COVID-19 News In Brief

News-In-Brief

Discover the Wide-Spread Impact of COVID-19 Contributors include: Michael Clark, Vanessa Grossl, Sierra Hatfield, Casandra Hockenberry, Dina Klimkina, Taylor Lansdale, Sean Slone, James Tatum and Brandy Whisman.

As the COVID-19 pandemic reached and spread through the U.S., communities, states, economies and industries of all types were impacted by the outbreak. Here are some areas that were affected and how each will change and evolve to survive and succeed in the future.

USPS Service Disruptions Impact Upcoming Elections

On April 24, the United States Postal Service (USPS) issued an alert listing service suspension around the world as a result of the COVID19 pandemic. These suspensions come as election officials are grappling with the implications of COVID-19 stateside — with many states delaying election dates and/or expanding their absentee voting rules. Twenty states only allow for ballot return by mail for voters who fall under the protection of the Uniformed & Overseas Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), a federal law that covers voting rights for active-duty military and their families as well as U.S. citizens residing overseas. If these suspensions continue throughout the year, many voters may be left without a way to return their ballots.

Per UOCAVA, blank ballots must be transmitted to a voter at least 45 days before an election. States must also make available an option for electronic transmission of election materials, including a blank ballot. If a voter does not request electronic transmission of their blank ballot, many states will only supply voters with a copy via postal mail. Most states allow for some form of electronic submission of the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), which can be used by military and overseas voters to both register to vote and to request a blank ballot. However, the method of transmission of a voted ballot or Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot is decided by the state in which the voter is registered.

Military mail is returned to the U.S. via the USPS in concert with Army Post Office, Fleet Post Office and Diplomatic Post Office operations. The military and diplomatic postal operations transport military and diplomatic mail to commercial airlines and cargo planes. The USPS then takes responsibility for delivery. With a widespread decrease in commercial air travel, it is unclear what effect this lack of transportation will have on military ballots. Overseas voters can drop their ballots at embassies for transmission through Diplomatic Pouch, but many voters aren’t within a reasonable proximity to an embassy. Also, for security reasons, mail coming into an embassy is often put through rigorous security testing. This testing can cause damage to the election materials that results in Local Election Officials rejecting the ballot per state statutory requirements.

State election officials are working against the clock to adopt alternate options in light of COVID-19-related global mail disruptions. State and local election officials should contact their UOCAVA voters to educate them on the availability of electronic blank ballot transmission. States should also continue to educate these voters about shifting deadlines.

To learn more, contact Taylor Lansdale at tlansdale@csg.org.

Preparing People for Reentry – A Checklist for Correctional Facilities

Now, more than ever, as communities work to quickly reduce correctional populations in response to the COVID19 pandemic, it can be easy for jails and prisons to miss steps that ensure safety of employees and the people who are returning to their communities. The CSG Justice Center created a legal-sized checklist as a guide for reentry planning during this critical time.

Access this document on the web at csgjusticecenter.org/publications/ preparing-people-for-reentry

New Analysis Shows Surge of COVID-19 Cases and Deaths Inside State Prisons

Conservative estimates show that rates of COVID-19 cases among people incarcerated in state prisons and prison staff are more than three-and-a-half times higher than that of the general public, according to a new analysis by The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center.

As of May 3, 2020, coronavirus cases among people currently incarcerated in state prisons were more than 3.75 times higher than the rate of the general population, while cases involving corrections staff were 3.33 times higher than the general population.

The rate of confirmed infections among incarcerated people and prison staff was similar to that of the general population early in the pandemic, but then began to outpace the rest of the country quickly. Prison staff started testing positive at a higher rate in the first week of April before a large jump in confirmed positive cases among people incarcerated in prisons, which started to grow more rapidly the following week.

These disproportionate rates are part of a surge in cases and deaths reported by corrections officials over the last month. The number of positive COVID-19 cases was 27 times higher on May 3 than on April 3, and the number of confirmed deaths was 46 times higher on May 3 than a month prior.

This analysis is part of an ongoing effort by the CSG Justice Center to analyze the data, identify trends and develop tools to help states understand and respond to the virus in their prisons. To learn more about this analysis, visit csgjusticecenter.org/ new-analysis-shows-surge-of-covid-19-cases-and-deaths-inside-state-prisons.

