The Coronavirus pandemic is a health crisis like we have never seen before, and it is colliding with the economic crisis of this generation - student loan debt. Lost wages and medical costs will impact families across the country for weeks, months, and years to come. Adding the persistent burden of student debt is a recipe for an economic disaster for millions of everyday people. Labor shocks like those the pandemic are likely to cause will undoubtedly increase federal student loan defaults. Borrowers in default on federal student loans face having their tax refunds seized and wages garnished at a time when they can least afford it. We also call on lawmakers to immediately stop these actions that hit distressed borrowers the most. Canceling student debt in response to the Coronavirus crisis will help the 45 million people with student loans and stimulate the economy when it is needed most. It will allow borrowers to purchase the necessities their families depend on: food on their table, a roof over their head, and critical healthcare. In the long term, a student debt cancellation stimulus would help prevent or reduce the impacts of an upcoming recession. Student debt cancellation can boost GDP by up to $108 billion a year and would add up to 1.5 million jobs per year.

A lot of Loussiana residents are out of work due to recent closures, As well as time off or loss of job due to kids being out for a month! We need help!

Most cases of COVID19 have arrived here by someone traveling. For the safety of the residents, we ask that all people arriving be required to be quarantined for 14 days.

During the COVID-19 crisis, we all have a responsibility towards our communities to keep ourselves healthy and avoid situations that can spread the virus. As of March 17th, the state of Florida will close all retail stores, bars, nightclubs and restaurants in order to help us uphold that responsibility, and most other businesses are asking teams to work remotely, or to pause work altogether. While this is a step in the right direction regarding public health, the effects of these sweeping business closures affect the livelihood of thousands of Florida residents that rely on their paychecks to make ends meet. Without a plan in place to supplement the income of these workers and small business owners, and with no guarantee that unemployment benefits will provide the relief people need in this difficult time, we demand a moratorium on rent collection NOW. Hard-working people are going to suffer at the expense of the greater good. While we don't deny the importance of instituting these closures, we would be ashamed and heartbroken to watch our government let people who are living paycheck to paycheck face evictions, blows to their credit, homelessness, or be backed into a corner financially through no fault of their own. As a full-time small business owner in the retail industry, my sole source of income has been 100% compromised as retail businesses left and right are experiencing disruptions to supply chains, sudden halts in customer traffic, and steep declines in revenue. We need the Miami-Ft Lauderdale Metroplex and the state of Florida as a whole, to put a moratorium on rent NOW in order to preserve the livelihood of so many hardworking people in the retail, restaurant, and entertainments industries, and in other affected industries during this time of crisis.

During the COVID-19 crisis, we all have a responsibility towards our communities to keep ourselves healthy and avoid situations that can spread the virus. As of March 17th, the state of Florida will close all bars, nightclubs and restaurants in order to help us uphold that responsibility. While this is a step in the right direction regarding public health, the effects of these sweeping business closures affect the livelihood of thousands of Florida residents that rely on front-of-house restaurant, club/bar work or tips to make ends meet. Without a plan in place to supplement the income of these workers, and with no guarantee that unemployment benefits will provide the relief people need in a city with one of the highest costs of living in the country, we demand a moratorium on rent collection NOW. Hard-working people are going to suffer at the expense of the greater good. While we don't deny the importance of instituting these closures, we would be ashamed and heartbroken to watch our government let people who rely on restaurant work, work in the entertainment industry (clubs/bars) face evictions, blows to their credit, or be backed into a corner financially through no fault of their own. As a full-time waitress in the nightlife industry this is my sole source of income. For so many of my friends and family in the industry, as well, tips are their MAIN source of income. Simply providing people with an unemployment payment or temporary paid leave at minimum wage would not be enough to cover their typical expenses. We need Miami and Florida as a whole to put a moratorium on rent NOW in order to preserve the livelihood of so many hardworking people both in the restaurant industry and in other affected industries during this time of crisis.

With restaurant closures due to gathering COVID19 size gathering restrictions, restaurants are forced to opt to close or only sell food to go. That privilege is not available for wine sales. Restaurants, 'on-premise' can't also sell 'off-premise' - which is to say they can't sell wine from their storage to go out the door and have guests enjoy wine with their food. It is crucial for restaurants to remain operational during these new realities.

We need to reclaim our humanity, together, right now, once and for all in the history of our species! Universalist Emergency across the planet is being applied. The USA has the means and ability to show the planet how we begin the new world - we do not need another war against each other to come together against full economic collapse or even extinction. As our world is changing, the most creative thinkers on the planet are immediately influenced by this planetary crisis. It is now a revelation what humanity must do to handle the tidal wave of events to come and forever in the future. 10 years of this should help the whole species on every continent will have its’ first chance to design the world we all wanted as children and for our children. Allowing for these horrific world conditions to resonate psychologically, is horrific but with compassion through our very tight communication-information infrastructures of 2020, the economic relationships we have now, do not require us to repeat the history of the 1930's. I personally work in the corporate trade-show ballroom audio-video industry in Manhattan, NY, USA and all my part time scheduled work has been cancelled due to COVID19 terror. However, many people in my field have helped me draft this petition. We are the solution to this confusion: COVID-19 UNIVERSAL EMERGENCY [NOW] !

