Bilingual Tele-Town Hall Recap

Click here to watch my tele-town hall

You can watch the full video of my tele-town hall HERE and download a comprehensive Q&A document HERE.

COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout in El Paso

As we continue to see a rise in COVID-19 cases in our community again, it’s clear that the fight against the virus is far from over, and this is not the time to let our guard down. Each and every one of us must do our part and stay home unless we absolutely need to leave for an essential activity. I recognize that not enough El Pasoans are being vaccinated fast enough. In the last week, I have worked closely with city and county leaders to ensure that the priorities of our community are heard at the highest levels within the new White House.

I have also been fighting for a binational COVID-19 strategy for our border region. Last Congress, I introduced the Binational Health Strategies Act to develop a binational strategic plan to protect border communities like ours against COVID-19. I also spoke with members of President Biden’s team during the transition period about the importance of a binational strategy and wrote a letter to the COVID-19 Czar, Jeffrey Zients.

El Paso has been leading the state of Texas in immunization, and I am fighting for the funding needed to accelerate the free, fair, and equitable distribution of the vaccine to all El Pasoans who want the vaccine as soon as possible. This week, I sent a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requesting to have a community vaccination center established in El Paso. Community vaccination centers will provide federal support to communities to assist and expedite the distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccines. If you would like to read my letter, please click HERE.

Scientists and doctors have worked around the clock to ensure that we have a COVID-19 vaccine that is effective and safe. With the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines across El Paso and our country, we now see a bright light at the end of the tunnel.

Immunization with the COVID-19 vaccine is a critical component to stop the spread of the virus, hospitalizations, and deaths. I recognize that El Pasoans are anxious to receive the vaccine, and unfortunately, El Paso hasn’t received enough vaccines to cover the entire community from the state. My office has been flooded with messages from constituents that don’t know how to get the vaccine, if they’re available to them, or what information to believe. On my tele-town hall, Chief Jorge Rodriguez from the El Paso Office of Emergency Management provided the latest updates and answered questions and concerns about the City’s vaccine rollout plan. You can watch Chief Jorge Rodriguez update HERE and download our Q&A document HERE.

Currently, the City of El Paso is administering COVID-19 vaccines to El Pasoans who meet the 1A and 1B criteria. Phase 1A recipients include frontline healthcare workers and residents in long-term care facilities. Phase 1B recipients include people 65 years of age and older and people 16 years of age and older with at least one chronic medical condition that puts them at increased risk for severe illness or death from COVID-19. If you fall into one of these categories, you may now be able to receive a vaccine depending on supplies and can pre-register on the City’s website, or by calling their COVID-19 hotline at 915-212-6843. Vaccines have also been distributed to other local providers and I encourage you to visit the Texas Department of State Health Services website to find a provider near you.

Second Economic Impact Payment

Since early last year, Congress has worked to enact several stimulus packages, with the most recent being signed into law on December 27^th, 2020. While the final package fell well short of meaningfully addressing our priorities, the agreement included a new round of direct payments worth up to $600 per individual ($1,200 for those married filing jointly) and an additional $600 per qualifying child. We were also able to secure this benefit for mixed-status families, meaning if a spouse does not have a social security number but the other spouse does, the spouse with the social security number will receive $600. Evelyn Dyson Lee from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) joined my tele-town hall to answer questions about the first and second rounds of economic impact payments. You can watch her update HERE and download our Q&A document HERE.

All checks needed to be direct deposited or physically sent out by January 15^th, 2021, so if you have not yet received your payment, go to the IRS website and use the Get My Economic Impact Payment tool to get the status of your payment.  If you have not received your payment, my office may be able to help. Please call our office at (915) 541-1400 or visit my website for more information.

Unemployment Benefits for El Pasoans
Impacted by COVID-19

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in El Paso have been catastrophic and deeply painful. Consequently, thousands of El Pasoans have lost their jobs and income to support their families. The latest COVID-19 relief package that was signed into law on December 27, 2020, extended the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) to March 14, 2021, and allows individuals receiving benefits to continue through April 5, 2021, as long as the individual has not reached the maximum number of weeks.

Lucio Glenn from the Workforce Solutions Borderplex joined my tele-town hall to explain the process of applying for resources on the Texas Workforce Commission website, shared job resources that are available to El Pasoans, and answered important questions. You can watch his update HERE and download my Q&A document HERE.

Testing and Additional Resources

The fight against COVID-19 is far from over, and this is not the time to let our guard down. We have to do our part and stay home unless we absolutely need to leave for an essential activity. We all have a role to play in slowing the spread and protecting ourselves, our family, and our community. 

New information about COVID-19 and the COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan is coming out daily, please visit my resource page on my website for the latest updates, recommendations from the CDC, and a Frequently Asked Questions section to know the latest. Additionally, visit the sites below to stay up to date.

The CDC provides updates on the virus and safety information for the public and healthcare professionals, as well as Frequently Asked Questions available here. 

The City of El Paso has a hotline for residents to call for more information regarding COVID-19 and the COVID-19 vaccine. The number is 915-21-COVID, or 915-212-6843.

If you need to get tested because you believe you’ve been exposed to COVID-19 or are experiencing symptoms, please get tested. The City of El Paso also offers mobile testing centers throughout the city that are now open and are free of charge for any symptomatic or asymptomatic person. So, whether you are exhibiting symptoms or not, you can get tested! For more information on locations and operating hours, please click here. 

The Texas Department of State Health Services provides updates on the disease's spread within the state.

The safety and well-being of you and your loved ones is of the utmost importance. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact my office via email at Veronica.Escobar@mail.house.gov or by phone at 915-541-1400.

Sincerely,

Veronica Escobar
Member of Congress