/r/Portland COVID-19 Coronavirus Megathread
LATEST STATS
Oregon + Daily Report
Washington
LATEST NEWS
- Watch Live: Gov. Brown on New Guidance for Reopening Oregon
- Interactive map of COVID-19 cases by zip code
- Stories From Five Portlanders Who’ve Been Waiting On Oregon Unemployment Benefits Since March (sources are from our own Employment megathread)
OTHER THREADS: Master FAQ — Eating — Employment — Housing — Donations — Businesses— Mental Health
WHAT TO DO
Hygiene
- Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly
- Sneeze or cough into a tissue then throw it away, or into your elbow
- Sanitize surfaces you touch often: doorknobs, counters, phones, remotes, appliance handles
Stay at Home
- Seriously, stay the fuck home when you can!
- Why? Here's how it saves lives.
Social Distancing
- Practice social distancing by staying at least 6 feet away from others when possible.
- Do not have gatherings in your home (excepting people you live with)
If you feel sick
- Wear a mask to avoid transmitting the virus to people or surfaces
- Use Oregon’s coronavirus online triage tool
- Call your doctor before going in or try an online consult.
FOOD AND SUPPLIES
What stores and restaurants are delivering?
Where can I find toilet paper, craft supplies, etc?
- Toilet paper is getting easier to find, flour and yeast are still scarce, and hair dye/clippers are very hard to find now
- See the older Grocery Megathread for older comments and tips
- Read and contribute to the EATING thread
Where can I get food assistance?
HOUSING
Eviction Moratorium
- City of Portland moratorium FAQ
- Oregon and Washington both have statewide moratoriums on residential evictions
- You can defer rent payments for up to 6 months if you can demonstrate loss of income due to COVID-19
- You must provide documentation to your landlord on or before the day rent is due
- Homeowners may be able to defer mortgage payments
- Oregon has a 90-day moratorium on commercial evictions for nonpayment
- Read and contribute to the HOUSING thread
EMPLOYMENT
Unemployment Insurance
- Unemployment office is overwhelmed, long wait times. Keep trying!
- Online form
- (877) 345-3484 to file or ask questions (good luck!)
- Oregon unemployment claims system suffers another breakdown, tells laid-off workers to start over
- Useful post about Unemployment
- Employment Department Temporary Rules for Unemployment Insurance Benefits Flexibility (pdf)
- Freelancers, gig workers can receive unemployment benefits
- See the older Jobs Megathread for older comments and tips
- Read and contribute to the EMPLOYMENT thread
Who is hiring?
- Openings posted today via Google
- Oregon Unemployment Office is hiring
- TriMet is hiring service workers
TRAVEL
Can I go outside?
- Yes, as long as you stay 6 feet away from anyone you're not living with.
- While out, avoid contact with commonly touched surfaces like doors, counters, grocery carts, elevator buttons
- Don't touch your face when outside, to avoid transferring possible virus contamination to vulnerable areas
- Upon returning home, sanitize yourself, your clothes, surfaces touched like doorknobs and phones, and any items you've brought in
Are the borders closed?
- No, you can travel between states freely.
How can I get around?
- Uber and Lyft are still operating
- Tri-met is operating, 10-15 people per bus
- You can drive your car for essential travel, which includes a drive for your own mental health
- Portland Tram closed to non-essential public
- Is this martial law? Oregon State Police answer your questions about the governor’s stay-home order
MENTAL HEALTH
- You can go outside or for a drive if you are getting cabin fever. Just stay 6 feet from anyone else.
- Call SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline at (800) 985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to speak to a trained crisis counselor
- Free Guide To Living With Worry And Anxiety Amidst Global Uncertainty
- Google Doc of links to mostly free things to do at home (u/mszinnialange)
- Free Things That Weren't Free Before Coronavirus
- Read and contribute to the MENTAL HEALTH thread
HOSPITALS AND CARE PROVIDERS
What is the status of our medical system?
- Daily update (pdf)
How can I donate supplies to hospitals?
- Learn what to make and where to donate at GetUsPPE.org
- Read and contribute to the DONATIONS thread
SCHOOLS, SERVICES, BUSINESSES
What is closed or cancelled?
- All K-12 schools in Oregon are closed for the rest of the school year
- All higher institutions are doing online classes
- Multnomah County libraries; Portland Parks & Rec indoor facilities; NBA and Timbers games; Timberline, Bachelor, and Mt. Hood Meadows; Rose Festival delayed
- Read and contribute to the BUSINESSES thread
Do I pump my own gas?
Where do I report a business that is not social distancing?
- OSHA: online form
Where do I report price gouging?
- Oregon DoJ Consumer Protection: (503) 378-8442 or online form
GOVERNMENT
Taxes
- Federal and state taxes, including Arts Tax, are all due on July 15
Oregon
What assistance is available to me?
- Earl Blumenauer: list of assistance options
- COVID-19 Related Business Layoffs, Closures, and Unemployment Insurance Benefits
- COVID-19 Scenarios and Benefits (pdf)
- Employment Department Temporary Rules for Unemployment Insurance Benefits Flexibility (pdf)
- DHS suggests SNAP and Unemployment
- How to apply for the Oregon Health Plan
Utilities
- All public utilities have suspended nonpayment shut-offs: Portland General Electric, NW Natural Gas, Portland Water Bureau, Pacific Power
- Comcast, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon suspend data caps; CenturyLink too, plus won't shut off for late payment
National
Stimulus and Relief
- Federal stimulus provides $1200 per adult making <=$75K AGI, $500 per child, and $600/week for people on Unemployment in addition to their Unemployment payment. Also small business loans, bailouts for industry, and money for medical institutions.
- Dates money will be received is not yet known - possibly 3 weeks
CDC and WHO guidelines
- Information about COVID-19 in the United States, CDC
- Coronavirus advisory information, WHO
- Coronavirus Q&A, WHO
- Coronavirus condition overview, WHO
ARCHIVED MEGATHREADS
The information in older threads was getting stale (three weeks old) and not organized by what it turns out was needed. You can still see the information in them: Grocery Megathread, Shutdown Megathread, Jobs, Food, Assistance Megathread, Business Support Megathread, Mental Health Megathread
OTHER THREADS: Master FAQ — Eating — Employment — Housing — Donations — Businesses— Mental Health