COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Resources

To help provide additional assistance, the IRS is establishing a special phone line for taxpayers with questions about their Economic Impact Payments (EIP).  That number is 800-919-9835, which is the number reflected on the notice mailed to taxpayers who receive an EIP. We believe this phone line will help address some of the common questions people have about the EIPs.

For questions about recovery checks, visit the IRS Economic Impact Payment Information Center.

Information on the CARES Act can be found here: https://home.treasury.gov/cares

Vaccines:

  • Individuals 70 and older can begin to schedule appointments to receive COVID-19 vaccinations at locations currently accepting vaccine appointments.
  • DHEC’s online map at scdhec.gov/vaxlocator will show the locations currently accepting appointments for COVID-19 vaccine and the map will provide the contact information for scheduling appointments at those locations. The map itself is not a way to schedule an appointment.
  • individuals can also call DHEC’s Care Line at 1-855-472-3432 for assistance in locating contact information for making an appointment. The Care Line can’t schedule an appointment but can help provide the phone numbers of locations offering vaccine appointments.
  • Appointments should be scheduled; walk-ins may not be able to receive vaccine.
  • You will be asked to provide a driver’s license or other form of ID at your appointment that confirms your age in order to receive vaccine. 
  • South Carolina residency is not a requirement to receive a vaccine.
  • The appointment scheduling phone line for each location may operate different hours of the day. This isn’t determined by DHEC.
  • South Carolina, like all states, currently has limited supply of COVID-19 vaccine. Some locations that offer vaccine may not have an appointment available for several weeks, depending on their vaccine supply. Facilities receive doses of vaccine each week from the federal government.
  • Individuals are encouraged to schedule their second shot as soon as they can. It’s important that individuals receive both doses of the same brand of vaccine to ensure they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. 

For the latest COVID-19 vaccine updates and information, visit scdhec.gov/vaxfacts.

Veterans Administration Vaccination Plans:  https://www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine/

Internal Revenue Service

  • The IRS has established a special section focused on steps to help taxpayers, businesses, and others affected by the coronavirus. This page will be updated as new information is available.

  • A new page on IRS.gov has information on the 2020 or 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit and 2020 individual income tax returns. Eligible individuals can claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2020 Form 1040 or 1040-SR. These forms can also be used by people who are not normally required to file tax returns but are eligible for the credit.

  • The 2020 Instructions for Forms 1040 and Form 1040-SR will include a worksheet taxpayers can use to figure the amount of any Recovery Rebate Credit for which they are eligible. Because the Economic Impact Payments taxpayers received in 2020 or 2021 were an advance of the recovery rebate, the worksheet provides them a Recovery Rebate Credit to the extent their 2020 or 2021 recovery rebate amount is more than their Economic Impact Payment.
  • Taxpayers may be able to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit based on their 2020 circumstances if:
  • They are eligible but were not issued an Economic Impact Payment, or
  • Their Economic Impact Payment was less than the full amount to which they’re ultimately eligible, $1,200 ($2,400 if married filing a joint return) plus $500 for each qualifying child they had in 2020.

For additional information see Recovery Rebate Credit on IRS.gov.

Assistance for Small Businesses

Small businesses and eligible nonprofit organizations, Veterans organizations, and Tribal businesses described in the Small Business Act, as well as individuals who are self-employed or are independent contractors, are eligible if they also meet program size standards.

  • Information about the payroll protection small business loan program can be found HERE UPDATE link to https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-program

The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering designated states and territories low-interest federal disaster loans, through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, for working capital to small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the COVID-19. For more information on these loans, contact the UPDATE to SBA link https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela


For additional resources, visit the U.S. Small Business Administration COVID-19 website.

  • For a top-line overview of the program CLICK HERE
  • If you’re a lender, more information can be found HERE
  • If you’re a borrower, more information can be found HERE
  • The application for borrowers can be found HERE
  • Information about the payroll protection small business loan program can be found HERE

The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering designated states and territories low-interest federal disaster loans, through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, for working capital to small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the COVID-19. For more information on these loans, contact the South Carolina Department of Commerce.

For additional resources, visit the U.S. Small Business Administration COVID-19 website.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

On May 20, the Health Resources and Service Administration announced $225 million in funding through the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act to Rural Health Clinics for COVID-19 testing. These investments will support over 4,500 Rural Health Clinics across the country with expanding access to testing in rural communities.

UPDATE: An additional $550 million extends the program until April 2021. LINK https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2021/01/07/hhs-continues-community-based-testing-sites-covid-19.html

Unemployment Information

Individuals who have lost jobs due to COVID-19 can apply for unemployment.

SCDEW General FAQs and information for 1099s, self-employed, contractors, and gig workers can be accessed here and a video tutorial can be found here.

Homeowner Hardship Information

  • There are hardship programs in place to help homeowners who have been directly or indirectly affected by the coronavirus and are struggling to make their mortgage payments.  The Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, encourages homeowners adversely impacted by the coronavirus who are having difficulty paying their mortgages to reach out to their mortgage servicers as soon as possible.  As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau advises, “you can find the number for your mortgage servicer on your monthly mortgage statement or coupon book.”
  • FHFA has established a dedicated webpage with relevant updates and resources available here: www.fhfa.gov/coronavirus 
  • Additionally, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have their own dedicated webpages for homeowners, with online tools for determining if your mortgage is owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac:

Fannie Mae: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Help

Freddie Mac: Extending Help to Homeowners Impacted by COVID-19

Rental Assistance

Food Assistance

  • If you need ongoing food assistance, you may apply for SNAP benefits online, by mail or fax.  For information on how to apply online or download an application to print out, visit the DSS website.  As some county DSS offices are closed to the public due to COVID-19 concerns, we suggest you call the office before visiting in person.

