Dear GOA Members,
Based on the latest COVID-19 updates, the CDC recommends doctors of optometry postpone routine eyecare visits while prioritizing urgent and emergency visits and procedures to ensure staff and patient safety.
Please read the following statement from the CDC regarding clinics and healthcare facilities:
"Healthcare facilities and clinicians
should prioritize urgent and emergency visits and procedures
now and for the coming several weeks. The following actions can preserve staff, personal protective equipment, and patient care supplies; ensure staff and patient safety; and expand available hospital capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic:
●
Delay all elective ambulatory provider visits
●
Reschedule elective and non-urgent admissions
●
Delay inpatient and outpatient elective surgical and procedural cases
●
Postpone routine dental and eyecare visits
Tools
and
resources
exist as part of healthcare system preparedness plans and are often referred to as Pandemic Plans. Consult your state or local health department about specific plans for your community."
For more information, please visit the AOA's COVID-19
resource page
.
The Georgia Department of Labor has also released new information on filing claims during temporary shutdowns:
"The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) has adopted an emergency Rule 300-2-4-0.5 Partial Claims, effective March 16, 2020. The rule mandates all Georgia employers to file partial claims online on behalf of their employees for any week during which an employee (full-time/part-time) works less than full-time due to a partial or total company shutdown caused by the COVID-19 public health emergency. Any employer found to be in violation of this rule will be required to reimburse GDOL for the full amount of unemployment insurance benefits paid to the employee. Download the How Employers File Partial Claims Desk-Aid found on the GDOL Alert Page and follow the step-by-step instructions.
Filing partial claims results in your employees receiving unemployment insurance (UI) benefit payments faster, usually within 48 hours for claims filed electronically. Employees for whom you file a partial claim are NOT required to report to a Georgia Department of Labor career center, register for employment services, or look for other work."
Please visit
gdol.ga.gov
for more information on these guidelines.
Providing you with the education, information and resources you need to serve your patients well remains our number one priority. The GOA staff joins me in our commitment to providing you with vital information during this time of uncertainty.
Thank you for all that you are doing for your patients, for your community, and for our profession during this public health emergency. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.
