COVID-19 Information Hub
SIMPCO has compiled several links to official information to aid the community as our region responds to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Please check back for updates.
American Rescue Plan –
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 into law. The $1.9 trillion package is intended to facilitate the United States’ recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Once payment from Treasury has been received, states will have 30 days to disburse payments to NEUs unless an extension is requested. States will issue further instructions on how NEUs can request their first distribution from the state. As this allocation and distribution process moves forward, NEUs with questions about the payment process should consult their state government.
Eligible fund use includes:
- To respond to the public health emergency or its negative economic impacts, including assistance to households, small businesses, and nonprofits, or aid to impacted industries such as tourism, travel, and hospitality;
- To respond to workers performing essential work during the COVID-19 public health emergency by providing premium pay to eligible workers;
- For the provision of government services to the extent of the reduction in revenue due to the COVID-19 public health emergency relative to revenues collected in the most recent full fiscal year prior to the emergency; and
- To make necessary investments in water, sewer, or broadband infrastructure.
For more information visit the U.S Treasury Website: click here
SIMPCO members needing assistance in accessing ARPA funds, please contact, Michelle Bostinelos.
Iowa NEUs
Additional Iowa resources:
Iowa League of Cities: click here
Iowa Auditor: click here
Nebraska NEUs
Additional Nebraska Resources:
Nebraska League of Municipalities: click here
South Dakota NEUs
South Dakota non-entitlement units (NEU) can find instructions and forms to be summited through the SD COVID Stimulus Portal on the South Dakota Bureau of Finance and Management website: click here. The submission portal is expected to go live the last week of July 2021.
Additional South Dakota Resources:
South Dakota League of Municipalities: click here
Additional ARPA Resources:
- American Rescue Plan Act Funding Breakdown – National Association of Counties
- Assistance for State, Local, and Tribal Governments – U.S. Department of Treasury
- Assistance for State, Local and Tribal Governments – National League of Cities
Equity and Prioritizing COVID-19 Vaccine Access for Populations Disproportionately Affected by COVID-19 –
Conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, play, and worship affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes, such as COVID-19 disease, severe illness, and death. As evidenced by the available data to date, populations that have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 include, but are not limited to:
- People in racial and ethnic minority groups
- People living in communities with a high social vulnerability index
- People living in rural communities
- People with disabilities
- People with who are homebound or isolated
- People who are underinsured or uninsured
- People who are immigrants and/or refugees
- People with transportation limitations
To address these disparities, the purpose of this is to fund strategies that ensure greater equity and access to COVID-19 vaccine by those disproportionately affected by COVID-19. The intent is to leverage existing and cultivate new community-based partnerships to extend reach to vulnerable populations. This funding should be used to support COVID-19 vaccination education, outreach, and/or administration.
For more information and to apply, visit: Equity and Prioritizing COVID-19 Vaccine Access for Populations Disproportionately Affected by COVID-19 (iowa.gov)
General COVID-19 Links:
- South Dakota Back to Normal Plan: https://covid.sd.gov/docs/COVID_SDPlan_BackToNormal.pdf
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html
- Cornonavirus Federal Government Information – www.coronavirus.gov
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce – www.uschamber.com/coronavirus
- Siouxland District Health Department http://www.siouxlanddistricthealth.org/
- Iowa Department of Public Health: https://idph.iowa.gov/Emerging-Health-Issues/Novel-Coronavirus
- Nebraska Department of Public Health: http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx
- South Dakota Department of Public Health: https://doh.sd.gov/news/Coronavirus.aspx
- South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development: https://sdreadytowork.com/covid-19/
- MercyOne: https://www.mercyone.org/health-and-wellness/health-answers/covid-19-what-you-need-to-know
- World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
- Siouxland Recovery Fund: https://www.unitedwaysiouxland.com/siouxland-recovery-fund
- Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Assistance: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance
- Paycheck Protection Program: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-program-ppp
- Nebraska Business Assistance: https://opportunity.nebraska.gov/nded-covid19/#1584728794242-c6a0cf68-23a5
- Legal Resources: https://www.davisbrownlaw.com/coronavirus-resources.aspx
- Iowa Legal COVID-19 Advice Hotline: 1-800-332-0419 (open 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday)
- Grant Links: https://simpco.org/member-resources/grant-list/
- Nebraska Public Meeting Waiver Governor’s Executive Order: https://content.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2020-04/PPP–IFRN%20FINAL.pdf
- Rural Community COVID-19 Resource Guide: https://www.rd.usda.gov/sites/default/files/USDA_COVID-19_Fed_Rural_Resource_Guide.pdf
- Iowa COVID-19 Information – https://coronavirus.iowa.gov/
- South Dakota COVID-19 Information – https://covid.sd.gov/
- South Dakota Small Business and Healthcare Provider Relief Program – https://covid.sd.gov/smallbusiness-healthcare-grants.aspx
- Iowa Business Recovery: https://www.iowaeda.com/covid-funding-programs/
Community Spread Prevention:
- Preventing COVID-19 Spread in Communities:
- Information on how to prepare at home, at schools, childcare facilities, colleges and universities, at work, at church, at large events, at healthcare facilities, homeless shelters, and information for our first responders. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fpreparing-individuals-communities.html
- Steps to Prevent Illness: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fabout%2Fprevention-treatment.html
- South Dakota Information and Resources for Travelers: https://www.travelsouthdakota.com/coronavirus-covid-19
- CDC Travel Recommendations: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html
Preparing the Workplace:
- Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19: https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf and https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/covid-19/controlprevention.html
- Key OSHA Standards for COVID-19: https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf
- Safety, Wages, and Workers’ Compensation: https://www.dol.gov/coronavirus
- Open Meetings Law and COVID-19 Spread: https://www.ipib.iowa.gov/news/open-meetings-electronic-meetings-governmental-body
Talking to your Children about COVID-19:
- National Association of School Psychologists’ Resource: https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-climate-safety-and-crisis/health-crisis-resources/talking-to-children-about-covid-19-(coronavirus)-a-parent-resource
People at Higher-Risk and Special Populations:
- Information for Older People, People of All Ages with Underlying Health Conditions, Pregnant Women, and Homeless Shelter Populations: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/high-risk-complications.html
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources wants to remind Iowa communities of the resources available to their drinking water and waster systems for continued operation if their drinking water and wastewater treatment staff become ill. The following resources are available:
- A list of available operators and their contact information by geographical location can be found on the Iowa Operator Certification Interactive Web Site;
- Contact Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities at (515)210-8156 or (515)556-7329;
- Contact Iowa Rural Water Association at (641)787-0330; and
- Contact your local Iowa DNR Field Office