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The Daily Edition for Wednesday, May 27, 2020

To view this Daily Impact online, click here.

 

 

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 have 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.

Do you have a question? ASK THE EXPERTS.

We are here to help in any way we can!

 

 

Mills Administration Announces Update to Restarting Maine's Economy Plan

 

 

Administration restricts reopening of restaurants in Androscoggin, Cumberland and York Counties to outside service only

This afternoon, Governor Janet Mills announced an update to her Administration's plan to restart Maine's economy as the state approaches the scheduled June 1 start date for Stage 2 of the plan. The Mills Administration is postponing the full reopening of restaurants for dine-in services in York, Cumberland, and Androscoggin counties. Restaurants in these counties were tentatively scheduled to reopen to dine-in services on June 1 (Stage 2) but are now restricted to reopening to outside dining service only beginning on that date in addition to continuing to provide take-away and delivery services. The decision to limit their reopening comes amidst an increase in hospitalizations as well as an increase in case counts in these three counties, both of which are metrics monitored by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC). A date for the reopening of dine-in services in these counties is yet to be determined.

 

Additionally, on June 1, retail businesses in York, Cumberland, Androscoggin, and Penobscot counties - counties where these businesses have been closed to indoor shopping - will also be permitted to voluntarily reopen, also with strict, sector-specific health and safety precautions. These businesses now join those in the other twelve counties permitted to reopen as part of the Governor's rural reopening plan. The Administration continues to closely review the status of gyms, fitness centers, and nail salons, the reopening of which were paused last week as a result of concerns about the transmission of the virus in these settings.

 

Maine Department of Labor and Law Enforcement Investigating Fraud

As part of its effort to investigate, prevent, and stop fraud perpetrated by criminals, the Maine Department of Labor has received some 1,000 reports of potential unemployment imposter fraud that are now under investigation. Maine, like many other states, is seeing an increase of intentionally fraudulent unemployment claims over the past two months amid the rise in overall unemployment insurance claims due to COVID-19. This practice, known as impostor fraud, occurs when a person's Personally Identifiable Information, or PII, is used illegally to apply for unemployment benefits.

 

The department is temporarily pausing benefits for 48 hours this week and reinstating its normal 10-14 day processing time for initial unemployment claims, which was expedited to seven days in response to unprecedented demands of COVID-19, to investigate and prevent fraud and further enhance security of the unemployment system.

 

1 If you believe that someone else has used your information to file a fraudulent unemployment application, please notify the Maine Department of Labor immediately at https://www.maine.gov/unemployment/idtheft/.

 

2 Suspected fraud can also be reported to the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form or (866) 720-5721.

 

3 If you think someone is using your personal information to open accounts, file taxes or make purchases, visit https://www.identitytheft.gov to report and recover from identity theft. Additional identity theft resources can be found at: https://www.maine.gov/ag/privacy/identity_theft.shtml or https://www.ftc.gov/faq/consumer-protection/report-identity-theft.

 

4 MDOL Identity Theft and Fraud information webpage: https://www.maine.gov/unemployment/fraud/

 

To reserve your banner ad in the Daily Impact, please contact Melody Rousseau
by emailing
melodyr@mainechamber.org, or by calling (207) 623-4568, ext. 102.

 

Please Join Us For The Maine State Chamber's Regional Breakfast Series,

A Virtual Update

 

The Maine State Chamber of Commerce, together with local and regional chambers of commerce, invites you to our Regional Breakfast Meetings, held virtually on Zoom. As a local business leader, your valuable insight is instrumental to this open dialogue about issues that affect your business, your community and your state. We need your expertise and input to make recommendations and to identify opportunities for moving Maine's economic future in a positive direction.

Normally, attending one of our annual statewide breakfast series meetings is an ideal way for you, the Maine business leader, to interact with business associates, new and prospective Maine State Chamber members, and state representatives in a relaxed setting. This year, due to the COVID-19 situation, we will be hosting this event online as a coffee, so fill your cup and join the conversation from the comfort of your home.

THANK YOU TO

OUR SERIES SPONSORS:

Casella Waste Systems, Inc.;
Central Maine Power Company;
Maine Department of Economic & Community Development;
Northeast Delta Dental;
Versant Power; VHB

JOIN US TOMORROW!

