Coronavirus Update: April 10, 2020

By The Numbers:
Statistics are current as of April 10, 3:00pm CT

• In Texas, 115,918 people have been tested, resulting in 11,671 cases and 226 deaths, as reported by the Texas Department of State Health Services.
• Tarrant County has at least 637 confirmed cases; Parker County has 11 confirmed cases; and Wise County has 4. Yesterday, April 9 was the ninth consecutive day Tarrant County confirmed at least one coronavirus-related death, bringing the county’s total to at least 20 dead.
• In the United States, there are at least 459,165 cases and 16,570 deaths, as reported by the CDC.157,073 cases are in New York - the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak.

Need to Know:

• Social Security recipients don’t need to file tax returns to receive coronavirus relief checks. My office continues to hear from Social Security recipients with questions about their coronavirus relief checks. The Treasury Department and the IRS have announced that Social Security recipients who do not typically file tax returns will not have to file an abbreviated tax return to receive their relief check. The IRS will use information they already have to generate the one-time payment. See here for more.
• Our veterans deserve the very best care. As military pharmacies and bases like NAS JRB Fort Worth adapt to the pandemic, some Texas 12 veterans are finding the process of obtaining their medications more complicated. Did you know the VA can help you fill your prescriptions and even send them directly to your address? Visit here to see if you qualify for no or little co-payments. You may be able to avoid the pharmacy altogether.
• While the outbreak has pushed the Waco VA Regional Office to remote work, the office is still committed to helping North Texas veterans. Many services, like hearings and employment services, are available over the phone or through virtual options. For more information, visit https://www.benefits.va.gov/waco/
• The CARES Act will help keep Texas 12’s public transit—and our essential workers—on-the-move. Millions of Americans, including essential workers, rely on public transportation like Trinity Metro to get to work. The Department of Transportation recently announced $25 billion in transit grants made possible through the CARES Act, with $318.6 million going to the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area. These grants will allow essential employees, like our frontline health care workers and grocery store staff, a way to continue their vital service to the public.