• Provides for
vulnerable Americans, including emergency nutritional assistance for senior
citizens, women, children, and low-income families. It also provides funding
and flexibility to ensures low-income students continue to have access to meals
if schools are closed.
Bolsters unemployment insurance:
• Provides emergency grants to states for activities related to
processing and paying unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, under certain
conditions
• Provides
immediate additional funding to all states for staffing, technology, systems,
and other administrative costs, so long as they met basic requirements about
ensuring access to earned benefits for eligible workers
In the coming weeks, the House and Senate will
continue to work together on any additional Coronavirus legislation.
(Special Attention to >>>)
Resources and
Information for Seniors and High-Risk Groups
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) has up-to-date information for people
who are at higher risk for severe
illness and older
adults.
The California Department of Public Health
has prepared a Self-Isolation Guidance for those who are at higher risk for
severe illness and older adults available here.
Here are important local resources for our older
adults and seniors.
Yucca Valley
>>>Family Services Association Meal Program Family Services Association (FSA) is the lead agency that provides meals to seniors and others at
the Yucca Valley Senior Center.
On-site meals will transition to pick-up meals
effective immediately, with meal distribution taking place Tuesday – Thursday,
between 11 am – 1 pm.
On-site dining will not be available. For those
individuals needing delivery assistance, please contact FSA at (760) 257-5761.
Yucca Valley Senior Center
57088 Twentynine Palms Highway
Yucca Valley, CA 92284
San Bernardino County
The Department of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) is a San Bernardino agency dedicated to helping seniors and at risk
individuals to improve or maintain choice, independence, and quality of life.
Local Stores and Businesses
Resources:
>>>Vallarta
Supermarket – All stores will open early from 7:00am – 8:00am for those 65+,
pregnant women, & the disabled.
Lucerne Valley Market and Hardware – The store
will open for Lucerne Valley seniors from 9:00am – 10:00am, and to only Lucerne
Valley residents from 10:00am – 12:00pm. Store will be open from 12:00pm –
6:00pm for non-residents. >>>Residents must show valid ID or local utility bill.
Dollar General – The store will dedicate the
first hour of each shopping day (8:00am – 9:00am) to senior citizens.
Albertsons, Vons, Safeway and Pavilions - Every
Tuesday and Thursday, grocery stores operated by >>>Albertsons Companies will only serve vulnerable community members from 7
a.m. to 9 a.m.
Stater Bros. - Starting March 18, locations open
at 7:45 a.m. for shoppers 65 and older. Temporary operating hours to the public
are between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m
Planet Fitness – Offering free, daily virtual
fitness classes on the Plant
Fitness Facebook page Monday through
Friday, open to non-members as well.
>>>Social Security
Administration: News Release
Effective March 17, 2020, Social Security
Offices Will Only Offer Phone Service
** Online Services Remain Available **
All local Social Security offices will be
closed to the public for in-person
service starting Tuesday, March 17, 2020. This decision protects the population
we serve —older Americans and people with underlying medical conditions—and our
employees during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, we are still
able to provide critical services.
Our secure and convenient online services remain
available at www.socialsecurity.gov. Local offices will also continue to provide critical services over the
phone. We are working closely with the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state and local governments, and other experts to monitor COVID-19 and
will let you know as soon as we can resume in-person service.
If you need help from Social Security:
First, please use our secure and convenient
online services available at www.socialsecurity.gov/onlineservices. You can apply for retirement,
disability, and Medicare benefits online, check the status of an application or
appeal, request a replacement Social Security card (in most areas), print a
benefit verification letter, and much more – from anywhere and from any of your
devices. We also have a wealth of information to answer most of your Social
Security questions online, without having to speak with a Social Security
representative in person or by phone. Please visit our online Frequently Asked
Questions at www.socialsecurity.gov/ask.
If you cannot conduct your Social Security business online,
please check our online field office
locator for specific
information about how to directly contact your local office. Your local office
still will be able to provide critical services to help you apply for benefits,
answer your questions, and provide other services over the phone.
If you already have an in-office appointment
scheduled, we will call you to handle your appointment over the phone instead.
If you have a hearing scheduled, we will call you to discuss alternatives for
continuing with your hearing, including offering a telephonic hearing. Our call
may come from a PRIVATE number and not from a U.S. Government phone. Please
remember that our employees will not threaten you or ask for any form of payment.
>>> If you cannot complete your Social Security business online, please call
our National 800 Number at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).
Our National 800 Number has many automated
service options you can use without waiting to speak with a telephone
representative. A list of automated telephone services is available online
at www.socialsecurity.gov/agency/contact/phone.html
To get more Social Security news, follow the
Press Office on Twitter @SSAPress