 

Presque Isle Area

Thursday, May 28

from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.

 

 

Register here

NEXT WEEK!

 

Augusta Area

Wednesday, June 3

from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.

This session is a program of

the Kennebec Valley Chamber

 

Register here

 

PPP Math for the Self-Employed: And, Yes, There is Still Time

The Small Business Administration reports that as of May 23 it still had nearly $150 billion of untapped Paycheck Protection Program funds. The Program has been underutilized by self-employed business owners, in part due to complexity. Those micro-businesses, however, make up a significant slice of the U.S. economy and generally would be eligible for PPP funding.

 

This article from Verrill Dana illustrates potential PPP benefits for a self-employed owner with no employees. If you are employed through your S corp or C corp, this article is not for you. But if you have been doing business as a sole proprietor or through a solely-owned LLC that is disregarded for tax purposes, and if you report business income on Schedule C of your Form 1040 income tax return, then you may want to pay attention.

 

Maine Scores Near the Top in National Ranking for COVID-19 Health Infrastructure

In a national ranking of states with the best health infrastructure for responding to the coronavirus crisis, Maine came it at No. 14, outshining all other New England states except Vermont. WalletHub Researchers compared the 50 states across 14 metrics including public health emergency preparedness funding per capita, public hospital system quality and the the number of hospital beds, emergency centers and services, intensive care unit beds and state and local public health laboratories per capita.

 

Vermont led the New England pack at No. 11, followed by Maine at No. 14. That put them both ahead of Massachusetts (No. 38), Rhode Island (No. 43), New Hampshire (No. 44) and Connecticut, which came in dead last at No. 50. Massachusetts was found to have the largest percentage of population without insurance, followed by Hawaii and Vermont.

 

JOIN US NEXT WEEK
FOR A VERY SPECIAL WEBINAR...

 

How to Support The New
Work From Home Model

 

Thursday, June 4 | 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.

How will employers support the new work from home model while maintaining business continuity with a work-from-home workforce? How will employers use this new paradigm to Maine's advantage in the future? What happens when most or all of the workforce starts working from home? How can we use this as a positive spin in the future for employees and future employees?

 

Our panel of presenters includes:

* Laurie Mitchell, Assitant Vive President of Global Wellbeing and Health Management at Unum;

* Matt McGrath, President and CEO of Systems Engineering;

* Nate Wildes, Executive Director of Live and Work in Maine; and,

* Katie Shorey, Director of Engagement for Live and Work in Maine.

Register today and plan to join us Thursday, June 4 at 10:00 a.m. for this important webinar presentation.

 

Use The Maine State Chamber's Blog And Daily Impact To Tell Your Story!

Numerous Maine companies are stepping up or pivoting nimbly, as Maine people resourcefully address the challenges of this pandemic. Share your perspective and experience with us and with the rest of the business community. How are you facing and overcoming the challenges posed by this pandemic? What are you and your employees doing in this dramatically different economy? Tell us about the innovations your company or employees are making or ways you have adapted your company to meet your customers' needs.

 

Each blog entry should be 300 to 500 words. Join us in creating a written history of the business community's resilience and innovation during this extraordinary time. Please submit your entries to blog@mainechamber.org. For more information or questions, please contact Mark Ellis by emailing mellis@mainechamber.org or by calling (207) 623-4568, ext. 109.

 

Flowfold Steps Up to Supply Maine CDC with 500,000 Face Shields

Partnering with local manufacturers, Flowfold ramps up its PPE production to meet the needs of Maine CDC, hospitals, and opening businesses

Flowfold, an independent Maine-based manufacturer of high-quality travel and everyday gear, has been contracted by the State of Maine to supply the Maine CDC with personal protective equipment (PPE). Flowfold, which officially pivoted to make protective face shields for hospitals on March 24, will provide the CDC with 500,000 face shields. Due to its sophisticated production capabilities and key partnerships with local manufacturers such as L.L. Bean, Flowfold has so far been able to scale up its PPE production from 1,000 shields per week to 50,000 per week.

To date, Flowfold has shipped face shields to hospitals and health care facilities battling COVID-19 all over the region, including the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. With increased involvement from L.L. Bean, Flowfold aims to double its current weekly output. By ramping up to 100,000 face shields a week, Flowfold will be able to supply the Maine CDC and hospitals with large quantities of PPE, while meeting the increase in demand from smaller businesses looking to safely reopen.

