OLYMPIA — Washington state will spend $54 million to provide one-time payments to nearly 100,000 gig and self-employed workers cut off from unemployment benefits because of the impasse over the federal COVID-19 relief and spending bill, Gov. Jay Inslee said Sunday.
Later this week, 94,555 people in Washington who were enrolled federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program as of Nov. 21 will get payments of $550, which is roughly the equivalent of two weeks’ worth of benefits, he said.
The PUA program, set up to provide unemployment benefits to workers who normally do not qualify for them, expired at midnight Saturday. The program will be extended until March 14, 2021, after President Donald Trump signed the relief bill into law on Sunday.
Even with the signing, those who have been getting PUA payments will lose at least one week of benefits, Inslee said, calling that “unacceptable.”
“This does not solve all the problems caused by the president’s inaction — we are doing what we can, but we simply do not have the ability to replace all of the unemployment supports in the relief package. However, for some people in our state who have been receiving PUA benefits, this will prevent an immediate loss of assistance at a time when they are most in need,” he said.
The bill includes payments to families and money for vaccine distribution, businesses and strained public transit systems.
Montana reports 284 new COVID-19 cases, five deaths
Montana reported 284 new cases and five new confirmed deaths from COVID-19 on Sunday. There were 6,127 people currently infected by COVID-19, with 200 of them hospitalized as of Sunday, the Billings Gazette reported.
The state has reported 924 total deaths and 3,451 total hospitalizations from the virus since the pandemic began.
Two out of 10 large hospitals in Montana reported having limited bed availability or being near capacity, according to a report from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. Five out of 10 large hospitals on Saturday reported intensive care units with limited availability or nearing capacity.
For most, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in 2-3 weeks. For some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
