Unemployment, Tests, Food: 10 VA Resources In Coronavirus Crisis

VIRGINIA — As the ongoing coronavirus crisis unfolds, you likely have many questions on how it will continue to affect you and your family's daily life. From employment to food and more, there are many new struggles that Virginia families are facing.

Virginia now has 114 reported cases of the new coronavirus, or COVID-19, and new cases are added daily. Schools have been closed and restaurants and bars have been ordered to limit the number of people inside their businesses to 10 to mitigate the spread of the virus.

Here are 10 resources in Virginia for you and your family to use as you navigate through the outbreak:

UNEMPLOYMENT
Residents who need to file for unemployment insurance or other benefits are urged to apply online at www.vec.virginia.gov/unemployed. You can apply after you've been out of work for at least one full day. If you do not have access to a computer, you can file your claim through the Virginia Employment Commission's Customer Contact Center at 866-832-2363 Monday through Friday between 8:15 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.. Your claim will be effective Sunday of the week in which you submit your online application or file through our Customer Contact Center.

Once your claim is processed by the VEC, you will receive three important documents. The Benefit Rights document explains eligibility requirements and what you need to do each week to claim your benefits. The Monetary Determination document shows how much money you may be eligible to receive. You will also receive a PIN. You need the PIN to claim weekly benefits and to make inquiries about your claim.

ALSO READ: VA Governor Waives Waiting Period For Coronavirus Worker Benefits

Depending on your earnings, your benefit amount may range from a minimum of $60 per week for 12 weeks to a maximum of $378 a week for 26 weeks.

Beginning with claims effective March 15, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has directed that the one week waiting period and the requirement to conduct a weekly job search both be suspended for those receiving unemployment insurance benefits. If you are eligible for benefits, a payment should be processed shortly after you claim your first full week. You will need to refer to the Benefit Rights document for instructions on claiming weekly benefits.

TESTING

Your healthcare provider will determine if you need to be tested for coronavirus. If the healthcare provider determines that testing is indicated, they might either collect samples to test you or provide you with information about where to go locally for testing.

Testing is now available through the state public health lab and some private laboratories, such as LabCorp and Quest. More private labs are expected to start testing soon. Your healthcare provider should work directly with the private lab to follow that lab’s instructions about how to perform the test.

Your healthcare provider does not need Virginia Department of Health approval for testing through a private lab. Testing is available through Virginia’s state public health lab, the Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services for people who meet the priority testing criteria, outlined below:

1. Person who had close contact with a laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patient within 14 days of onset and fever or signs/symptoms of a lower respiratory illness.
2. Person with travel to a country with a Level 2 or 3 Travel Advisory or an area with confirmed ongoing community transmission within 14 days of onset and has fever and signs/symptoms of a lower respiratory illness and tested negative for influenza on initial work-up (rapid or confirmatory).
3. Person who resides in a nursing home or long-term care facility and who has fever or signs/symptoms of a lower respiratory illness and who tested negative for influenza on initial work-up (rapid or confirmatory) and a respiratory virus panel negative for all pathogens and no alternative diagnosis.

Cost through private labs is not yet available to the Virginia Department of Health. If you are sick, you may request information about cost directly from your health insurance company or your healthcare provider. If you meet clinical criteria and are tested through DCLS, testing is provided at no cost. If you are a healthcare provider seeking information on testing costs, contact the lab you use for additional information.

Many insurance plans cover the cost of testing and related health care costs. For specific information about your health insurance coverage, call your insurance company. You can usually find their phone number on your insurance card. Most insurance covers testing cost without a co-pay. You can also find information about insurance and coronavirus costs at https://www.ahip.org/health-insurance-providers-respond-to-coronavirus-covid-19/.

For more information, check out these websites:

• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/testing.html
• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html
• http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/surveillance-and-investigation/novel-coronavirus/

MENTAL HEALTH

If you're feeling super-stressed and anxious about the coronavirus crisis, you're not alone. At his daily coronavirus briefing, Gov. Northam on Friday encouraged people to check in on each other, use virtual meetings to stay connected and maintain social connections as long as you stay six feet apart.

Northam reminded Virginians to use the following hotlines as resources if they feel depressed or suicidal or if they need crisis counseling and support:

• National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK
• Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990

GROCERY STORES

Grocery stores remain open across Virginia, although some have reduced hours and/or implemented special hours for those most at-risk during the coronavirus outbreak. In response to panic buying, most grocery stores in Virginia also are placing limits on the number of certain items, like toilet paper, cleaning supplies and bread, that you can purchase.

Giant Food has announced it has reserved an hour each day — from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. — for senior citizens and those with compromised immune systems. Whole Foods also is opening its doors to people who are 60 and older an hour before opening to the public.

FOOD ASSISTANCE

Arlington Food Assistance Center is providing free weekly groceries to those in need. It’s being done at 2708 South Nelson Street, but the hours are changing after Saturday, March, 21st. Anyone can receive groceries once, but after that, you must get a referral from Arlington County’s Department of Human Services Community Assistance Bureau.

Individuals and families apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programthrough their individual jurisdictions. Benefits are provided on an EBT card and are accepted at most grocery stores as well as some farmers’ markets. In Virginia, apply here. The application asks questions about your financial status, bills, assets, and dependents. At this point, the jurisdictions recognize the hardships that many are facing due to the global pandemic and are waiving certain requirements for documentation.

SCHOOLS

Northern Virginia schools are providing free meals to eligible students during the school shutdown. Fairfax County Public Schools, for example, have more than two dozen sites for free grab-and-go meal distribution to students during the extended school closure. The 29 sites also offer low-cost meals to adults. Loudoun County Public Schools also are distributing meals to eligible students across the county.

VOTING

For the upcoming city and town elections on May 5, Virginia is allowing anyone who wants to vote absentee in the elections to choose the reason "2A-My disability or illness" for absentee voting due to the coronavirus outbreak. Voters who choose the absentee option should do so as soon as possible so they can get their ballots in time from their local jurisdiction to return them by mail by election day.

TAXES

Some local jurisdictions are moving the personal property tax deadline from May 5 to June 5. Virginia is allowing all individuals and businesses to delay paying their 2019 income taxes by 30 days, bumping the deadline to pay from May 1 to June 1. At the federal level, the Trump administration has moved the deadline for filing federal income taxes from April 15 to July 15.

PUBLIC TRANSIT

Effective Tuesday, VRE began operating at a reduced “S” schedule level for its Fredericksburg and Manassas lines. Only trains marked with an “S” on VRE's schedule will operate. The “S” schedule means the number of trains in service will go from 16 to eight — four inbound each morning and four outbound each afternoon. Officials said VRE continues to monitor the situation and will adjust schedules as needed. The Metro system is asking riders to use transit only for essential trips due to the growing concerns about new coronavirus. Metrobus is operating on a Sunday schedule.

DMV

The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles is closing all 75 of its customer service locations as well as mobile services from March 18 until April 2 as a result of the coronavirus. In addition, the DMV is extending the expiration date for credentials set to expire up to May 15. Online and mail services and DMV Direct call centers continue to run.

The DMV will extend the validity of a credential for 60 days if the expiration is between March 15 and May 15. The credential will be valid for 60 days beyond the original expiration date. This applies to driver's licenses, identification cards, vehicle registrations and escort vehicle driver certificates. The DMV is continuing to process transactions sent by mail and online.

The DMV encourages residents to renew their driver's license or identification card online or by mail if eligible.