COVID-19

19 June

New CDC Guidance for Agriculture Workers and Employers

wsvma   |   COVID-19

The CDC has released the Agricultural Employer Checklist for Creating a COVID-19 Assessment and Control Plan. This document is a companion piece to the recently released guidance for Agriculture Workers and Employers. Agricultural employers can use this checklist to create a COVID-19 assessment and control plan for applying specific preparation, prevention, and management measures to prevent and slow the spread of COVID-19. The checklist is divided into five sections: assessment, control plan, shared housing, transportation, and children. You can find...

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12 June

Urge lawmakers to reverse course on taxing PPP expenses

wsvma   |   COVID-19, Practice Management

Veterinary professionals and veterinary business owners can support our colleagues by asking Congress to pass legislation ensuring that business owners impacted by COVID-19 aren’t penalized by income-tax rules after taking out a loan through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Despite recent legislation that made improvements to the PPP loan program, PPP borrowers are prohibited from claiming federal tax deductions that are normally fully deductible – including some rent and utility payments, and wages and benefits paid to employees – for forgivable...

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05 June

Veterinary industry covid-19 impact tracking

wsvma   |   COVID-19

The data experts at VetSuccess have developed a dashboard to track the daily impact of COVID-19 on the veterinary industry. With data from over 2,800 practices, the tracker shows daily visits and revenue, plus how each day compares to the same day last year on a regional basis. Use this tracker to monitor the industry and compare your practice numbers. The data is refreshed daily in the afternoon and can be viewed by state and major metropolitan areas. Visit the website...

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22 May

SBA releases small business loan forgiveness guidance

wsvma   |   COVID-19, Practice Management

The Small Business Administration (SBA) just recently released additional information on the forgiveness aspects of the Paycheck Protection Program and the application that will be utilized - Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness application. It includes a detailed worksheet and guidance to calculate eligible expenses for forgiveness. The PPP loan forgiveness application clarifies many of the common questions from borrowers while providing details on additional requirements for loan forgiveness. Highlights include: Borrowers have the option to pick and choose which non-payroll...

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22 May

Be sure to report animal drug shortages

wsvma   |   COVID-19, Federal Regulatory

FDA has been closely monitoring the animal drug supply chain for supply disruptions or shortages in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency is issuing guidance to ensure the availability of drug products during the pandemic and to assist sponsors in providing FDA timely, informative notifications about changes in the production of animal drugs that will, in turn, help the Agency in its efforts to prevent or mitigate shortages of these products. Submit comments here.   Posted May 22, 2020...

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22 May

Guidelines and considerations for re-engaging veterinary medical students in clinical rotations during the COVID-19 pandemic

wsvma   |   COVID-19

AAVMC member institutions have worked closely together throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to identify best practices, adapt and successfully deliver their academic programs during the crisis environment. One of the most challenging areas to address has been in the area of providing clinical educational experiences for upper-level students conducting clerkships in university teaching hospitals, affiliated clinical sites and externships. A team of five AAVMC member institution representatives was created to analyze the issue and develop a series of recommendations that would assure the...

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22 May

ESD, L&I publish guidance for common workplace safety concerns and employment scenarios during the pandemic

wsvma   |   COVID-19, Practice Management

The Employment Security Department has published Employer FAQ and Worker FAQ to address common questions as businesses resume operations. The Department of Labor and Industries has published a Paid Sick Leave FAQ. The two agencies worked together to establish a Paid Family and Medical Leave FAQ. Combined, these FAQ address a range of possible scenarios that may unfold as workplaces resume operations. Questions involving work refusal and unemployment eligibility have been especially frequent. Workers collecting unemployment must have a good cause reason...

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19 May

Gov. Inslee announces restart of non-urgent medical services in Washington

wsvma   |   COVID-19

On May 18, Gov. Inslee announced plans to resume non-urgent elective procedures, effective immediately, provided practitioners follow a specific set of criteria to protect workers and clients. The plan requires that hospitals and clinics assess their own readiness as well as their communities’ COVID-19 activity to determine to what degree non-essential services should be provided. Proclamation 20-24.1 also requires hospitals and clinics to have enough personal protective equipment to keep workers safe, employ social-distancing policies, and check visitors and patients...

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18 May

Veterinary Board of Governors sets temporary policies for VCPR/Virtual Care and Continuing Education

wsvma   |   Continuing Education, COVID-19, Professional News

The Veterinary Board of Governors released two new COVID-19 related policies today. One allows unlimited use of online continuing education through December 31, 2020. The other lifts some restrictions in the Veterinary-Client-Patient Relationship rule to facilitate access to veterinary services during the COVID-19 emergency. VCPR Policy: VBOG VCPR COVID-19 Policy Stmt FINAL_5.15.20.pdf To address the difficulties related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that impact licensed veterinarians with regard to establishing a veterinary-client-patient relationship (VCPR) in Washington State, the Veterinary Board...

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15 May

New: COVID-19: A Guide to Reopening Veterinary Medicine in Washington

wsvma   |   COVID-19

Everyone is anxiously awaiting the Governor’s announcement that we can go back to providing non-essential services. It could happen soon or it could be several more weeks before all healthcare services can resume but with safety measures in place. In anticipation of the time when we can expand business, the WSVMA is releasing COVID-19: A Guide to Reopening Veterinary Medicine in Washington (Updated May 19, 2020). The Guide, written by well-known expert Scott Weese, DVM, DVSc, DACVIM in partnership with the Ontario...

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