Coronavirus Update: April 3, 2020

By The Numbers:

Statistics are current as of April 3, 3:00pm CT

  • In Texas, 55,764 people have been tested, resulting in 5,330 cases and 90 deaths, as reported by the Texas Department of State Health Services.
    • Tarrant County has at least 325 confirmed cases; Parker County has 5 confirmed cases; and Wise County has 3.
  • In the United States, there are at least 239,279 cases and 5,443deaths, as reported by the CDC.
    • 90,279 cases are in New York -  the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak.

 

Need to Know:

  • Scammers want your coronavirus relief payment. The CARES Act, signed by President Trump last Friday, is the third phase of Congress’ response to the coronavirus and provides relief to Americans in the form of direct payments of up to $1,200. Federal agencies like the IRS are warning taxpayers to stay alert to potential scams related to coronavirus relief checks, which can come in the form of emails, text messages, and calls. Red flags to look for include requests for money, personal taxpayer information, or banking information, and use the words “Stimulus Check” or “Stimulus Payment”; the official term used by federal agencies is “economic impact payment.” Read more about these scams and schemes here.
  • Seeking a guide to coronavirus relief for small businesses? My office published a comprehensive guide to assist Texas 12 small businesses in understanding and accessing major federal resources and loans currently available for businesses hurt by the coronavirus outbreak. Key programs and initiatives covered in the guide, which is available on my website, include the new Paycheck Protection Program, the Small Business Administration (SBA)’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan, the SBA’s Debt Relief program, and more.
    • If you are interested in applying for the Paycheck Protection Program—which lets you take out an SBA loan to cover 8 weeks of payroll, rent, and utilities, and can be forgiven if you follow guidelines—you may do so starting todayI encourage you to apply as soon as you can, because there is a funding cap.