Washington state agencies answer COVID-19 questions about crowds, childcare, job loss
The Washington State Department of Health reported 642 cases of novel coronavirus in the state, with 40 deaths, as of Saturday afternoon, March 14.
With schools closed throughout the state next week through April 24, the health department offers tips and suggestions to families dealing with child care.
▪ People 60 and older are at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 and are not good candidates to provide child care at this time.
”Even if they are your parents. And even if they are begging to provide childcare. For the health and safety of the loving grandparents, consider whether it’s possible for your family to find an alternate source of backup childcare,” the health department wrote in a press release Saturday, March 14.
▪ Consider sharing the care of small groups of kids with other neighbors who must work.
▪ Take kids outside to play rather than staying in crowded indoor spaces. Parks remain open and Whatcom’s weather is supposed to return to the 50s after a cold weekend.
▪ Watch for school district news. Some districts are continuing to provide meals and offer on-line learning.
Crowds, workplace questions
The department offered this advice on frequently asked questions:
“What is the guidance for gatherings of fewer than 250 people? Check your county website to see if your county has given specific guidance, but, in general, it’s a good idea for people who are over age 60 or have chronic health conditions to avoid crowds of any size. If the gathering you are planning is likely to have people in these high-risk categories, consider whether it can be delayed or whether you might be able to switch to an on-line way of gathering.
“What are people’s options for compensation when their workplace closes temporarily? The Employment Security Department has just adopted a series of emergency rules to help people who are affected by COVID-19 and have a temporary layoff, isolation and quarantine for workers and businesses. Check out their website to see what benefits might be helpful to you.
These are some of the questions and answers available on the Employment Security Department website for workers who are impacted by coronavirus:
“What if I need to take time off work because I contract COVID-19? The first and best option for employees who need to miss work due to illness is to use their employer-paid time off. Labor and Industries has information about Paid Sick Leave. When this leave is not available, Paid Family & Medical Leave may be available to help.
“Check out this Paid Family & Medical Leave Q&A about COVID-19.
“What if I am asked by a medical professional or public health official to quarantine as a result of COVID-19, but I am not sick? If you are following guidance issued by a medical professional or public health official to isolate or quarantine yourself as a result of exposure to COVID-19 and you are not receiving paid sick leave from your employer, you may be eligible to receive unemployment benefits. If you know you can return to your job as soon as your isolation or quarantine is lifted, you may not need to search for work. You must able to accept any work offered by your employer that would not cause you to break isolation or quarantine.
“What if my employer goes out of business as a result of COVID-19? You may be eligible for unemployment benefits if you’re out of work due to a lack of work. Here are instructions on how to apply for unemployment benefits. (These benefits are intended to assist workers who lost their jobs through no fault of their own.)
“My employer has shut down operations temporarily because an employee is sick and we have been asked to isolate or quarantine as a result of COVID-19. Am I eligible for unemployment benefits? If you are not receiving payment from your employer, such as paid sick leave or paid time off, you may be eligible for unemployment benefits during this time. Basic eligibility requirements for a claim can be found here.
“What if I am temporarily laid off work because business has slowed down as a result of COVID-19? If you are laid off work temporarily or if your hours are reduced due to a business slowdown or a lack of demand as a result of COVID-19, you may be able to receive unemployment benefits.
“Standby means you do not have to look for another job while you collect unemployment benefits, so long as you stay in contact with your regular employer. You must accept any work you can do without breaking isolation or quarantine that is offered by your employer, such as telework. When you file your claim, you can request up to four weeks of standby. If needed, your employer can request up to an additional four weeks of standby (for a total of eight) as long as you will be returning to work full-time when business picks up again.
“Partial Employment or SharedWork: Under certain circumstances, you may work part-time while collecting unemployment benefits.
“I am a part-time employee. Am I eligible for standby? Under the emergency rules we put into place as a result of COVID-19, standby may be available to you if you’re unemployed because either:
“Your employer shut down or decreased operations temporarily because an employee is sick and other employees have been asked to isolate or quarantine as a result of COVID-19; or
“You or your family member received a request to isolate or quarantine due to COVID-19.
“If you worked part-time in the last 18 months, you must meet the minimum requirement of having worked 680 hours in your base year in order to have an unemployment claim.
“Do I qualify for unemployment benefits if I become seriously ill and I am forced to quit my job as a result of COVID-19? You may qualify for Paid Family & Medical Leave while you are sick. You can learn more by checking out the Q&A. Once you recover and are available for work again, you can apply for unemployment benefits.
“How am I supposed to meet deadlines related to my existing unemployment claim if I am in isolation or quarantine as a result of COVID-19? Under the emergency rules we put into place as a result of COVID-19, we are providing more leniency for many UI deadlines, such as deadlines for training programs. Submit your documents as soon as you are able and provide as much information as you can. Progress reports for training programs can be submitted with whatever information you have available. For example, if your school has closed, return your paperwork and let us know that.”
This story was originally published March 14, 2020 at 4:10 PM.
