On Friday, President Trump declared the coronavirus outbreak a national emergency. That action will free up close to $42.5 billion in federal funds to use in addressing the crisis. After being exposed to several people who have since tested positive for the coronavirus COVID-19, the President has also been tested and gotten a negative report.
Montana Senator Steve Daines has been leading the efforts in Congress to respond to the coronavirus outbreak. He presented his proposal and ideas to the President two weeks ago. Last Thursday, he introduced bipartisan legislation to provide disaster unemployment assistance to people who are unable to work due to the current coronavirus outbreak. Assistance would be available to individuals, including self-employed individuals and independent contractors, who are sick, quarantined, furloughed, or whose family circumstances keep them from working or reduce their pay as a result of the coronavirus outbreak or government containment efforts.
Daines also urged Trump to take swift action to make testing for the coronavirus affordable. The IRS announced the next day it would adopt Daines’ proposal to remove financial barriers to testing and treatment for the coronavirus by allowing high deductible health plans to cover coronavirus-related testing and treatment before a patient has met their deductible. He unveiled a slate of proposals and priorities he’s working to advance that will help protect Montana families and their finances during the coronavirus outbreak including paid leave, temporarily waiving payroll taxes, providing relief from tariffs, and ensuring access to affordable testing.
Senator Jon Tester, meanwhile, introduced legislation to guarantee that tests to confirm infections will be free, as well as to open up emergency Unemployment Insurance funds to replace wages lost by Montanans who have been affected by the outbreak.
“No Montanan should have to pay for COVID-19 testing—period,” said Tester. “That’s why I’m backing legislation to waive the costs for getting tested, regardless of whether you’re on Medicare, on private insurance, or not insured at all,” said Tester. He has also introduced legislation to provide temporary unemployment assistance to folks who lose their jobs or can’t work because of the outbreak.
Tester’s Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Act would create a temporary unemployment assistance program for Americans whose job status has been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak in order to directly support those most impacted. It would provide workers who lose their paychecks—whether because of their own health status, a quarantine, or a school closure that leaves them without childcare—with access to unemployment benefits to help them make ends meet until they’re back at work.
The day before Trump declared it a national emergency, Governor Steve Bullock had already declared a state of emergency in Montana. At that time, March 12, Montana was one of only three states left that did not have a positive test. That changed on March 14, when the CDC registered four positive test results for COVID-19 within the state, including Missoula.
“Now is the time to plan, not to panic,” said Governor Bullock. “Our state has been preparing for coronavirus to come to Montana and we will be prepared to respond all along the way. Just like we do when any challenging situation hits our communities, we stick together to make sure that we mitigate the impact, that we have an appropriate response, and that we slow the spread.”
The emergency order allows the governor to direct a coordinated response to an outbreak of communicable disease. This includes mobilizing all available state resources, such as emergency funds or personnel from the National Guard. It also allows the governor to take additional steps as warranted.
On March 3, Governor Bullock activated the Governor’s Task Force, a multi-agency executive task force, to prepare the state and ensure the state, local public health, and the federal government are working together to keep Montanans informed with accurate and up-to-date information. The Task Force is spearheaded by Adjutant General Matthew Quinn, who oversees the Disaster and Emergency Services division which is well versed in multi-agency coordination and all-hazard response planning.
The Task Force has launched an informational phone line at 1-888-333-0461 and Montanans can also email questions to covid19info@mt.gov. State public health officials will be responding to inquiries from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.
A website has also been set up to keep the public apprised of Task Force actions at COVID19.mt.gov [covid19.mt.gov]. Montanans can also visit the DPHHS website at www.dphhs.mt.gov [dphhs.mt.gov] for the most updated and timely health information related to the coronavirus. The Governor’s Office, Task Force, and DPHHS will continue to provide up-to-date information to Montanans as it becomes available.