The Daily Edition for Wednesday, March 25, 2020 To view this in your browser, click here.
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Welcome to your daily Impact newsletter! As a valued member of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, we plan to stay in touch with you every afternoon, through emails like this one and on Facebook and Twitter, until the pandemic passes. We intend to provide you with the latest state and federal information, as well as highlighting the creativity and innovation that is occuring here in Maine during this unpredictable and rapidly changing time. To assist you in navigating the uncertainties ahead, we’ve created a diverse and comprehensive collection of web-based resources to help you take care of yourself and your family, your employees, your business, and your community. If there is anything you need, please reach out. We’re here to help in any way we can! |
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Today’s Video Message: |
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To view in your browser, please click here: https://youtu.be/awfuB8VvSms
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Essential and Non-Essential
If
the function of your business is not listed below, but you believe that Questions may also be directed to [email protected]. |
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The State of Maine recently supplied us with this list of Essential Businesses and Operations, which include Food Processing and Agriculture; Fishing and Aquaculture; Industrial Manufacturing; Construction and Maintenance of Essential Infrastructure; Trash Collection and Transfer Stations; Grocery and Household Goods, including Convenience Stores; Forest Products; Essential Home Repair; Hardware and Auto Repair; Pharmacy and Other Medical, Psychiatric, and Long-Term Care Facilities; Group Homes and Residential Treatment Facilities; Biomedical; Life Science; Behavioral Health, Health Care, Dental Care, And Long-Term Services and Supports Providers and Organizations; Child Care Providers; Post Offices and Shipping Outlets; Banks and Credit Unions; Gas Stations and Laundromats; Veterinary Clinics, Animal Welfare and Animal Feed and Supply Stores; Truck Delivery and Distribution of Goods; Public Transportation; Legal, Business, Professional, Environmental Permitting and Insurance Services; Hotel and Commercial Lodging; and, All Utilities Such as Electricity, Water, Wastewater and Telecommunications. The list went on to name the following as Non-Essential Businesses and Operations: Shopping Malls, Fitness and Exercise Gyms, Spas, Barber Shops, Hair Salons, Tattoo and Piercing Parlors, Parlors, Massage Facilities, Nail Technicians, Cosmetologists and Estheticians, Electrolysis Services, Laser Hair Removal Services, and similar personal care and treatment facilities and services. |
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Daily Briefing from the Maine CDC |
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From today's Maine CDC Briefing, there is an increase of 24 cases statewide since yesterday, for a total of 142. This morning, the Maine CDC received a report that an individual in DHHS office in Lewiston tested positive for COVID-19. The Maine CDC’s investigation is underway. The agency's top priority continues to be ensuring the health and safety of the public and employees. The Lewiston Maine DHHS office is closed while investigation continues. |
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Bipartisan stimulus agreement package reached |
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Early on Wednesday morning at 1:30 a.m., the White House and U.S. Senate announced a nearly $2 trillion rescue package in response to the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. All of Maine’s congressional delegation, Sen. Collins, Sen. King, Rep. Pingree and Rep. Golden have been great advocates for in Washington DC for Mainers and we thank them for that. Contained in the bipartisan package is Sen. Collins proposal for small businesses to receive SBA loans to meet payroll and overhead to keep Maine’s small businesses afloat and the loan will be forgiven completely at the end of this crisis. Also, included in the package are immediate checks to all individuals, expansion of unemployment benefits and more liquidity into the marketplace from the federal reserve. As more details emerge from the package, we will be sure to send them out immediately. Click here for a link to a good summary article of the negotiated deal. |
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Supporting Maine’s business community during the COVID-19 pandemic
This opinion editorial was published today in the Bangor Daily News, the Press Herald, the Kennebec Journal, and the Morning Sentinel. |
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The Coronavirus, or COVID-19 pandemic has caused tremendous disruption for every Mainer. Shops and businesses are closed or not operating as usual, many people are not working, many are working remotely while also looking after their children who are normally in school or childcare. Much of Maine’s workforce -- health care workers, first responders, and other essential-services workers -- are going above and beyond their regular duties, some risking their own health to take care of Mainers in need. |
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Adding to our worries about the health of our families, friends, co-workers and ourselves, many are profoundly concerned about how the businesses they own or work for are going to endure the pandemic. The immediate and long-term needs of Maine businesses, especially small businesses, are of utmost importance right now. Every Mainer relies on them. Not only for the services and goods they provide, but the jobs they create and the numerous contributions they, their employees and their families make to Maine’s economy and communities. Maine’s state, regional and local chambers of commerce are working together to do everything we can to mitigate the pandemic’s economic impact. Assistance is coming together to help employers and workers weather the pandemic. As part of our efforts, we are continually updating our websites and sharing resources available to help businesses stay afloat in the coming weeks. To date, resources include: * U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster assistance for Maine small businesses. The deadline to apply for assistance is December 16, 2020. Information is available at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela, or applicants can call SBA (800) 659-2955 or email [email protected]. * Governor Mills has signed emergency legislation establishing a consumer loan guarantee program through the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME). FAME is partnering with SBA and Maine lenders to offer special, limited-time loans and loan insurance to eligible Maine businesses and sole proprietors affected by COVID-19. Interested borrowers should first contact their financial institution. They are advised to start the conversation now and not delay. More details are available at www.FAMEmaine.com. * State legislation was passed to make the Unemployment Insurance system more flexible. For employees, the usual one week waiting period for eligibility will be waived in the event of a Covid-19 related layoff. For employers, layoffs associated with COVID-19 will not count against their rating. More information can be found at https://www.maine.gov/labor/covid19/. * Federal aid proposals, not yet confirmed, are nearing two trillion dollars. Senator Susan Collins has proposed legislation to provide cash-flow assistance quickly to employers.
