Iowa Announces COVID-19 Residential Utility Disruption Prevention Program 

Financial Assistance Available to Eligible Low-Income Iowans for COVID-19 Utility Disruption Prevention 

To be eligible to receive assistance, a residential electric, natural gas and/or water utility customer must have: 

• A primary Iowa residence with active residential utility accounts, renters may apply as long as the utility account is in the applicant’s name; 
• An unpaid utility bill balance or have previously entered into a payment plan with their utility provider;
• An annual income that is 80% of the median family income, based on county and household size 
• Experienced a COVID-19 loss of income (job loss, reduction in hours, reduction in pay) on or after March 17, 2020 that resulted in hardship in paying bills for electric, natural gas, and/or water utility service provided between March 17, 2020 and October 31, 2020. 

For a full list of eligibility requirements, additional information and to apply, visit iowahousingrecovery.com. Applications will be accepted between October 8, 2020, and November 20, 2020, or until funding is depleted, whichever comes first. Assistance will be awarded based on application completeness and eligibility in order received until all funds have been exhausted.  

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) UPDATE

The new COVID-19 website has been launched and should now be your go-to location for information regarding COVID-19.  The website is www.TogetherQC.com

“We expect to see the number of confirmed cases increase in the community as testing becomes readily available and the virus becomes more widespread in the community,” said Scott County Health Department Director Edward Rivers. “We must act together to do what we can to minimize the spread.” Actions to minimize the spread include:

 Social distancing by staying at home as much as possible.

 Washing hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds each time.

 Covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or elbow/upper arm.

 Staying home when ill.

Approximately 80% of Iowans infected with COVID-19 will experience only a mild to moderate illness. Most mildly ill Iowans do not need to go to their healthcare provider or be tested to confirm they have COVID-19. Sick Iowans must stay home and isolate themselves from others in their house. Stay home and isolate from others in the house until all of the following have been met:

1. You have had no fever for at least 72 hours (that is three full days of no fever without the use of medicine that reduces fevers) AND

2. other symptoms have improved (for example, when your cough or shortness of breath have improved) AND

3. at least 7 days have passed since your symptoms first appeared.

If you think you may need healthcare, call first. Your provider can assess whether you need to be seen in the office or if you can recover at home. There may also be options for you to talk to a medical provider from home using technology. * Please note: As COVID-19 illness becomes more widespread in the community, the Scott County Health Department will not be issuing press releases to announce new positive cases in Scott County. It is anticipated that the Iowa Governor’s Office and Iowa Department of Public Health will continue to report positive cases by county here: https://idph.iowa.gov/EmergingHealth-Issues/Novel-Coronavirus.

Additional information can be found on the following links:

www.coronavirus.gov

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

• Illinois Department of Public Health:

http://www.dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/diseases-and-conditions/diseases-a-z-list/coronavirus

• Iowa Department of Public Health:

https://idph.iowa.gov/Emerging-Health-Issues/Novel-Coronavirus

• Illinois COVID-19 Hotline: 1-800-889-3931 or email to DPH.SICK@illinois.gov

• Iowa COVID-19 Hotline: Call 2-1-1

https://governor.iowa.gov/press-release/gov-reynolds-issues-a-state-of-public-health-disaster-emergency

Please feel free to email clerk@longgroveia.org or call 563-285-4904 for questions or concerns.