The Impact on Higher Education: Can Colleges Survive COVID-19?

There is growing concern for the future of higher education in the U.S. as the coronavirus pandemic forced colleges and universities to shut down campuses for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester, move classes online, consider cutting staff and, in some cases, temporarily suspend admissions. With many states expected to have to cut budgets in the months and years ahead and with a return to campus this fall far from a sure thing, some are suggesting many insti

tutions may not survive. But the pandemic is just one factor hastening a trend of the last few years.

According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, 218 U.S. higher education institutions closed in 2018, impacting some 100,000 enrolled students. The Bipartisan Policy Center notes that many of the high-profile closures in recent years have occurred at large for-profit college chains but many small, private nonprofit colleges have also felt the squeeze. Lower enrollments due to changing demographics and a decrease in the number of international students — something that coronavirus travel restrictions seems likely to intensify — were projected to drive increases in the closure rate even before the pandemic.

Institutions are feeling the squeeze this year because the coronavirus has shut down nearly all the major revenue sources they survive on—tuition, room and board, activity fees and charitable giving. The problems at already struggling campuses could get much worse if they aren’t able to open up in the fall and if, as expected, financially strapped state governments enact substantial cuts down the road.

Complicating matters for colleges and universities is the continuing uncertainty produced by the coronavirus. That uncertainty may be prompting many students to consider other plans for the fall.

According to a survey commissioned by the American Council on Education and the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, nearly one in five currently enrolled U.S. college students of more than 2,000 surveyed said they were either uncertain about plans to re-enroll in the fall or planned not to go back. With the possibility of the ongoing pandemic persisting, students could be facing a major change to college life as they know it.

If classes move online more permanently and the campus life elements aren’t available, many students will see a learning environment they don’t like and could decide to opt out.

CSG Joins 11 Partners in Urging Congress to Support Funding for Cybersecurity

In late April, CSG joined 11 partner organizations in signing a letter to Congressional leadership asking for the inclusion of direct funding to states, territories and localities specifically for addressing cybersecurity and IT infrastructure needs due to the global impact of COVID-19. Cybersecurity refers to the measures taken to secure electronic data and systems against criminal attacks, including malware (software intentionally designed to cause damage), phishing (sending emails purporting to be from a reputable source in order to gain individuals’ personal information), spear phishing (a form of phishing that targets specific individuals), denial-of-service attack (an attack where a machine or network resource is made unavailable) and more.

In most companies and businesses, there are internal cybersecurity steps that are taken to stop these types of attacks. However, due to the COVID19 pandemic, we are seeding unprecedented levels of teleworking, including increased use of telemedicine services. Suddenly, these systems are significantly more vulnerable to cyberattacks.

“COVID-19 has required our workforces, educational systems and general way of life to quickly move remotely, exerting greater pressure on cybersecurity and IT professionals and increasing the risk of vulnerabilities and gaps to state and local networks,” CSG and its partners wrote in the letter to Congressional leaders. “These gaps are exacerbated by systems requiring modernization that do not foster remote work, which also increases the risks to employees supporting these systems.”

This letter requested Congress authorize and fully fund a dedicated cybersecurity program to help states, territories and localities develop and implement innovative and effective cybersecurity practices for remote work, help to build resources and human capital, better detect, analyze and protect against cyber threats and help to enhance partnerships among different levels of government.

To keep up with the latest analysis on issues impacting communities due to COVID-19, visit web.csg.org/COVID19.

Ensuring Equitable Access for Students with Disabilities Through Distance Learning

Across the country, schools transitioned to distance learning options in response to the widespread outbreak of COVID-19. All 50 states took measures to close all public elementary, secondary and post-secondary schools, and students moved to online learning at least for a period of time. While schools are closing out the semesters now, administrators are looking ahead to the fall semester and making plans for how young people will return to the classroom.

Federal Law — The Americans with Disabilities Act — prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability and requires educators to ensure provision of educational services if a student has an individualized education program (IEP) or is receiving services under Section 504. Unless closed to all students, schools are required to provide the same level of accessibility to online educational resources, regardless of disability status.

The U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights issued a legal framework, a context for accessibility in distance learning, resources for teachers and other assistance to schools. Equal accessibility is achieved when students with disabilities can learn material, interact with peers and engage in the same programs and activities as easily as their non-disabled peers. Those resources are available via webinar at this link: bit.ly/36cd2lE.

