When ‘patient one’ arrived at Providence St. Joseph Health in Seattle, some of the hospital staff had just finished a drill in their Biocontainment Evaluation and Specialty Treatment Center, doing training on how to contain infectious pathogens.
The hospital had understood that the first US case of COVID-19 would likely appear somewhere on the West, and on January 20, the CDC sent back confirmation. ‘Patient one’ — recently returned from China — had been infected with the novel coronavirus.
“Because of the incredible interconnectedness and the deep business ties we have here in the Seattle market between Microsoft and Amazon and all of the tech companies we have, and the direct flying back and forth that happens on a daily basis, we were going to end up seeing this,” said Amy Compton Phillips, the hospital’s chief clinical officer, in a March 12 interview published on FierceHealthcare.com
Now, two and a half months into the pandemic here in America, the staff of Providence St. Joseph Health are learning how to successfully treat COVID patients using telehealth technology, in the comfort of the patient’s own home.
The Pagosa Springs Town Council did not concern itself with the details of patient treatment last night at Town Hall. The Council was discussing local folks who are hurting — due not to the virus itself — but due to a shuttered economy. The closed businesses. The furloughed employees. The working moms now staying at home, caring for school-age children. The families unable to pay their monthly rent.
in a 5280 magazine interview this week, Colorado Restaurant Association president Sonia Riggs estimated that of the 235,000 people employed in Colorado restaurants, bars and coffee shops, more than 150,000 have been laid off or furloughed. About 65 percent?
“In terms of layoffs, the restaurant industry is being hollowed out,” she said.
We don’t have a handle on the number of layoffs here in Archuleta County, but according to Region 9 data from 2016, our local leisure and hospitality sector employs about 730 people. If Pagosa has been hit as hard as the rest of Colorado, we could guess that about 475 people in that one industry sector have been laid off or furloughed. Some might suspect the number is even higher.
How many other sectors have been hard hit? Real estate, perhaps? Retail? Independent contractors? Theaters?
The goal of the Town Council, at last night’s Zoom-enabled meeting, was to inject some taxpayer revenues into existing relief efforts, quickly. Town Manager Andrea Phillips and Town Clerk April Hessman had analyzed the 2020 municipal budget and determined that the Town could safely dole out $125,000 on local relief organizations.
The Council first heard a presentation from a newly-formed Lodgers Association, urging the Town to help with a speedy recovery to the current economic challenges, and offering the assistance of the Association members when needed.
The Council then passed an ‘Temporary Emergency Relief’ policy that allows businesses to defer various fees and payments until June 30. The deferrals and waivers relate to:
- Business Licenses
- Building Permit and Plan Review Fees
- Geothermal Utility Payments
- Lodging Tax Collections
You can download the policy here.
The Council then allocated $20,000 to a small business loan program administered by Region 9 Economic Development. From the meeting packet:
Restaurants and lodging properties, as well as salons and other small businesses considered “non essential” are likely seeing drastically reduced sales due to closures ordered by the Governor or through public health orders to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. This loan program, which is managed through Region 9, is already established and available for businesses.
If all goes well, these loans will eventually be repaid. If they are not repaid… well, that’s not something we want to think about.
(Businesses looking for help specifically with payroll costs — through a ‘forgivable loan’ — should explore the federal ‘Paycheck Protection Program.’ Click here to learn more about that program.)
The next contribution went to a ‘micro-grant’ program — offered through First Southwest Community Fund, a 501c3 nonprofit partner of First Southwest Bank — grants to small businesses or non-profits who have been adversely impacted by COVID-19. This funding is designed to enable businesses to keep their operations going and prevent job loss. The Council donated $30,000 to that program, aiming the funds at businesses with 5 or fewer employees.
The Council then contributed $50,000 to Pagosa Outreach Connection, an existing relief organization that makes small grants to needy individuals and families. The Council specified that the Town funds can be provided only to local employees who’ve been laid off or furloughed.
The final allocation of the evening went to a program aimed at supporting local restaurants, in the amount of $4,000…
Bill Hudson began sharing his opinions in the Pagosa Daily Post in 2004 and can’t seem to break the habit. He claims that, in Pagosa Springs, opinions are like pickup trucks: everybody has one.