Category: COVID 19 - PACG - Progressive Action for the Common Good

Review the Covid 19 toolkit - What You Can Do Now

1/31/2023

Covid 19 toolkit

Health Care Reform Forum

You can learn a lot about Covid on this informational link provided by the U.S. government.

Scroll through some tips below before clicking on the link: https://www.covid.gov

Put in your county to find out if the Covid levels are low, medium, or high. (As of Jan 23rd, Scott Co, IA and Rock Island Co, IL were low.) Low, medium and high Covid ratings are based on hospitalizations, cases, and patients in hospital beds. If your county is in the medium range, the local health system is starting to feel the strain.

They post a “Covid-19 Toolkit” with links to resources to keep yourself and others safe:
1. find masks
2. vaccines or boosters
3. test-to-treat locations
4. order free tests from the federal government.

There are two phone numbers listed if you need to speak to someone about your status. Watch for an informational link on “Long Covid,” the long terms effects some people can experience after having the Covid virus.

Don’t stop scrolling; at the bottom you will find more resources:
1. Symptoms and care for the immunocompromised
2. Travel
3. At-home testing
4. Air ventilation
5. Long COVID Study

Frank Samuelson

Free Covid tests available again - What You Can Do Now

1/6/2023

Free Covid tests available again

Health Care Reform Forum

The Biden administration has decided to once again offer free Covid tests for households. From CNBC: The relaunch of the free at-home test program is part of the Biden administration’s preparedness plan for Covid this winter. Covid infections are increasing again as hospital emergency departments are already battling a surge of patients sick with the flu and respiratory syncytial virus.

There is a limit of one order per household, which includes a total of four tests. Check this webpage for a link to participate in this offer.

Frank Samuelson

More Free Covid Tests Available - What You Can Do Now

5/27/2022

More Free Covid Tests Available!

Health Care Reform Forum

Get your free Covid tests now!

Note: as of September, 2022 these are no longer offered.

Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order a third round of free at-home Covid tests. It's simple! Just fill out this form on line. If you are unable to use a computer or phone to do this, you can call 1-800-232-0233 or TTY1-888-720-7489. (The latter is a teletypewriter used as a communication device by people who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or have severe speech impairment.)

PACG Office Manager

Financial Assistance for Covid Funeral Expenses - Of Interest to Our Community

2/22/2022

Financial Assistance for COVID-Related Funeral Expenses

Of Interest to Our Community

PACG Health Care Reform Forum

FEMA is providing financial assistance for COVID-19-related funeral expenses

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought overwhelming grief to many families. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is dedicated to helping ease some of the financial stress and burden caused by the virus.

Under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, FEMA is providing financial assistance for COVID-19 -related funeral expenses incurred after January 20, 2020.

COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Line Number
(844)-684-6333 | TTY: (800)-462-7585
Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central Time

For more information about this assistance, visit COVID-19 Funeral Assistance | FEMA.gov. Get answers to frequently asked questions about the application process on FEMA’s Funeral Assistance FAQ page. Watch the video, Providing Financial Assistance for COVID-19-related Funeral Expenses.

Get Free Covid Tests! - What You Can Do Now

2/16/2022

Get Your Free Covid Tests Now!

Health Care Reform Forum

Insurance companies now cover the costs of Covid-19 tests for the general population. One option is the newly launched federal website, https://www.covidtests.gov/ where anyone can order four free at-home covid tests. The process is quick and easy.

However, Medicare beneficiaries should refer to specific information for seniors found at: www.medicare.gov/coverage/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-tests

The following information was copied directly from the Medicare website:

Currently, Original Medicare doesn't pay for over-the-counter COVID-19 tests. You can pick up free at-home tests from community health centers and Medicare-certified health clinics. Or, visit COVIDtests.gov to order a free COVID-19 at-home test.

In early Spring 2022, people with Medicare will be able to go to a network of pharmacies and health care facilities to get up to 8 free, over-the-counter COVID-19 tests a month through Medicare. More information will be available in early Spring.

Julie Ross

ARPA Vote by Scott County Board of Supervisors - Action Alert

2/14/2022

Support Excluded and Essential Workers in Scott County - Action Alert
Thursday, February 17th to March 17th

Dear Friends and Workers,

All of us have been hit hard by the COVD-19 pandemic. And every day over the past 2 years, thousands of essential workers risked their health and safety to make sure we got food, healthcare, transportation, education and shelter - all the things we need to live.

Many of these frontline workers, though, have been excluded or left out of pandemic relief measures. We can change that!

Scott County has received over $33 million - through the American Rescue Plan - to help people recover from the pandemic. This includes people - like essential workers, immigrant workers - who've been hurt the most and risked the most to keep our communities going.

