Governor’s Office Daily COVID-19 Q & A
April 2, 2020
Helplines and Webpages
General Resources: visit coronavirus.illinois.gov
PPE Equipment:
• Donations: PPE.donations@Illinois.gov
• To Manufacture PPE in Illinois: ima@ima-net.org
Business Assistance:
• Essential Business inquiries: contact 1-800-252-2923 or CEO.support@illinois.gov
• IL Small Business Assistance: email CEO.support@illinois.gov (DCEO) or visit: https://www2.illinois.gov/dceo/SmallBizAssistance/Pages/Coronavirus-Disease-2019-%28COVID-19%29-Information-for-Small-Business.aspx.
• Federal Small Business loans visit: https://disasterloan.sba.gov.
• Business insurance coverage: https://mc.insurance.illinois.gov/messagecenter.nsf.
Individual Assistance:
• Employee workplace rights complaints: contact the Attorney General’s Office at (844) 740-5076 or submit a complaint here: https://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/rights/labor_employ.html.
• Unemployment insurance inquiries: call Claimant Services at (800) 244-5631.
• COVID-19 Symptom guidelines: visit DPH website, http://www.dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/diseases-and-conditions/diseases-a-z-list/coronavirus/personal-guidance-and-testing.
• Resources for people with disabilities: visit www.DDD.Illinois.gov.
• To report price gouging: submit a complaint here: https://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/consumers/filecomplaint.html.
Other Resources:
• List of Executive Orders related to COVID-19: https://www2.illinois.gov/government/executive-orders.
• Federal Stimulus Package Unemployment Benefits Q&A: https://www2.illinois.gov/ides/News%20%20Announcements%20Doc%20Library/Federal-Stimulus-UI-FAQ-March2020.pdf.
• Illinois taxpayer information: visit DOR’s resource page: https://www2.illinois.gov/rev/Pages/Taxpayer-Resources-during-COVID-19-%28Coronavirus%29-Outbreak.aspx.
• IDFPR list of licensees and consumers impacted by COVID-19: https://www.idfpr.com/COVID-19.asp.
• School related inquires: visit https://www.isbe.net/covid19
• COVID19 cases by county: visit dph.illinois.gov
• To volunteer: visit serve.illinois.gov or email dph.serveillinois@illinois.gov
• Emergency Day Care Provider Search: visit https://emergencycare.inccrra.org
• Medication Affordability Assistance: visit https://abe.illinois.gov/abe/access/
Access to Medication
Q: Aside from free delivery, is there a process to ensure affordability and accessibility to medication?
A: For Medication Affordability Assistance: visit https://abe.illinois.gov/abe/access/
Insurance
Q: Will the Illinois ACA marketplace reopen to allow people to apply for coverage as about ten other states have done so?
A: Illinois doesn’t operation its own ACA insurance marketplace; Illinois has a “partnership model,” which means our platform is operated by the federal government. In order to open a special enrollment period, the federal government must allow it. The Governor has joined Democratic and Republican administrations in requesting the federal government to open a special enrollment period to assist the uninsured and underinsured during this disaster. However, the Trump administration has indicated it will not allow a COVID-19 special enrollment period to date.
Liquor Control Commission
Q: Would the ILCC consider asking vendors to be lenient with restaurants during the COVID 19 pandemic (i.e. just like utility companies were instructed to not disconnect services)?
A: The Illinois Liquor Control Commission (ILCC) has established a process, according to statute, by which retailers may report “bona fide” disputes of delinquencies reported to the ILCC by a licensed distributor. The ILCC will then remove the retailer from the ILCC Delinquency List or ensure that a retailer is not placed on the Delinquency List. This process will be effective through the duration of the Governor’s stay-at-home (April 30, 2020).
Due to the influx of bona fide disputes, it is preferred that retailers notify the ILCC of actual disputes. It is also preferred that the retailer notifies the ILCC of disputes with creditor distributors and not all distributors (e.g. beer distributors).
IMPORTANT: Please note that filing a bona fide dispute relates solely the ILCC enforcement of the 30-day credit law and to removing the retailer from the Delinquency List. Filing a bona fide dispute does not have any legal effect on the adjudication of the underlying debt that may or may not be owed. The distributor may exercise reasonable business judgement to offer or not offer a retailer credit within the parameters of the 30-day credit law. The ILCC will not intervene against a distributor seeking to exercise its legal private collection rights as long as the collection actions do not violate the Liquor Control Act or ILCC Rules.
