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Are We Ready for July 31st?
While the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise, much of the financial liquidity and relief efforts are poised to wind down in the next few weeks. Chatting with a few friends, I thought it might make sense to highlight some of the financial and economic circumstances the nation faces as we head towards July 31; it’s more than just the expiration of the unemployment stimulus checks.
Free Testing Comes to An End
President Trump announced a few days ago that federal funding of some COVID-19 testing sites in several states will end after June 30th, including in Texas — where there have been record-high daily cases. The announcement came soon after President Trump proposed a slowdown of testing, and the move follows a wave of temporary testing site closures early this month when government officials claimed that protestors had destroyed over 70 sites. Such measures have further thrown into question whether elected officials are treating access to free and widely available COVID-19 testing as an essential right and not a conditional privilege.
Tax Day Delay
Before the expiration of financial relief expirations, it’s the least magical time of the year: the new tax filing deadline — changed in late March in response to the pandemic — is coming up in a few weeks, on July 15th. One silver…
