Walking into an emergency room near her home in Houston, Texas, Laurie Delgatto-Whitten knew the COVID-19 test she was there for would be far from pleasant, but little did she know the surprise bill she'd receive in the mail weeks later would prove to be almost as painful.

"It was a just a quick swab; it lasted maybe two minutes and that was it," she recalled.

Delgatto-Whitten got her COVID-19 test on May 18 and eventually received her negative test results about 10 days later. Then, in early June, she got a statement in the mail from her insurance company. Her bill totaled $3,165.92.

"I mean, I think it’s a total scam and in the midst of a pandemic, it’s even worse," she added.

However, under the CARES Act passed by Congress, COVID-19 tests are legally mandated to be covered. Over the past few months, though, some Americans have discovered flaws in the legislation. Because Delgatto-Whitten had already met her deductible, she personally didn't owe any money. But it's the principle of her insurance company agreeing to pay that astronomical bill that causes her deep concern.

"In the long run any cost insurance companies are taking on, they’re going to pass onto you. They’re going to be passed on to me," she said.

Healthcare advocate Michelle Johnson is concerned stories like Delgatto-Whitten’s will deter other Americans from getting tested at a time with the virus is still spreading rapidly across the country.

"If people think it’s going to cost money to go get a test they just won’t do it," Johnson said.

Johnson's advice is to request an itemized bill for any COVID-19 related procedures you might undergo. Aside from contacting your insurance company Johnson says to call your elected officials and let them know what's happening.

"The only solution is for elected officials to step up and do their job," she added.

COVINGTON, Ky. — As students in Covington Independent Public Schools return to the classroom, schools in the district received grants to help those students navigate any trauma they may have from the pandemic.

Holmes Middle School, Ninth District Elementary, Sixth District Elementary, Latonia Elementary and Holmes High School received $100,000 from the CARES Act with the explicit purpose of supporting the mental health of students through social emotional learning materials. The grants will also provide mental health training for teachers and families.

"We are excited to have these additional funds to help our children and families get back on track emotionally as we recover from the impact of the pandemic," Dr. Janice Wilkerson, the assistant superintendent of Covington Independent Public Schools, said.

Officials said that when schools went to virtual learning, some students withdrew from classes and others failed multiple classes.

“We have found some problems exacerbated as students were isolated for long periods of time," Renata Watts, Youth Services Center coordinator for Holmes Middle School, said. "We know that if (students) cannot connect to their emotions, they cannot thrive academically. We know that we must address the emotional well-being of our students."

Wilkerson said the funds will help students get back on track, and Watts said the grants will make a difference.

"We know it will take some time, but we are prepared to receive our students at where they are, and most importantly, focus on their well-being, thanks to the grant," Watts said.

In her hands, Tobie Whitman carries her pride and joy, as well as her livelihood.

“We source everything from as nearby as possible,” motioning to the bouquet in her hands.

The florist owns

Little Acre Flowers

in Washington, D.C., a small business with six employees.

Lately, business has been tough.

“I'd say about a month ago some of our event clients, who were planning weddings or bar mitzvahs, began to reach out to us and say that they were thinking about possibly having to change their plans,” Whitman said. “And that's when we thought to ourselves, ‘Oh wow, this is really going to be a big deal for our business.’”

And it has been a big deal.

Their flower orders for events –-gone. That side of the business is down 100 percent. The shop is surviving on a small number of daily flower deliveries and something else.

“We're dipping into the savings that we have to keep people on board,” Whitman said.

The federal government recently passed the $2 trillion “

Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act

,” better known as the

CARES Act

. In it, it provides more than $349 billion for small businesses in the “Paycheck Protection Program.” It’s designed to help small businesses hold on to their employees.

“Billions of dollars in small business loans have already been processed through Paycheck Protection Programs,” President Donald Trump said on April 5. “So, we went out on Friday and, literally, it’s become so popular. It’s been worked with the banks. They get it to the small business.”

However, it hasn’t worked quite as smoothly as that.

Banks report a confusing lending program process, which is limiting their ability to get those emergency loans out to small businesses.

Wells Fargo announced it would no longer be accepting any more new applications, because the bank already reached the program’s $10 billion loan maximum. That prompted the Federal Reserve to announce it would now allow the bank to go beyond that amount.

On top of that, the Small Business Administration’s computer servers crashed, as banks attempted to submit those loan applications.

Back at Little Acre Flowers, Whitman said they plan to apply for the federal loan, but in the meantime, also applied for a small business grant from the city to help stay afloat.

"We're small business,” she said. “We're like a family."

All part of an effort to keep the door to Little Acre Flowers open for as long as possible – like so many other small businesses are trying to do.

Editor’s note: With our coronavirus coverage, our goal is not to alarm you but to equip you with the information you need. We will try to keep things in context and focus on helping you make decisions. See a list of resources and frequently asked questions here.

Facing looming revenue shortages for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic throughout the Tri-State, local transit agencies will receive emergency aid from the stimulus bill passed by Congress last week.

The Federal Transit Administration Friday unveiled $25 billion in stimulus dollars for public transportation systems across the U.S. as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, a bill designed to keep the country's economy afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The FTA allocated $45.4 million to southwest Ohio's four public transit systems -- Cincinnati Metro, the Butler County Regional Transit Authority, the Clermont Transit Connection and the Cincinnati streetcar. The FTA granted $11.6 million to TANK, Northern Kentucky's only public transportation system.

READ MORE: How is Tri-State transit responding to COVID-19 pandemic?

Suballocation of the $45.4 million to the four southwest Ohio systems is determined by local processes, the FTA indicated in the materials released Friday. Those are based on population served and the level of service provided by each transit system. Based on these criteria, Metro stands to collect the vast majority of that aid.

Both Metro and TANK recently announced reductions in service and other measures they would take in response to the coronavirus. Neither bus system is collecting fares, and both are requiring passengers board through the rear door in order to reduce contact between riders and operators. As fewer and fewer daily riders were commuting to work, bus ridership plummeted, and both systems scaled back routes to weekend service levels.

Mayor John Cranley and Health Director Melba Moore this week ordered the Cincinnati Bell Connector streetcar closed to passenger service. The city administration is in the process of determining what level of streetcar staffing and operations to maintain during the shutdown.

More information on how the stimulus funds could help transit agencies resume closer-to-normal service levels was not immediately available.