To view the ILCC guidelines, visit: https://www2.illinois.gov/ilcc/News/SiteAssets/Pages/COVID/COVID%20delinquency%20letter2%20%28March%2031%20update%29.pdf.
Business Relief
Q: Is there an alternative plan to provide assistance to small business owners who were deemed non-essential and who do not have the number of employees to be eligible for the grants/loans?
A: In the recently passed federal CARES Act, eligible entities for Economic Injury Disaster Loans and the Paycheck Protection Program include 501 (c)(3) nonprofits, 501 (c)(19) veterans’ organizations, or Tribal business concerns under five hundred employees. Sole proprietors, independent contractors and eligible self-employed individuals are also eligible for the Illinois Small Business
Emergency Loan Fund.
Q: What should assistance recipients with no internet access do if they are unable to submit appeals through the DCEO helpline for inquiries on essential vs. non-essential businesses?
A: DCEO staff is diligently returning any and all voicemails left on the First Stop Business Hotline. Individuals should plan on a response within 48 hours. We have redistributed staff
within the department specifically to assist with the high call volume. The department is currently receiving about two thousand calls per day which is why we encourage residents to email at CEO.Support@illinois.gov if they have the capability.
Tax
Q: Can taxpayers base their 2020 estimated payments on their 2018 liability?
A: Since taxpayers may not know their prior year’s tax liability if they do not file by the original due date, the Department of Revenue is providing for an additional option upon which taxpayers can base their 2020 estimated tax payments based upon either:
1. 100 percent of their estimated liability for the year 2020,
2. 100 percent of their actual liability for year 2019, or
3. 100 percent of their actual liability for year 2018.
For more information, https://www2.illinois.gov/rev/research/publications/bulletins/Documents/2020/FY2020-26.pdf.
Q: When will the state return be released to tax filers who use the Illinois “MyTax.com” site, which indicates that the state return has been processed and that the refund is shown in the taxpayer’s balance?
A: The Department continues to process income tax returns and approve refunds as it did prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. All returns are reviewed to ensure accuracy, completeness and compliance with Illinois tax laws. If issues are identified with any particular return, it will likely extend the time it takes to finalize the processing of that return.
Regarding MyTax Illinois, when a taxpayer logs in to MyTax Illinois, if a person’s balance shows a refund amount, this does not indicate the return has been processed and the refund approved. The amount of the refund showing due is simply the amount calculated on the taxpayer’s return and it actually means the return is still being processed.
The taxpayer’s balance will show “$0” once the return has completed processing and the refund has been approved and vouchered to the Comptroller.
For Individual Income Tax contact: REV.TA-IIT@illinois.gov, and for Business Income Tax contact: REV.TA-BIT-WIT@illinois.gov
Q: Is the State still collecting hotel tax from hotels across the state?
A: As of April 1, 2020, there has not been any decision to allow Hotel Operators Occupation Tax collections to be remitted late.
Housing
Q: Will the viewing of homes/apartments where tenants are living be required to cease, rescheduled, or switch to virtual tours to protect tenants from exposure to the virus?
A: As of April 1st, open houses and showings of occupied rental units are no longer permitted. However, showings of vacant units or owner-occupied units are still permissible. They must be scheduled in advance and limited to 4 people.
Municipal Govt.
Q: Can a Township host a virtual town meeting for its residents or do they have to postpone?
A: Please review the guidance provided by the Illinois Attorney General for holding public meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic: http://foia.ilattorneygeneral.net/pdf/OMA_FOIA_Guide.pdf.
Families First Coronavirus Response Act
Q: Is it the Governor’s intention that Executive Order 10 qualify as a State Isolation order and therefore a qualifying reason for leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)?
A: The Governor’s Stay-at-Home order, encouraging limited movement by the public, is not a basis for leave under the FFCRA. A quarantine or isolation order is a directive from a public health official or a medical provider to remain homebound unless receiving medical care due to a COVID-19 diagnosis (i.e. positive test or suspected infection).