City Offers Third COVID-19 Vaccine Dose for Immunocompromised Individuals
EL PASO, Texas — The City of El Paso is now providing a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to individuals who are moderately to severely immunocompromised.
A third dose will only be administered 28 days after receiving the second dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine to those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised individuals:
- Receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
- Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
- Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
- Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (e.g., DiGeorge syndrome and Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
- Advanced or untreated HIV infection
- Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress the immune response
Individuals are strongly encouraged to talk to their healthcare provider about their medical condition, and whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for them.
COVID-19 third doses are available by appointment only at the following locations:
- 301 George Perry – Monday – Saturday: 8 a.m. to Noon and 1 to 5 p.m.
- El Paso Convention Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza – Monday – Friday: Noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- City of El Paso COVID-19 Clinics – Monday – Saturday: 8 a.m. to Noon and 1 to 5 p.m.
– 220 S. Stanton (corner of First and Stanton
– 9341 Alameda
– 7380 Remcon
– 9566 Railroad
To make an appointment visit EPCovidVaccine.com and click on the registration form, or call (915) 212-6843.
THIRD DOSE, NOT A BOOSTER
Health officials note that this third dose is NOT a booster. The third dose follows 28 days after an initial vaccine series is administered to people who may not have a strong enough immune response after receiving the initial vaccine series. A booster dose is a supplemental dose given to individuals whose immune response has weakened over time and administered eight (8) months after an initial vaccine series is administered.
The City of El Paso is preparing to administer the booster shots in late September once federal and state guidelines are provided.
Health officials remind the public to continue wearing face covers, wash your hands frequently and watch your distancing, regardless of whether you have or have not yet received the vaccine. Additional information about COVID-19, can be found at www.EPStrong.org.
Here's what we know about the mask mandate in El Paso County:
How long is the mask mandate issued by Dr. Hector Ocaranza?
The mandate would be in effect for 30 days and then reevaluated before deciding whether to reissue another mandate.
More:Struggling to pay rent? Tenants urged to tap into COVID-19-tied federal aid
Who wears a face covering during the mandate?
All individuals over 2 years old must wear a face covering their nose and mouth while in indoor spaces. Parents and guardians of children over the age of two and under 10 are responsible for appropriately masking children when outside their residence.
What if I can't wear a mask due to a health condition?
Face coverings will not be required on anyone who has trouble breathing, has a medical condition or disability that prevents wearing a face covering, or is actively exercising indoors and not within 6 feet of any other individual not from the same household.
Do I have to wear a mask at a restaurant or bar?
A face covering will be required when entering the facility; however, they will not be required while consuming food or drink.
Five Ways The American Jobs Plan Can Help Small Business
President Biden recently unveiled details for his American Jobs Plan
The size of the American Jobs Plan, President Biden’s $2.25 trillion infrastructure package, is the subject of debate. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are questioning whether the amount is too much or not enough.
What is certain about the plan is that it will help American small businesses that need support in fully recovering from Covid-19.
Even before the pandemic, more than half of small business owners said infrastructure investments were critical to the success and growth of their business. Critically, a majority of small businesses will not see an increase in their taxes.
The vast majority of small businesses are organized for tax purposes as sole proprietors, limited liability companies and S-corporations. Only businesses organized as C-Corporations will be affected by a change in corporate taxes.
Since Covid-19, businesses have been struggling to stay afloat, much less grow. Many had to apply for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans just to stay open.
However, the PPP was intended to help small businesses survive. Now, the American Jobs Plan will help them fully recover. Here are five ways this package will support small business owners and create jobs.
- Increasing Federal Contracting Opportunities: Federal contracting can help grow minority- and women-owned small businesses, but not all eligible ones can benefit because of overly burdensome regulations. The new package will streamline the process for certification, bidding, and winning so more businesses can participate in the infrastructure efforts in the American Jobs Plan.
- Encouraging Innovation: President Biden’s plan includes a $5 billion investment in federal programs that encourages small firms to participate in federal research and development initiatives that could lead to commercial products and services.
- Expanding Access to Capital: Government funding and access to capital have historically been inequitable based on race and gender. The American Jobs Plan begins taking steps to rectify this by creating a new grant program through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency. This grant program will help minority-owned manufacturers access private capital.
