SS+D COVID-19 Response Team: Federal and State Update March 31, 2020

STATE UPDATE – SCHOOL CLOSURES EXTENDED THROUGH MAY 1.
Yesterday, Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton signed an order keeping K-12 schools closed through May 1, 2020.

STATE UPDATE – 26 STATES AND D.C. ISSUE MORATORIUMS ON EVICTIONS; NOT OHIO
At least 26 states plus the District of Columbia have issued moratoriums relating to tenant evictions. Some apply only to residential tenant evictions; others apply to both residential and commercial tenant evictions.

To date, Ohio has not issued any such moratorium order, although the Ohio Supreme Court has encouraged local municipal courts to limit eviction and foreclosure proceedings.

Montgomery County Municipal Court has called a moratorium on all eviction hearings and evictions until at least May 1, 2020.

FEDERAL – SBA RELEASES APPLICATION FORM FOR PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM
Today the SBA released a sample form for employers interested in applying for the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The application form can be found HERE. Employers can apply through any existing SBA 7(a) lender or through any federally insured depository institution, credit union, or farm credit system that is participating. Lenders may begin processing loan applications as soon as April 3, 2020.

For more information on the PPP Program, please refer to our update from yesterday, which can be found HERE.

FEDERAL – CMS ANNOUNCES SWEEPING REGULATORY CHANGES TO COMBAT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
Yesterday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a sweeping array of new rules and waivers of federal requirements to ensure that local hospitals and health systems have the capacity to absorb and effectively manage potential surges of COVID-19 patients. Below we summarize some of the actions CMS is taking to help providers address patient needs during the pandemic:

• Expands access to telehealth services.
• Medicare reimbursement for at-home COVID-19 testing
• Increases caps on number of beds in physician-owned
• Establishes additional COVID-19 testing and screening
• Permits hospitals to provide meals, laundry, child care, to assist medical staff.
• Eliminates certain paperwork requirements (e.g., hospitals will not be required to have written policies on visitation of patients who are in isolation for COVID-19).
• Permits use of respiratory devices beyond traditional

ABOUT THE SS+D COVID-19 RESPONSE TEAM
The SS+D COVID-19 Response Team was formed to provide clients, colleagues, and friends of the Firm updates for the foreseeable future on COVID-19 issues facing businesses, executives, and employees. Please let us know if there are any items/issues you would like for us to track or summarize.