But our Scott County elected officials are not prioritizing essential workers who bore the weight of the economy on their shoulders. Scott County has the perfect opportunity to invest back into the very people that invested so much time, sweat, and tears into Scott County with their labor during this world-wide pandemic.

The Board of Supervisors plans on voting on how to spend ARPA funds on Thursday, March 17th. We must take action now! For Scott County to listen, it will take hundreds of our allies’ voices. Your voice as an ally of low-wage workers and immigrants in Scott County is critical.

How You Can Take Action

SHOW UP:

This Thursday, February 17th at the Scott County Administrative Center during the Board of Supervisor's meeting at 4:45 PM and speak in support of Excluded and Essential Workers during public comment.

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1282300882255169/?active_tab=about

CALL and EMAIL:

Scott County Supervisor Chair Ken Beck at
563-499-1619 and ken.beck@scottcountyiowa.gov

Tell him:

Scott County should put at least $20 million in an Excluded and Essential Workers Fund - direct aid and premium pay should go to the essential, frontline and excluded workers who have risked their health to keep our communities going during the pandemic.

Email him. Here's an example email to consider sending:
Hello Supervisor Beck,

My name is (YOUR NAME) and I live at (YOUR ADDRESS). I am a (AFFILIATION member of Quad Cities Interfaith, Faith Institution, constituent of Scott County, etc.) I am writing to you today to express my support for Scott County to invest $20 million from the American Rescue Plan Act in Excluded and Essential Workers by

1. PROVIDING IMMEDIATE RELIEF TO lOW-WAGE WORKERS EXCLUDED FROM PANDEMIC RELIEF by allocating $10 million of ARPA funds for direct aid in the form of stimulus checks of $3,200 for every low-wage worker in Scott County who was excluded from previous rounds of pandemic relief.

2. PROVIDING PREMIUM PAY FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS by allocating an additional $10 million in Premium Pay for low-wage, essential workers who performed essential work in Scott County throughout the pandemic.

Over the past 2 years, essential and excluded workers did not have the luxury of working from home. They showed up to work knowing there may not be enough PPE, no sick leave, no hazard pay, no federal pandemic relief of any sort because they had to. Excluded and Essential workers kept our economy running, while risking their health so we could protect ours. It is time that we invest back into these workers that showed up everyday. These workers are certified nurses assistants, delivery drivers, cleaning and sanitation, grocery store employees, restaurant workers, construction workers, nurses, hospitality workers, the list goes on. They were and continue to be ESSENTIAL workers.

Counties like Johnson County, IA and states like New York and New Jersey have invested in excluded and essential workers. Scott County has the perfect opportunity to invest back directly into the people that were impacted the greatest.

Once again, I am asking you, as your constituent, to support Excluded and Essential Workers through the American Rescue Plan Act.

Sincerely,
(YOUR NAME)

What we do with American Rescue Plan relief money can redefine our communities for years to come. Make your voice heard!
Can you drop us a note after you've made your calls or emails and let us know how they went?

In Solidarity,
Quad Cities Interfaith

Alta Price

Free N95 Masks Available - A Message from the President

2/1/2022

Free N95 Masks Available Locally for All Residents

A Message from the President

The Biden administration has made 400 million N95 masks available to Americans. As of this week, all residents can receive up to three, free N95 masks. From channel WQAD8: "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Jan. 14 updated its guidance on face coverings to say properly fitted N95 and KN95 masks offer the most protection against COVID-19, versus surgical or cloth masks." The Administration has taken this move to protect against the omicron Covid variant.

The Rock Island County Health Department will be distributing N95s at its health centers and community health care clinics. N95s are also available at participating pharmacies and other health centers in the Quad Cities.

For more information and distribution locations visit:
www.wqad.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/free-n95-masks-quad-cities-locations/

Glenda Guster

Update Regarding Annual Picnic - Message from the Board

8/31/2021

Picnic and Pie Auction Update - Vaccinations and Masks

A Message from the Board

As you know, the PACG Board has been considering CDC guidance regarding the pandemic when making decisions about how we hold meetings and events. At this time, we believe it is still safe for us to have our Picnic and Pie Auction out-of-doors, as planned. However, the severity of the Delta Covid variant has left us in unique and uncertain times. As a result of our desire to protect the most vulnerable of our members, the Board has decided unanimously that vaccinations will be required to attend this year's picnic.

Dr. Alta Price, M.D., recently spoke to the Scott County Health Department about our Picnic & Pie Auction plans. She described our situation and told them that we are requiring attendees to be vaccinated. Given the size of the event and that it is out-of-doors, they were not concerned about viral transmission. Although they haven’t had problems locally with events such as ours, they said that outdoor transmission of the Delta variant is possible in prolonged, crowded, large events, such as concerts.