South Carolina’s Response to COVID-19

For information on South Carolina’s response plan, visit accelerateSC for details.

General COVID-19 Information

  • To donate food, water, or medical supplies to support our State in the COVID-19 response, email esf18@emd.sc.gov
  • Medical facilities/nursing homes needing PPE should contact their county emergency manager to get their request into an online system called Palmetto, operation by SCEMD. If the request is not made in Palmetto, the logistics team is unaware and cannot fulfill the request.

Experiencing Symptoms?

  • MUSC Telehealth Info: Residents who are showing symptoms such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath should call their personal doctor or healthcare provider. If an individual doesn’t have a primary care physician, MUSC Health is providing free telehealth screening to all South Carolinians. Anyone experiencing symptoms can visit MUSC.care and use the promo code COVID19 and be screened without having to leave your home.
  • Prisma Telehealth Info: Get easy, affordable access to a Prisma Health care provider from your mobile device or computer. Visit the Prisma Health website and use promo code COVID19.
  • Medicare: Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Public Health Emergency, doctors and other health care providers can use telehealth services to treat COVID-19.
  • Additional telehealth options can be accessed HERE.
  • DHEC launched a new testing site map that easily and clearly identifies COVID-19 testing sites around the state. Clicking on a testing site icon provides the facility name, address, hours of operation, contact phone number and additional details. Testing sites area also listed under the map for easy viewing. View the updated map at scdhec.gov/covid19testing.
  • Vaccination plans are available here LINK http://scdhec.gov/vaxfacts

Before going through a drive-thru testing site, you must first be seen via telehealth and receive a referral from a physician. For questions, contact SCDHEC’s Care Line at 1-855-472-3432.

Managing Anxiety/Mental Health Resources

No matter how challenging the times, you are not alone in South Carolina. The South Carolina Department of Mental Health (SCDMH)and the South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (DAODAS) have teamed up to offer this safe and easy service that allows you to anonymously take a Self-Check Questionnaire and connect with a professional counselor who can offer guidance, support, and resources to help connect you with mental health and addiction services. 

Using this service is completely voluntary and confidential.

This is not an emergency response system or crisis intervention service. If you are in crisis or contemplating suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or SCDMH's mobile crisis line at 1-833-364-2274.

The American Red Cross is launching a Virtual Family Assistance Center to support families struggling with loss and grief due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Visit redcross.org/VFA or call 833-492-0094.

 

Veterans Information

  • Call your VA Medical Center before going to a clinic, urgent care, or emergency room, especially if you have symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Ask your VA health care team about the option of care by phone or video instead of an in-person visit.
  • For additional information, visit the VA.gov website.

  • Vaccination Plans: https://www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine/

  • If you are a Veteran in crisis or concerned about one, contact the Veterans Crisis Line by calling 800-273-8255 and press 1 or text 838255.

U.S. Customs and Immigration Services

  • Please check the USCIS Office Closings page to see if your field office has reopened before reaching out to the USCIS Contact Center.

Department of State

Passports

You can now apply for routine service and expect to receive a passport in 10-12 weeks. You also have the option of paying an additional $60 for expedited service to receive your passport in 4-6 weeks

Frequently Asked Passport Questions

  • https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/Passports

Traveling Abroad

  • On August 6, in close coordination with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of State lifted the Global Level 4 Health Advisory.  The Global Advisory, initially put in place on March 19, 2020, advised U.S. citizens to avoid all international travel due to the global impact of COVID-19.
  • With health and safety conditions improving in some countries and potentially deteriorating in others, the Department is returning to our previous system of country-specific levels of travel advice (with Levels from 1-4 depending on country-specific conditions), in order to give travelers detailed and actionable information to make informed travel decisions.  This will also provide U.S. citizens more detailed information about the current status in each country.  We continue to recommend U.S. citizens exercise caution when traveling abroad due to the unpredictable nature of the pandemic.

Social Security Administration

  • All local Social Security offices will be closed to the public for in-person service starting March 17, 2020. They are still able to provide critical services and will make certain exceptions for specific dire need situations.
  • If you need to contact your local office for a dire need situation, please look for the general inquiry telephone number at the Social Security Office Locator.

  • Additional funding to this program was provided in January, 2021 LINK https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2021/01/04/usda-announces-continuation-farmers-families-food-box-program-fifth 

U.S. Department of Agriculture

  • USDA announced that the Rural Business-Cooperative Service is making up to $1 billion available in loan guarantees to rural businesses through the Business and Industry CARES Act Program. These loans will also be available to agricultural producers that are ineligible for USDA Farm Service Agency loans. Applications are due no later than September 15, 2021.

The USDA announced details of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, which will provide up to $16 billion in direct payments to deliver relief to America’s farmers and ranchers impacted by COVID-19.

Additionally, the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box program is partnering with regional and local distributors, whose workforces have been significantly impacted by the closure of many restaurants, hotels, and other food service entities, to purchase $3 billion in fresh produce, dairy, and meat and deliver boxes to Americans in need.

National Park Service

Long-term Care Facilities/Nursing Homes

  • Guidelines for visiting nursing homes can be found here.
  • For more information, visit the CDC website.

Additional State Services

  • Family Connection of SC is temporarily postponing in-person trainings, outreach events, and, and home visits. The Family Information Center will remain open to provide support, information, and referrals for families with children that have a disability or special healthcare need. 

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