Labor & Industries this week enacted emergency rules to fine businesses found to be open in violation of Governor Jay Inslee’s Stay Home Stay Healthy order in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
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Businesses found to be in violation of Inslee’s four-phase reopening plan will be directed to close or make immediate safety adjustments. Those who do not comply will be subject to a fine of nearly $10,000 or more, according to this recent L&I announcement.

See here for more details

COVID-19 RESOURCES HERE

Washington—May 15, 2020, the Small Business Administration (SBA), in consultation with the Department of the Treasury, released the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan Forgiveness Application and detailed instructions for the application.
The form and instructions inform borrowers how to apply for forgiveness of their PPP loans, consistent with the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).  SBA will also soon issue regulations and guidance to further assist borrowers as they complete their applications, and to provide lenders with guidance on their responsibilities.

The form and instructions include several measures to reduce compliance burdens and simplify the process for borrowers, including:

• Options for borrowers to calculate payroll costs using an “alternative payroll covered period” that aligns with borrowers’ regular payroll cycles
• Flexibility to include eligible payroll and non-payroll expenses paid or incurred during the eight-week period after receiving their PPP loan
• Step-by-step instructions on how to perform the calculations required by the CARES Act to confirm eligibility for loan forgiveness
• Borrower-friendly implementation of statutory exemptions from loan forgiveness reduction based on rehiring by June 30
• Addition of a new exemption from the loan forgiveness reduction for borrowers who have made a good-faith, written offer to rehire workers that was declined

The PPP was created by the CARES Act to provide forgivable loans to eligible small businesses to keep American workers on the payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The documents released today will help small businesses seek forgiveness at the conclusion of the eight week covered period, which begins with the disbursement of their loans.
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Click Here for Application and Instructions.

With the increase in unemployment benefits, unemployment fraud is on the rise. The Seattle Times reported that over 700 fraudulent claims were reported this month, adding up to over $1.6 million.  

How does this impact employers and what should you do?
Pay attention! When you receive a notification of an unemployment claim…read it! Have you laid off that individual? Are they still working for you? Many employers, especially under the current conditions with layoffs abounding, are inclined to dismiss the notification, as they don’t plan to contest the claim. This is dangerous, as it may be the only way the fraud is identified in a timely manner. While it may take time to sort through the paperwork, track who is working, who is not, how many hours, etc., it is worth the effort!

Contact employees! Communicate with impacted employees to verify the information. Did they apply? If they did not apply, refer to the reporting steps below. If they did apply and they are still working, then you have a completely different disciplinary issue to discuss with the HR Hotline! 

Notify IT! Let your IT department know of the fraudulent claim so that system security can be checked to ensure that the data breach did not come from your end. If it did, it should be addressed immediately and a data security attorney or your cyber security insurer should be contacted, and employees must be notified.

Report it! Employers should promptly notify the Employment Security Department (ESD) that the employee is still working, and the claim is suspected to be fraudulent.

Provide the steps below to affected employees. Cyber-crime investigators are recommending the following steps for anyone who knows, or believes, they are a victim of unemployment fraud:

Step One – Contact HR

• Contact your organizations HR staff to coordinate and report the incident to your employer.  

Step Two – Contact WA State ESD

• Call the WA State Employment Security Dept (ESD) at 800-246-9763 to report the fraud or contact ESD via an online form.

Step Three – File a Police Report

• File an online or non-emergency report with the agency whose jurisdiction you live in.
• If you live in Seattle you can file an online report.
• Start keeping a file folder or journal with the information from this incident, including any case numbers. Some government services and accommodations are available to victims of identity theft that are not available to the general public, such as getting certain public records sealed.

Step Four – Contact Credit Bureaus

• Obtain your free credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion at Annual Credit Report.
• Report to the credit bureaus that the fraudulent claim was made using your identity and provide them with the case number from your police report. You can have a fraud alert put on your identity or freeze your credit. Doing either is free by law.
• A fraud alert is free and will make it harder for someone to open new accounts in your name. To place a fraud alert, contact one of the three credit bureaus. That company must tell the other two.
• Check your credit activity at least once a year. As a victim of identity-theft you have the right to check it monthly if you choose.
• Consider placing a Credit Freeze on your report or any dependents in your household. If you do not have upcoming large purchases, such as a home, you may want to freeze your credit for more protection. It is free and you can do it yourself.

Step Five – FTC & IRS

• File a short report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and give them the case number for the local police report. More info here.
• Consider setting up an IRS account. If you create an account with your social security number, it will prevent criminals from creating an account using your identity.
• Another option is to lock your social security number (the next wave of this cyber-attack may be IRS tax fraud.)
• All of this reporting seems redundant, but you should make sure you are recognized as a victim by the local, state, and federal government. Also, the more people who report it, the more support Law Enforcement agents will get to pursue the perpetrators.

Step Six – Keep Your Notes

• Hang on to any notes, copies of emails, etc. This is the paper trail that you can reference if you face any identity issues or locate inaccuracies on your credit history sometime in the future.

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If you have reason to believe someone has applied for unemployment benefits using your information or used a scam to obtain your private information, the ESD urges you to make a report at esd.wa.gov/unemployment/unemployment-benefits-fraud.

