#CoronaVirus: Benefits/Bonus Affecting Public/Business Owners

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Relief

Residents:

As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread, we are sharing important information with you.  

What you need to know:

Hotel Utilization Individuals who do not require hospital-level care can be transferred to downtown hotels rented by the City of Chicago to quarantine affected individuals to help reduce the strain on local hospitals. For more information, call 312-746-4835.

Shelter In Place Order To prevent the spread of COVID-19, Governor Pritzker announced a State Order requiring all residents to remain at home -“Shelter in Place” unless absolutely essential, starting on Saturday, March 21, 2020, at 5pm. For more information about this order, please click here.

Reported Illinois Cases Currently, there are 1,865 confirmed cases of COVID-19 identified in Illinois. As this outbreak has spread globally, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) is tracking it closely and is using data to guide its response.

Tax Filing Information Today, Governor Pritzker announced he will delay the Illinois state income tax filing deadline until July 15. This aligns with the new filing deadline for federal taxes, which is also July 15. 

Ticketing Enforcement There has been some confusion regarding the issuance of parking tickets in the city. While the number of enforcement agents has been decreased, tickets will still be issued for the following violations: bus lane, bicycle path, rush hour parking, parking in the fire lane, fire lane blockage, alley blockage, driveway blockage, double parking, standing zone violations, parking in a disabled parking spot, and expired meters.

Price Gouging To report price gouging, click here. 

Parks & Libraries  Mayor Lightfoot also announced the closure of Park District facilities and Libraries. For more information, please click here.

Individuals and Communities should familiarize themselves with recommendations to protect themselves and their communities from contracting and spreading respiratory illnesses like COVID-19.

Older People and People with Severe Chronic Conditions should take special precautions because they are at higher risk of developing COVID-19. They should limit travel and should not attend large gatherings, unless it is essential.

K-12 Schools Chicago Public Schools will be closed through April 20th with students returning on Tuesday, April 21st, 2020. CPS will work to ensure students are engaged throughout their time away from the classroom and will provide meals to all students in need. All CPS families will be able to pick up meals outside of their nearest CPS, with exception of several schools, between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Monday-Friday throughout the closure. Chicago’s network of food providers stand ready to support families during the closure. A full list of locations is available at chicagosfoodbank.org/find-food/. Limited recreational and enrichment activities will be offered in a safe setting at select Chicago Park District facilities. A list of site locations will be made available at cps.edu/coronavirus.

Restaurants and Bars All bars and restaurants have been closed for in-person dinning since Monday, March 16, 2020. The closures are scheduled to last through Monday, March 30, 2020. The state is working closely with restaurant owners and food delivery services to ensure kitchens can safely remain open to continue food delivery and put in place drive-thru and curbside pickup options. For more information, please click here.

Businesses and Employers Mayor Lightfoot announced a $100 Million Relief Package for Chicago Small Businesses. The new fund will provide more than $100 million in low-interest loans to severely impacted small businesses over the coming month, targeting historically under-resourced communities with an emphasis on minimizing hardship for those businesses and their employees. For more information and to fill out the application, please click here. The State of Illinois has also announced some relief programs for businesses in the state. For that information, please click here.

Debt Relief Programs Mayor Lightfoot announced temporary suspension of debt collection, ticketing and towing practices to provide relief in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. For more information on this policy, please click here.

Rental Assistance The City of Chicago has emergency rental assistance program. This program provides financial assistance to Chicago residents, to prevent homelessness, to eligible individuals and families who are in danger of eviction in order to stabilize individuals and families in their existing rental unit. For more information about this program, please click here.

Property Tax Sale The Cook County Property Tax Sale, scheduled for May 8, 2020, has been cancelled indefinitely.

Property Taxes The Cook County Assessor’s Office has announced the temporary suspension of assessment notice mailings and appeal deadlines. This suspension will remain in place until further notice while the office remains closed to the public.

Event Organizers Stay informed on the latest developments and public health guidance. We strongly encourage groups to consider cancelling or postponing planned events.

Childcare Facilities and Colleges/Universities Closure of childcare facilities is still voluntary. See CDPH’s COVID-19 Guidance for Childcare Programs. Many institutions of higher learning are voluntarily closing their campuses and moving instruction online. See CDPH’s COVID-19 Guidance for Schools and Institutions of Higher Education.

Community- and faith-based organizations should review existing emergency operations plans, including strategies for social distancing and modifying large gatherings. Community-based organizations should take steps to protect both the clients they serve and their employees. See CDPH’s COVID-19 Guidance for Community- and Faith-based Organizations. 

Mental Health: Emotional reactions to this emerging health crisis are expected. Remind yourself, your family and your friends that feeling sad, anxious, overwhelmed or having other symptoms of distress such as trouble sleeping is normal. If symptoms become worse, encourage them, and yourself, to reach out for support and help. Call 311 or NAMI Chicago Helpline 833-626-4244 for a mental health counselor. Bright Star Community Outreach also has a helpline at 833-TURN-123For after hours, there is the Crisis Text Line which serves anyone, in any type of crisis, 24-hours a day. Instructions: Text HELLO to: 741741 to access a trained crisis counselor.

Fight Stigma and Fear by understanding the facts about COVID-19 and taking the effective precautionary steps recommended by health professionals. Support people returning from COVID-19 quarantine and help reduce the spread of rumors by letting people know that viruses cannot target people from specific populations, ethnicities, or racial backgrounds.

If you have been in a country with widespread sustained transmission (any country with a Travel Alert Level 3) or have been exposed to someone sick with COVID-19 in the last 14 days, you will face some limitations on your movement and activity. Please follow instructions during this time. Your cooperation is integral to the ongoing public health response to try to slow the spread of this virus.. 

The 4th Ward Service Office is closed during this time. However, our office is operating remotely. We kindly ask that any business you may have with our office be conducted via phone or email.

Please note, our Shred-a-Thon scheduled for April 18, has been cancelled. Join us May 30, at 47 W. Polk Street from 8:30-11:30 a.m. for our next shredding event. 

We can be reached at: (773) 536 8103 or Ward04@cityofchicago.org.  

new website at: King4thWard.com

https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-female-solution/2020/03/23/coronavirus-benefitsbonus-affecting-publicbusiness-owners

#pleaseShare #mindfulness matters #StressRelief #Public #Awareness #StayWoke #Business #owners #nonProfits #monday #morning #mindfulness #talkradio #live #talk #radio #higherlearning #higher #learning #blogtalkradio #onAirEverywhere.com  #pleaseShare