Educational institutions are encouraged to routinely test the accessibility of their online activities by using a combination of automated checkers that assess the code of the website as well as manual checking to ensure that nothing was missed. The Office of Civil Rights warns that automated checkers may be unable to recognize that a student cannot use a mouse, instead relying on a keyboard to access online resources. For this reason, supplemental manual testing should be conducted by individuals who have the tools to recognize and address such issues. Schools are urged to consider all varieties of disabilities along with the tools and technology used to participate.

The Office of Civil Rights has created fact sheets for further reference and guidance to educators and states as both plan for how lessons will be delivered in the fall. Those can be accessed at bit.ly/2zOQOdr and bit.ly/3gdiDwX. Contact Dina Klimkina at CSG for more information: dklimkina@csg.org.

Unemployment Benefits Made Available to Gig Economy Workers for the First Time

The number of workers who participate in alternative work environments has risen substantially over the past decade — before many more were forced to do so as a result of COVID-19. Millions of Americans are now considered “gig economy” workers, often utilizing technology to facilitate services or micro-tasks delivered on demand. Most of these workers file taxes using 1099 forms, making them traditionally ineligible for unemployment insurance programs in their states. However, under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, unemployment insurance benefits cover gig economy workers and self-employed workers who have been deemed eligible to apply for business aid through Paycheck Protection Program loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

There is still contention surrounding how the gig economy is actually defined, which has caused difficulty when attempting to capture an accurate number of gig economy jobs. The Federal Reserve’s 2017 Survey of Household Economics and Decision-making found that 31% of adults engaged in some form of gig work in the previous month. The study included work conducted offline and potentially unrecorded, such as babysitting, grass cutting or house cleaning. More recent data reported by Forbes shows that up to 36% of U.S. workers, or approximately 57 million people, are participating in the gig economy in some way, with 29% engaging in gig economy work as their primary job. Some of the ambiguity with defining the gig economy, measuring the data and determining who counts in this category has gotten in the way of freelancers who have sought access to the benefits included with the CARES Act.

Since federal lawmakers approved this historic expansion to unemployment benefits on March 27, boosting weekly checks by $600, adding 13 weeks of benefits and creating a new pandemic unemployment assistance program to cover certain people affected by the outbreak, many are wondering whether these reliefs will have lasting impacts on the future of benefits post-pandemic. The Aspen Institute released a resource guide for policymakers on designing portable benefits. It is available at this web address: bit.ly/2XbMYmN.

States including Washington and New Jersey are already considering portable and expanded benefits structures for their evolving workforces. The year ahead will bring scheduled increases in minimum wages for 24 states, and laws aimed at protecting workers from noncompetition agreements imposed by employers advanced in a handful of states this year. Additionally, a number of states are expanding overtime salary thresholds. More states could explore creating portable benefits funds so workers with multiple employers have access to retirement, paid time off and other benefits to meet the needs of the future of work

States Form Pacts to Coordinate Economic Response to COVID-19

In April, three groups of states announced their intentions to coordinate their responses to economic shutdowns caused by COVID-19. On the west coast, the governors of California, Oregon and Washington published a press release indicating that they would identify “clear indicators for communities to restart public life and business.” In the northeast, Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Massachusetts announced a similar agreement to create a framework of guidelines to “gradually lift the states’ stay at home orders while minimizing the risk of increased spread of the virus.” Shortly after those groups, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin followed, issuing a press release outlining their goals for a regional economic plan during the current pandemic

Northeastern Pact| CT, DE, NJ, PA, RI, MA

The Northeastern pact plans to convene a multi-state council comprised of a health expert, an economic development expert and the chiefs of staff from each state included in the pact. These participants will develop guidelines to slowly reopen the economies of the participating states to avoid a second wave of COVID-19 infections. On May 3, the Northeastern pact governors announced the development of a regional supply chain for personal protective equipment, medical equipment and testing supplies. The seven states in the pact will “work together to identify the entire region’s needs for these products, aggregate demand among the states, reduce costs and stabi lize the supply chain,” according to Delaware Gov. John Carney. The states will develop a plan to allocate medical supply inventories so they will be prepared for a possible second wave of COVID-19 infections and coordinated policies will be put in place for supply distribution to first responders.