Please be aware that you will need the following information:

1. Your full name
2. Last 4 numbers of your Social Security number (never put your full SSN in an email)
3. Your address
4. Your date of birth
5. Brief description of how you found out an imposter-fraud claim was filed using your information
6. Please let us know: If an imposter-fraud claim was filed using your information, do you give us permission to deny and cancel it?

Additional steps you can take if you believe you are a victim of fraud:

• Go to the FTC identity theft website: www.identitytheft.gov for resources on reporting
• Request your free credit reports via www.annualcreditreport.com and review them for other fraudulent activities
• Go to atg.wa.gov/recovering-identity-theft-or-fraud for additional tips from the Washington State Attorney General

​As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak continues to impact our region, we want to keep you informed on the work the American Red Cross is doing to fulfill our mission and support our partners during this health crisis.
 
Mental Health First Aid for COVID-19
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is challenging individuals and families in new ways. Mental health first aid, the practice of recognizing and responding to people experiencing crisis-related stress, can be used to help yourself and others to cope in the face of stressful events.
To help, the American Red Cross is offering a free Mental Health First Aid for COVID-19 online only course during the pandemic. 
The course content is based on guidance from the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). This online course is designed for anyone interested in learning techniques for supporting mental health during the COVID-19 crisis. Topics include:

• Recognizing Stress in Adults, Teens and Children
• Practicing Mental Health First Aid
• Caring for Yourself
• Supporting Your Family
• Supporting Yourself and Coworkers at Work

Individuals may access and enroll directly in the 60 minute course online by clicking here.
 
Humanity in War
Also now available online: a free course to train policy professionals, government officials, academics, and the general public on the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law.
This course prepares participants to recognize key concepts in international humanitarian law, including:

• The Types of Armed Conflict
• The Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols
• Fundamental Principles and Protections for Persons and Objects
• Distinction Between Combatants and Civilians
• Civilian Direct Participation in Hostilities
• Role of the Red Cross and Other Humanitarian Organizations in Armed Conflict

“Even War Has Rules” is offered at 1 p.m. Pacific Time on Wednesdays and 11 a.m. PT on Fridays. For a more detailed schedule or to sign up, email  Andrea Sonntag : [email protected].
 
Critical need for Diverse Blood
Right now, African American blood donors are critically needed to help patients battling sickle cell disease following a significant decrease in diverse donors amid this coronavirus outbreak.
Unfortunately, since mid-March we have seen the number of African American blood donors drop by more than half. Understandably, we believe this number has decreased in large part due to blood drive cancellations at businesses, churches and schools, as well as disproportionate COVID-19 infection rates for African Americans compared to other ethnicities.
While we recognize this challenge, the Red Cross needs the help of African American blood donors to ensure a diverse blood supply. Blood transfused to patients with rare blood types, like those with sickle cell disease, must be matched very closely to reduce the risk of complications.
Without a readily available blood supply, sickle cell patients can experience severe pain, tissue and organ damage, acute anemia and even strokes. Furthermore, sickle cell patients are at high risk of serious complications from coronavirus infection and blood transfusion can be a lifesaving treatment for these patients.
This is the time to take care of one another, and blood donation is essential to ensuring the health of those in our community. If you are feeling well, please make an appointment to give by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.

MultiCare Occupational Medicine provides three screening & testing services for employers to support restarting employment and our economy. These can be useful for employers to minimize the risk of COVID-19 exposure at work, so long as the employer and employee are aware of their limitations. There are no screening or test tools currently available which guarantee an employee will not spread COVID-19 at work.
If you decide to use one or more of these tools, we hope to be your provider. But regardless where you source the services, we want you to have the facts needed for an informed decision.

Symptom & Temperature Screen:
The medical provider relies on patient-provided symptom answers and a temperature reading to determine if symptoms are of concern or not. This screen is not indicative of past exposure, nor a guarantee the individual is not infected or a contagious carrier of the virus.

Antibody Serology Test:
Positive result:

• Indicates previous or current infection. A positive antibody test cannot distinguish between active or past COVID-19. If there is concern for active infection, molecular testing (PCR) is recommended.
• At this time, it is not known whether the presence of antibodies confers protection from reinfection with COVID-19, how long the antibody response lasts, or the association between antibody response and clinical outcomes of individuals with COVID-19
• A positive test does not prove the individual is not contagious. Social distancing is still recommended

Negative result:

• Indicates either
  The individual has not been infected with COVID-19, or
  There is not a detectable level of antibody present. Explanations for this may include very recent exposure (not enough time has elapsed to generate an immune response) or the immune response has decreased below the detectable level.
• A negative result does not rule out current or past infection with COVID-19, as antibodies may not develop until 14 days after onset of symptoms. That is, “false negatives” are possible. Social distancing is still recommended.

CDC guidelines on Antibody testing:


PCR Nasopharyngeal Test:
Positive result:

• Indicates the virus is present in the sample. The individual may be pre-symptomatic (they will develop an active infection), already have an active infection, or are a carrier of the virus.​

​Negative result:

• Indicates the virus was not found in the specimen, however false negatives have been reported with early stage infected individuals.

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Antibody Serology Test:
All these services are “snapshots in time.” The individual may be exposed and infected after the service is performed.

For questions, more information or to enroll for services:
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Tel: 888-580-5513 opt 1
email: [email protected]
web: www.multicareoccmed.org