COVID-19 Top Five Things to Know for April 2, 2020

1. Social Security Recipients Won’t Have To File Taxes
   Social Security recipients who don’t usually file tax returns will automatically get $1,200 payments from the stimulus package, the Treasury said in a reversal late yesterday. Originally, the Treasury said seniors who do not normally send in a tax return would have to file a simple return. This has been reversed, and seniors who do not file a return, will automatically get paid the  $1200 stimulus money. This will not be counted as income and will not affect social security payment.
2. Department of Labor Temporary Rule on FMLA
   The Department of Labor issued a “temporary rule,” effective until December 31.  The temporary rule provides direction for administration of the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA), which requires that certain employers provide up to 80 hours of paid sick leave to employees who need to take leave from work for certain specified reasons related to COVID-19. It also Provides direction for the effective administration of the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (EFMLEA), which requires that certain employers provide up to 10 weeks of paid, and 2 weeks unpaid, emergency family and medical leave to eligible employees if the employee is caring for his or her son or daughter whose school or place of care is closed or whose child care provider is unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19.
3. CDPH Issues Interim Guidance for Hospital Transfers of COVID-19 Patients to Nursing Homes
   The CDPH has issued several AFLs regarding preparing for and accepting hospital transfers of COVID-19 patients. The latest guidance, AFL 20-33, was released yesterday, April 1. All California SNFs should be implementing the guidance outlined in AFL 20-25.1 Preparing for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in California Skilled Nursing Facilities, including preparations to be able to safely: Receive residents with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection; Care for residents with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection; and Prevent spread of COVID-19 within their facility. Additionally, the ALF, provides additional Considerations for Transfer of Patients from Hospitals to SNFs
4. SNFs should prepare to receive patients that are clinically stable for discharge from hospitals in the following scenarios:
   
   • Patients with no clinical concern for COVID-19 may be transferred from hospitals to SNFs following usual procedures.
   • Patients investigated for possible COVID-19, with negative test results may be transferred from hospitals to SNFs following usual procedures.
   • Patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 should not be sent to a SNF via hospital discharge, inter-facility transfer, or readmission after hospitalization without first consulting the local health department (LHD). We are working with the local health department directors to better understand how this provision will be implemented.
5. Staff Who Work for Other Providers/Communities
   You may have staff in your organization that work for several providers.  While there is no clear guidance from CDPH or CMS, there is evidence that workers have spread the virus to different settings. CMS advises that staff who are exposed to COVID-19 and who work for several providers, that they  follow CDC guidance and self-quarantine for 14 days if they are exposed to COVID-19.​
6. Resilience: Creating Calm: Simple Activities for Stressful Times 
   Many of you have mentioned that the level of stress and anxiety is increasing in your communities.  LeadingAge National has created a 12-minute QuickCast which outlines several calming exercises staff can use to help reduce worry and anxiety among older adults and themselves.
7. resources
   We have up to the minute and regular updates that consolidate state and national information on our COVID-19 Resources page and LeadingAge California Connect.