“One thing that’s undeniable is that this virus does not stop at the border of any county, state or country, but the impact is the same when it comes to our respective economies and healthcare systems,” said Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont. After plans for medical supply distribution are in place, the Northeastern pact will identify suppliers within the U.S. who can meet the demand of the entire region for the next three months.

Midwestern Pact | IL, IN, KY, OH, MI, MN, WI

Less than 24 hours after Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced that the state was working in conjunction with its neighboring Indiana and Ohio, it was announced that the three states would join with Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois to coordinate efforts to reopen state economies. In a joint press release, the governors said, “we recognize that our economies are all reliant on each other, and we must work together to safely reopen them so hardworking people can get back to work and businesses can get back on their feet.”

The rate of reopening will be based on the following four factors:

• Sustained control of the rate of new infections and hospitalizations • Enhanced ability to test and trace •Sufficient health care capacity to handle resurgence • Best practices for social distancing in the workplace

Western Pact | CA, OR, WA

California, Oregon and Washington issued a joint press release that emphasized that the three west coast states are home to one in six Americans and serve as a major trade and travel hub. The states are basing decisions to reopen on health outcomes and data. Modifications to stay at home orders will be informed by the impact of COVID-19 on communities, the health impact of measures to control the spread of the disease and the capacity of health care systems to care for anyone in need of medical attention. Each state has individual plans for reopening their economies, but metrics will be developed to coordinate as a region. The states have agreed on a set of four goals to control the virus, including:

• Protecting vulnerable populations at risk for severe disease if infected. This includes a concerted effort to prevent and fight outbreaks in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.

• Ensuring an ability to care for those who may become sick with COVID19 and other conditions. This will require adequate hospital surge capacity and supplies of personal protective equipment.

• Mitigating the non-direct COVID-19 health impacts, particularly on disadvantaged communities.

• Protecting the general public by ensuring any successful lifting of interventions includes the development of a system for testing, tracking and isolating. The states will work together to share best practices.

All Aspects of Transportation Industry to See Long-Term Effects from Pandemic

From public transit, road construction and auto manufacturing to walking and biking, the coronavirus pandemic has made significant impacts in transportation that could change the ways Americans travel for years to come. Public transit agencies, which received $25 billion in funding under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, are calling on Congress to include $33 billion more in the next COVID-19 aid package. Most transit systems have seen drastically lower ridership and face an uncertain future between ongoing social distancing and hard-hit state budgets. A report from consulting firm EBP US Inc. suggests transit agencies will need $23.8 billion in emergency aid just to deal with fallout from the pandemic.

The CEO of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), one of the agencies requesting additional aid, said they expect a $380 million deficit over the next five years as farebox and sales tax revenues have plummeted and the agency has absorbed additional costs from the purchase of masks, gloves and cleaning supplies as well as emergency sick leave. The New York subway system is among the systems facing the dual challenges of trying to reassure riders by disinfecting trains and stations daily at an enormous cost and keeping employees safe as well, Route Fifty reported. Expanded transit service could become another casualty of the pandemic in some places. Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation Stephanie Pollack suggested recently the commonwealth consider slowing down a planned upgrade to the commuter rail system, according to CommonWealth magazine. Commuter rail systems, which carry suburban workers to urban jobs, have been the hardest hit form of public transportation during the pandemic, City Lab noted recently, and some have suggested they might never recover.

In addition to public transit, many states continue to report disruptions in transportation projects as they face budgetary challenges in the wake of the pandemic. Citing a $1 billion hole in the budget for construction and maintenance, multimodal projects and local governments, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced it would delay new construction and downgrade resurfacing to patching and sealing as state highway workers get back to work following a pandemic shutdown. The Iowa Department of Transportation announced it could delay some road projects over the next five years as the state faces reduced gas tax collections due to motorists driving less. Missouri is reportedly facing a 30% decline in state transportation revenues over the next 18 months amounting to approximately $925 million.

Reduced funding for road repairs comes at a particularly bad time nationwide as well. According to a new report from TRIP, a Washington, D.C.-based transportation research nonprofit, the rural road transportation system around the country faces a $211 billion backlog in needed improvements.

Learn more about how the transportation industry is being impacted with further analysis on the CSG COVID-19 blog: bit.ly/2zepsgV.