Jenkintown Borough continues to update the opens in a new windowBorough website with the latest COVID-19 information and community resources that have been provided by County, State and Federal agencies.
Congresswoman Madeleine Dean provides a message below reminding Pennsylvanian’s to exercise their right to vote on Primary Election Day on June 2 and offers legislative updates and guidance.
May 28, 2020
Dear Friend,
Thank you for your continuous efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 — from social distancing to delivering mail — each of us is serving a unique and important role in stopping the spread of this virus. I have spoken with small business leaders, health officials, school districts, state and county officials, and Governor Wolf’s office to ensure we have a united effort in combating the COVID-19 outbreak and delivering economic relief to struggling Americans.
Primary Election is this Tuesday, June 2nd
The Primary Election is quickly approaching. Due to COVID-19, many polling places have been consolidated. If voting in-person, be sure to confirm your opens in a new windowpolling place.
Polls are open from 7AM to 8PM.
For vote-by-mail, Montgomery County has also placed opens in a new windowdrop-off boxes throughout the county where ballots can be submitted safely and securely. This weekend I took a few minutes to fill out my ballot and bring it to the drop-off box.
Drop-off Box Locations:
Before you drop your mail-in ballot into the drop-off box, place your voted ballot inside the official return envelope, securely seal the official return envelope and sign and date the back of the official return envelope.
For more information on voting, please visit opens in a new windowMontgomery or opens in a new windowBerks County voter services website.
Legislative Update
During the COVID-19 outbreak my staff and I have been working tirelessly with my colleagues to introduce thoughtful legislation, including the following bills:
- opens in a new windowThe Nursing Home COVID-19 Protection and Prevention Act
- opens in a new windowPayment Protection Program Expansion, this legislation will give much needed flexibility to small businesses who applied for a PPP loan passed. This legislation passed the House today and now heads to the Senate for consideration.
Unemployment Guidance from Governor Wolf
My place of business is reopening. Do I need to return to work?
Employment in Pennsylvania is “at-will,” meaning that an employer can terminate an employee at any time for any reason (except an illegal one) or for no reason at all. “At-will” also means an employee can leave a job at any time for any reason without legal consequences.
Generally, refusal to return to work would disqualify an employee from receiving unemployment compensation (UC) benefits. However, due to the COVID-19 emergency, the business closure order, and safety guidance from DOH, you may still, be eligible for unemployment compensation benefits even if you refuse to return to work, depending on your circumstances.
If you are in an at-risk population for COVID-19 and your employer cannot or will not make reasonable accommodations for you to work safely, you may be eligible for UC. The Office of Unemployment Compensation will make eligibility determinations based on the facts of each individual case. Visit opens in a new windowwww.uc.pa.gov to find out more.
Who can I contact if my employer is re-opening and shouldn’t be, or if they are operating unsafely?
Complaints about businesses remaining in operation that should be closed or about businesses violating the PA DOH Worker Safety Order and Building Safety Orders can be reported by using the DOH complaint form, or by calling your local law enforcement’s non-emergency number. Please do not call 911.
Complaints about businesses not following OSHA standards, including the OSHA COVID-19 opens in a new windowguidance should be filed with OSHA.
For more extensive information on protecting yourself at work during the COVID pandemic, opens in a new windowclick here.
Economic Impact Payments By Prepaid Debit Card
The IRS announced that they will be sending nearly $4 million Economic Impact Payments or stimulus checks by prepaid debit card, instead of by paper check.
“EIP Card recipients can make purchases, get cash from in-network ATMs, and transfer funds to their personal bank account without incurring any fees. They can also check their card balance online, by mobile app, or by phone without incurring fees.”
If you receive an Economic Impact Payment Card, it will arrive in a plain envelope from “Money Network Cardholder Services.” Please go to [EIPcard.com]EIPcard.com for more information.
As your member of Congress, I will continue to update you with the latest on the coronavirus outbreak. Please continue to reach out to my office if you are in need of additional resources or guidance.
For more information on how to protect yourself and others from the COVID-19 outbreak, please visit my [dean.house.gov]coronavirus webpage and follow me on [Twitter.com/RepDean]Twitter and [Facebook.com/RepMadeleineDean]Facebook for frequent updates.
We are all in this together and we will get through this if we continue practice social distancing and good hygiene.
Sincerely,
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The Borough continues to encourage everyone to follow the Governor’s latest “Stay at Home Order” as well as the opens in a new windowCDC guidelines including hand washing, social distancing and covering your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others.
Thank you all! Stay safe and be well!