A dangerous new coronavirus (COVID-19) is at its early stages of spreading in the U.S., and appears to be spreading rapidly, with new cases increasing at an exponential rate. Public health experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, agree that more than a million lives are at risk nationwide — as the virus can cause severe respiratory distress and lung failure. The oldest among us and those with chronic health conditions are most at risk, but everyone can be sickened, and people who aren't exhibiting any symptoms can carry and spread the virus. We have seen in China and are seeing now in Europe what happens when hospitals become overwhelmed -- it is a terrible scene. We must act aggressively or we will be in the same place. Forcing businesses to temporarily close may not be an easy political choice, but it is the morally clear one, in the best interest of the people of Virginia. Governor Northam and the rest of our Commonwealth’s government should heed the advice of public health experts and do all they can to #flattenthecurve at which this virus spreads. If the federal government will not take decisive action, state and local governments must. Gov. Northam, please close non-essential businesses, especially those such as bars and restaurants where large groups may congregate, to prevent unnecessary contagion and save lives. And please recognize the impacts this will have on workers and small businesses, and use the resources of the Commonwealth to ensure workers continue to get pay and that businesses forced to temporarily close are made whole.

A dangerous new coronavirus (COVID-19) is at its early stages of spreading in the U.S., and appears to be spreading rapidly, with new cases increasing at an exponential rate. The California Department of Public Health has established that the virus is present and spreading within California. Public health experts agree that more than a million lives are at risk nationwide — as the virus can cause severe respiratory distress and lung failure. The oldest among us and those with chronic health conditions are most at risk, but everyone can be sickened, and people who aren't exhibiting any symptoms can carry and spread the virus. We have seen in China and are seeing now in Europe what happens when hospitals become overwhelmed -- it is a terrible scene. We must act aggressively or we will be in the same place. Forcing businesses to temporarily close may not be an easy political choice, but it is the morally clear one, in the best interest of the people of California. Governor Gavin Newsom and the California government should heed the advice of public health experts and do all they can to #flattenthecurve at which this virus spreads. If the federal government will not take decisive action, state and local governments must. Governor Newsom, please close non-essential businesses, especially those such as bars and restaurants where large groups may congregate, to prevent unnecessary contagion and save lives. And please recognize the impacts this will have on workers and small businesses, and use the resources of California to ensure workers continue to get pay and that businesses forced to temporarily close are made whole. There is no reason we can't both act to prevent public health while also taking care of the workers and local businesses being asked to sacrifice so we can do so.

Americans need to be more aggressive in their approach to halting the spread of the novel coronavirus, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said today, Sunday March 15th. Specifically, he said he would support a 14-day national shutdown here in the United States. President Trump and the Coronavirus Task Force should adhere to this recommendation and initiate said shutdown immediately. Yesterday, March 14, 2020, Italy confirmed 398 deaths from COVID--19 in just one day. The U.S. death toll rose to 62, and the total number of confirmed cases surging to more than 3,200. More than 6,000 people have died around the world. The United States is weeks behind many other countries in mitigating the spread of this novel, deadly virus -- including Senegal which has prepared for COVID--19 since February and is reportedly able to test its citizens within a 4hr turnaround and South Korea which is able to test 15,000 citizens a day. We are behind the curve in protecting ourselves. A national shutdown is what is now needed. As evidenced by massive weekend turnout to bars in Nashville, Tennessee and New York City, New York, Americans will not, at scale, take social distancing seriously until mandated to do so. We need a 14-day national shutdown now.

Doctors in clinics cannot test for Covid-19 with personal protective equipment (PPE) even if the test kits arrive one day. We cannot see sick patients without N95 masks. Some offices are shutting down and only doing telehealth because they don’t have PPE. This should be the priority.

We are in a health crisis and entering an economic crisis. During the Great Recession, leaders focused primarily on financial relief for big businesses and banks, causing communities of color and working-class people to lose massive amounts of wealth – forever. We must learn from this previous mistake, and provide consistent financial support for families that were already living paycheck to paycheck. We need to send Emergency Money to the People right away, and provide ongoing support. NBA stars, business owners, and concerned citizens on Twitter are sending people cash to cover lost wages and emergency supplies. The government should bolster what Americans already know to be correct – that cash allows people to solve problems for themselves, quickly.