- Creating New Financing: To support small manufacturers, President Biden’s plan creates a new equity-based financing program where private capital companies can invest seed funding in their growth.
- Increasing Access to Lending and Capital: The American Jobs Plan also bolsters the Small Business Administration’s bread-and-butter lending efforts recovery by committing $15 billion in the SBA’s 7(a) loan program and $5 billion in the Small Business Investment Company program. This type of investment will spur a faster recovery for Main Street.
The Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) represents, for many, the single largest small business stimulus in US history behind PPP loans. However, because PPP loans understandably got all the attention in 2020 and early 2021 with PPP 2nd-draw, many businesses don’t understand how the tax credits work, how much stimulus is available, and how to get it.
What is the Employee Retention Tax Credit?
The Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) was introduced as part of the CARES Act and included tax credits for businesses to retain employees during the pandemic. The ERTC is a refundable tax credit that can be claimed when eligible employers report their total qualified wages for purposes of the ERTC for each calendar quarter on their federal employment tax returns. Due to new legislation, employers can now retroactively obtain both a PPP loan AND claim the ERTC.
How Much ERTC Stimulus Can You Receive?
2020 Retroactive Credits:
The 2020 CARES Act established an employee retention credit of 50% of $10,000/employee in qualified wages for eligible businesses or $5,000 tax credit per employee.
2021 Credits:
The 2021 credits total 70% of wages up to $10,000 per employee per quarter. The result is a credit up to $7,000 per employee for up to four quarters in 2021 totaling $28,000.
Economic Impact Payments for Social Security and SSI Recipients – Steps to Take and Schedule of Payments
A Message to the Social Security Beneficiaries and Supplemental Security Income Recipients:
This document provides information for Social Security beneficiaries (retirement, survivors, disability) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients related to economic impact payments being issued to eligible individuals.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), not the Social Security Administration (SSA), will send all payments electronically or paper checks by mail. We documented for you different scenarios to help explain what actions, if any, you may need to take to receive your economic impact payment and any payment for a qualifying child. However, only the IRS can answer questions you may have about your personal or family situation. Please do not call SSA with your payment questions. Visit www.irs.gov/coronavirus for the latest information available.
You can find the information you need by following these steps:
1. Locate the blue text that describes which monthly benefit you receive and when you started receiving benefits.
2. Look for the row that matches your situation whether you filed a 2019 or 2018 tax return, and whether you have anyqualifying children.
If you need to take an action, please act quickly to get your payment or a payment for your qualifying child.
If you received an economic impact payment for yourself less than $1,200, you can read why at IRS’ Economic Impact Payment Information Center and Economic Impact Payments and the Treasury Offset Program web pages.
COVID-19: Guidance for Employers, Employees, and Customers of Reopened Retail Services
This guidance is based on the best information currently available and will be updated when appropriate. Please visit dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus and cdc.gov/coronavirus for updates. This guidance is intended for employers, employees, and customers of retail businesses reopening under the Governor’s Executive Order issued on April 17, 2020. This guidance does not apply to businesses considered essential. This guidance is based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
I am an Employee of a retail business re-opening. What should I do to keep myself and our customers safe?
- All employees must be trained on environmental cleaning and disinfection, hand hygiene, and respiratory etiquette.
- All employees must be screened before coming into the business for new or worsening cough; shortness of breath; sore throat; loss of taste or smell; feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit; or known close contact with a person who is lab-confirmed to have COVID-19. Any employee who meets any of these criteria should be sent home.
- Upon entering the business, employees must wash or sanitize hands.
- All employees must wear face coverings.
- Employees must maintain at least 6 feet separation from one another.
Here are tips experts recommend shoppers take to stay safe:
- Wear a cloth face mask and wash it when you get home.
- Bring hand sanitizer. Use disinfectant wipes on the cart or basket.
- Bring as little as possible into the store to avoid contamination.
- Stay at least 6 feet from others, especially in the checkout line
- Shop alone and leave children at home, if possible.
- Limit the time in the store: Make a list to save time and use paper so you can throw it away.
- Throw away plastic and paper bags. If you must use cloth bags, wash them after each use.
- Wash your hands before and after you unpack groceries, and before you wash produce or prepare food.
