Missouri seeking unemployment, mental health help in federal disaster declaration
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
The state needs federal help to keep up with a crush of unemployment claims, according to the governor's request for a federal disaster declaration.
ABC 17 News obtained the request sent by Gov. Mike Parson on March 23 to President Donald Trump to help with the COVID-19 pandemic. The request asks the White House to allow Missouri to access federal unemployment benefits, as well as reimbursement for buying personal protective equipment, removing bio hazardous medical waste and setting up crisis counseling.
President Trump approved part of that request on Thursday night. Governmental agencies and private non profits can now get reimbursed for buying protective equipment for people like first responders from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Parson's request calls for federal unemployment help for hundreds of thousands of people that may be left without work due to the pandemic. Missouri Workforce Development estimates that 169,453 workers are self-employed and "are not eligible for traditional unemployment." More than 9,000 of those workers are in accommodation and food service, according to the request.
Food service may be hit particularly hard, according to the request. The Missouri Restaurant Association guesses that 210,210 workers in that industry "will be laid off for an extended period of time."
Those unemployment claims have rapidly grown in the last week. More than 42,000 Missourians filed for state unemployment benefits in the week ending March 20, according to the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Those new claims, at an average weekly benefit of $273 a week, could cost the state $10.5 million per week.
The state is also asking for at least $36 million from the Crisis Counseling and Assistance and Training Program, which helps people cope with a disaster and review options toward recovery.
"The closure of multiple employment sectors will greatly impact all Missourians and will exceed state and local capability to provide mental health services, requiring federal assistance," Parson wrote.
Parson also asked the White House approve public reimbursement for medical waste disposal. While the declaration did not say how much Missouri health care providers and first responders made, estimates from Wuhan, China show an increase of 200 tons daily of medical waste during the outbreak there.
Since writing his request on March 23, the state's number of cases increased by more than 300. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported 502 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, up from the 183 cases Parson mentioned in his letter.