For more information on Flowfold Face Shields, please fill out a request to receive them for your local business.

 

BioME to Host Webinar Thursday on "The Science of COVID-19"

The Bioscience Association of Maine (BioME) is bringing together representatives of businesses in Maine that have taken the lead in the medical aspect of fighting the COVID-19 virus in free webinar on Thursday, May 28 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. that is open to the public.

 

According to a recent Mainebiz article, "The Science of COVID-19," panel includes Edison Liu, president and CEO of Jackson Laboratory; Norman Moore, director of scientific affairs at Abbott Diagnostics, of Scarborough; Dora Anne Mills, the chief health improvement officer for MaineHealth; and Melissa Maginnis, an assistant professor of microbiology at the University of Maine. Douglas Sawyer, of the Maine Medical Center Research Institute, is the moderator.

 

The panelists represent many of the businesses and entities in Maine that have responded to the virus outbreak with research, testing, supply chain, manufacturing and therapeutic development solutions.

 

JAX Ramps Up "Humanized" Mouse Production For Pandemic Fight

Mainebiz reported today that Jackson Laboratory, headquartered in Bar Harbor, is scaling up production of research mice designed to help scientists around the world develop vaccines and treatments for COVID-19. On a parallel track, the lab is ramping up its test capacity for COVID-19 infection from 550 tests per day to 20,000 tests per day by early July, for residents of Connecticut, where the lab has a second facility.

 

Abbott Laboratories Plans Expansion into Westbrook to Boost Production of Virus Test Kits

According to the Portland Press Herald, Abbott Laboratories, which makes rapid-result COVID-19 test kits in Scarborough, is planning to expand and ramp up production in Westbrook. The company is renovating and expanding a building on Bradley Drive, the former Olympia Sports distribution center, to convert it into a manufacturing facility for COVID-19 test kits. The Westbrook site would be expanded by nearly 38,000 square feet and would accommodate an estimated 1,000 new employees. In papers filed with the city, Abbott said it hopes to ramp up to full production in September, with a peak employment of 470 workers.

 

 

To join these advertisers in the Daily Impact, please contact Melody Rousseau
by emailing
melodyr@mainechamber.org, or by calling (207) 623-4568, ext. 102.

 

TO UNSUBSCRIBE, CLICK HERE.

NOTICE: In an ongoing effort to thwart the activities of online hackers, the Maine State Chamber
has researched and tested the links in this document and determined that they are safe.

 

Copyright Maine State Chamber of Commerce. All rights reserved.
 128 State Street | Suite 101 | Augusta, ME 04330-5630
 Phone: (207) 623-4568
For media inquiries, please contact Jen Webber, (207) 939-0213
For membership inquiries, please contact Mark Ellis. (207) 623-4568
  • About Us
    • Connect with Us
    • Affiliates & Partners
    • Our Board
    • Meet the Team
    • President's Message
    • External Social Media Policy
  • Membership
    • Benefits of Membership
    • Join the Chamber
    • Return on Investment
    • Member Search
  • Public Policy
    • Public Hearings of Interest
    • Legislation of Interest
    • Public Policy Committees
    • Grassroot Resources
    • Find Your Legislator >
      • Representatives
      • Senators
  • Events
    • Calendar of Events
    • 2022 Annual Meeting
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
    • Business Day at the Statehouse
    • Board Meetings & Board Events
    • DC Fly-In
    • Legislative Social
    • Policy Issues Workshops
    • Regional Breakfasts
    • Scramble for Scholars
    • Webinars by The Maine State Chamber of Commerce
  • Initiatives
    • Campus Career Connect
    • Dream It. Do It.
    • Education Foundation
    • Keep Maine Competitive
    • Maine Economic Research Institute (MERI)
    • This is ME Counting on You
    • Senior Leaders of Tomorrow Development Program
  • Newsroom
    • COVID-19 Resources
    • Impact Newsletter
    • MSCC Blog
    • The Bottom Line
    • The Maine Take
    • Making Maine Work
    • MERI Roll Call
    • OneVoice Maine Magazine
    • Policy Brief Series with Educate Maine
    • Press Kit
  • Member Login