For those who are concerned, we encourage you to wear a mask and bring a chair to use for increased social distancing. Removing your mask to eat may not feel safe to some attendees, so consider bringing a food container to take your meal home to eat later.

We believe this is the correct - albeit conservative - decision, and will allow those in attendance an extra level of reassurance. Thank you for your understanding.

Join the Spread the Relief Campaign - What You Can Do Now

3/29/2021

Join the Spread the Relief Campaign!
Ongoing Online

A Message from the President

PACG has partnered with our friends at One Human Family QCA, Immigration Office of the Diocese of Davenport, Metrocom NAACP and Quad Cities Interfaith in the "Spread the Relief" campaign. We encourage people to donate all or part of their COVID relief funding to programs and agencies that are helping those in our communities who have been more severely impacted by the downturn of the economy. Three areas of concern are food assistance, housing assistance and health care.

Rabbi Henry Karp, co-founder of One Human Family QCA states that, "The goal of the campaign is to call upon our neighbors in the greater Quad-City area whose income and financial security have not been negatively impacted, but who will be receiving stimulus checks from the federal government as part of COVID relief. We ask these people to consider donating all or part of their stimulus funds to programs and agencies that are providing assistance to those most seriously affected by the pandemic. In this way we can 'Spread the Relief' to those in dire need."

A very extensive list of organizations to which stimulus dollars can be donated is listed in our Spread the Relief Catalogue blog post. Select a category of need (at the top of the blog post) and then choose an organization to donate to. Write "COVID Relief" in the memo line of your check.

Read the Spread the Relief News Release here. The campaign flyer, catalogue and news release are attached below.

The press for this campaign is rolling in! Please share to spread the word!

Allison Ambrose

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Spread the Relief Campaign News Release - What You Can Do Now

3/29/2021

Spread the Relief Campaign News Release

One Human Family of the QCA

News Release:
From: One Human Family of the Quad-Cities Area
Event: Spreading the good of the stimulus dollars
Contact: Connie Lannan, 309-945-5152
Rabbi Henry Karp, 563-505-8823

Organizations join forces to help stimulus dollars go even further through the ‘Spread the Relief’ campaign

On March 11, President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan, which is offering $1.9 trillion in coronavirus (COVID-19) relief funding, including direct payments of up to $1,400 to individuals who make up to $75,000 annually. One Human Family of the QCA, the Immigration Office of the Diocese of Davenport, Metrocom NAACP, Progressive Action for the Common Good and Quad Cities Interfaith would like to make those stimulus dollars benefit those most in need with their “Spread the Relief” campaign.

“The goal of the campaign is to call upon our neighbors in the greater Quad-City area whose income and financial security have not been negatively impacted, but who will be receiving stimulus checks from the federal government, to consider donating all or part of their stimulus funds to programs and agencies that are providing assistance to those most seriously affected by the pandemic,” says Rabbi Henry Karp, co-founder of One Human Family.

This team effort is aimed at shining a light on and providing funds to area agencies and programs that have been offering the following types of help:

Food assistance
Housing assistance
Health care

“Food, shelter and health care are fundamental to the well-being of every individual. The pandemic has devastated all three of these areas. So many in our region have suffered job loss, food insecurity and the loss of their health insurance. By teaming with agencies that provide these types of assistance, we hope those who have been spared these hardships will be able to pay it forward and help those who have been so severely impacted during this time,” says Allison Ambrose, Ph.D., president of Progressive Action for the Common Good.

“We have done our best to organize a list of some of the more well-known agencies and programs that are assisting people in the greater Quad-City area in these three areas of concern,” Rabbi Karp says. “We have included contact information for the agencies we have listed. We may have missed some organizations, but this is a starting point. Our goal is to help those in the most need.”

Find the list of programs and agencies to which stimulus dollars can be donated on these websites:

One Human Family of the QCA (www.onehumanfamilyqca.org)
Immigration Office of the Diocese of Davenport (www.davenportdiocese.org)
Metrocom NAACP of Davenport (www.davenportnaacp.org)
Progressive Action for the Common Good (www.pacgqc.org)
Quad Cities Interfaith (www.qcinterfaith.org)

Please, do not send your donation checks to the sponsoring organizations listed above. Send them directly to the programs of your choice listed on the above-mentioned websites. Put “COVID Relief” in the memo line of your check.

Read our PACG blog post encouraging you to Join the Spread the Relief Campaign here.

Read more in our Spread the Relief Catalogue of agencies in need.

Allison Ambrose