The chamber community also has launched Pay It Forward Maine (www.payitforwardmaine.com), led by the Portland Regional Chamber, to encourage Mainers to support businesses however they can. These businesses are there for us every day. It is our turn to be there for them, whether it’s our favorite lunch spot, gym, yoga studio, book or hardware store. Pay It Forward Maine has put together ideas, most of which can be done online, that include: * Utilizing delivery, take-out and curbside services at local businesses. * Buying gift cards for ourselves or others to retailers, restaurants, shops, and movie, concert and theatre venues. * Purchasing class passes for gyms and fitness studios. * Purchasing merchandise from favorite retailers, breweries and restaurants. * Volunteering time and more.
We hope people will share their #PayItForwardMaine plans on social media and challenge their friends to take part. Think of the impact if we all participate. Plus, connecting virtually with others during this time of “social distancing” may help us all feel less isolated. By helping our communities and local businesses, we may feel better knowing we are doing something to help one another. We are stronger together, we are better together, and we are committed to supporting our communities, employers and all Maine people to mitigate the effects of the pandemic. These are unprecedented times, but we are optimistic that Maine will bounce back. Maine people have proved our resilience before. We surely will again. If you are an employer with questions or concerns, please contact us at [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected].
About the authors: Dana Connors is President & CEO of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce. Quincy Hentzel is President & CEO of the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce. Deb Neuman is President & CEO of the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce. |
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U.S. DOL’s Guidance on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act… |
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Last night, the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division issued a press release with new details about the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and provided links to its first round of guidance on how the Families First Coronavirus Response Act will affect employers and employees. It is clear that they will be issuing further guidance and also regulations related to the exemptions for employers with fewer than 50 employees, as well as health care providers. This new guidance is just the first round of information and compliance assistance to come from the Wages and Hours Division. Questions can be directed to the Department’s National Online Dialogue. The ideas and comments gathered from this dialogue will inform compliance assistance guidance, resources, and tools, as well as outreach approaches, that assist employers and employees in understanding their responsibilities and rights under the FFCRA. Anyone who is interested can participate online at https://ffcra.ideascale.com from March 23 through March 29, 2020. Please take time to review these three documents: guidance for employers, guidance for employees, and a set of FAQs. Among the most helpful FAQs are #2 (how to count employees); #4 (how a small business with fewer than 50 employees can take advantage of the exemption), and #10 (how the two types of leave interact). |
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Accessing Mortgage Relief Programs… |
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Federal Relief For Mortgages: * FHA Insured Loans: The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was ordered by President Trump on March 18 to suspend evictions and foreclosures for the next 60 days. * Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Loans: The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which oversees Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan banks, is providing payment forbearance to borrowers impacted by the coronavirus for up to 12 months due to hardship.
State & Private Mortgage Relief Programs: * The federal government and states are starting to step in to provide protection for homeowners and renters. These initiatives are in their early stages and as COVID-19’s economic impact spreads, these relief programs will likely spread too.
Growing List of Banks Offering Relief to Customers for Mortgages and Some Credit Cards: In addition to federal- and state-specific efforts, banks are offering relief to mortgage customers affected by coronavirus. |
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Accessing U.S. SBA loans through your financial institution… |
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We wish to share an important piece of information gathered during a recent briefing with our friends at the Maine Bankers Association and the Maine Credit Union League. If you require or are seeking financial assistance through the SBA loan program or other disaster relief programs, the first call you should make is to your financial institution. Your financial institutions are there to help navigate programs becoming available, helping to ensure your business remains strong despite current economic uncertainty. Remember, working together, we will be stronger than trying to navigate this by ourselves. |
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Connecting through the Airwaves… |
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At 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 26, 2020, The Bottom Line podcast will host Finance Authority of Maine CEO Bruce Wagner. Wagner joins The Bottom Line co-hosts Dana Connors of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and John Williams of Williams Broadcasting to discuss the status of the critical issues facing Maine businesses and review loan programs available to eligible Maine businesses and individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. To listen, scroll down to “Listen Online” at www.williamsbroadcasting.net. Note: Normally, The Bottom Line is recorded twice per month. For the time being, the podcast will be recorded weekly on Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. |
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Our President, Dana Connors, was a guest on the “Back to Business” radio show earlier this morning, hosted by Bangor Region Chamber President Deb Neuman and Ric Tyler on WVOM (101.3FM Augusta, 103.9FM Bangor, and 95.1FM Rockland) from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. They discussed COVID-19 resources and support for small businesses, and additional guests included Senator Susan Collins and Senator Angus King, as well as representatives from SBA, FAME, DECD, and DOL. Listen to Dana's segment here. |
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Telehealth Town Hall for Maine Healthcare Providers |
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Join us for a virtual discussion! Telehealth Town Hall for Maine Healthcare Providers Thursday, March 26 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Register here to attend the virtual meeting Join Maine DHHS leadership and Northeast Telehealth Resource Center (NETRC) staff for an overview of the recent significant expansions to telehealth policy at the state and federal level that will allow Maine providers and patients to better leverage technology and promote continuity of care during the COVID-19 pandemic. NETRC staff will also share key telehealth resources and information that are being made available to help clinicians implement telehealth services, including a new, weekly “Telehealth Virtual Office Hours” that will begin the week of March 30th to provide ongoing and timely technical assistance to clinicians and their staff. |
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Notice: In
an ongoing effort to thwart the activities of online hackers, the Maine State
Chamber |