MAINE STATE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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The COVID-19 Edition for Monday, June 8, 2020

To view this edition of Impact online, click here.

 

 

Welcome to your COVID-19 Impact newsletter!

As a valued member of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, we plan to stay in touch with you several times each week 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!

 

 

The Maine State Chamber of Commerce's Commitment to Equality, Equity, and Opportunity for All

The Maine State Chamber of Commerce is saddened by recent events in our country involving racial injustice. The Maine State Chamber opposes any form of injustice or discrimination in no uncertain terms. Our commitment to equality and equity for all is unwavering.

 

Today's national discussion about racial justice and equity is important and more relevant than ever in Maine due to our state's increasingly diverse population. The Maine State Chamber welcomes this diversity and all new Mainers, including the thousands of immigrants and refugees who now call Maine home. They are an important part of our communities and economy. They and all Maine minority groups have our support now more than ever.

 

The Maine State Chamber also supports those who are exercising their right to demonstrate peacefully. Their voices need to be heard. We encourage demonstrators to stay safe and protect each other, as well as Maine businesses, who are navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis and working to reopen.

 

We hope that out of this traumatic time comes a renewed dedication in Maine and the country to abolish any form of inequality, injustice, or discrimination toward any person or group. In the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

 

The Maine State Chamber is committed to doing our part to ensure the tragic events and significance of this time are not overlooked, and that Maine's business community strengthens its commitment to equality, equity, and opportunity for all.

Dana Connors, President

Larry Wold, Board Chair

 

Mills Administration Announces Expansion of COVID-19 Testing

Plan furthers IDEXX partnership to quadruple testing capacity in July, advances swab-and-send site development, and makes testing available to more Maine people, including out-of-state visitors

The Mills Administration announced today that it will quadruple COVID-19 testing capacity at the State lab, develop testing sites throughout Maine, and allow more people in Maine with an elevated risk of exposure to get tested for the virus. The expanded testing capacity will come online in July.

 

According to a press release, the plan announced today will bolster capacity further through the following steps:

 

* Creating a New Mobile Laboratory: DHHS and IDEXX are expanding their existing partnership to expand the State's laboratory capacity through a new mobile laboratory to be stationed at the State's Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory (HETL) in Augusta. As a result of this new capacity, starting in July, the State lab will be able to process an additional 25,000 tests a week, quadrupling current capacity. This added capacity is made possible through purchasing at least 350,000 additional test kits, bringing on IDEXX personnel, and the new mobile lab, which will serve as an extension of HETL. The initiative is supported by federal funding. DHHS expects to finalize a contract with IDEXX in the coming week.

 

* Creating "Swab and Send" Sites: DHHS will utilize this added capacity by developing 20 "swab and send" locations across Maine to ensure that 90 percent of residents can get tested within 30 minutes of their home. These 20 sites will complement the roughly 40 current testing sites available to the public. This week, DHHS will formally invite applications for federal grant funding to support the establishment of these specimen collection sites and testing of their samples at HETL. This greater access to safe and accessible testing will also extend to tourists, seasonal workers, and other visitors to Maine.

 

* Making Testing Available to More People in Maine: Today, DHHS is issuing a standing order allowing most people in Maine with elevated risk to get a COVID-19 test without the need for a separate order from a health care provider. This means individuals can seek testing even if they don't have a primary care provider or a written order from a clinician if they face a higher risk of exposure, with or without experiencing symptoms. This could include: health care workers and first responders, seasonal and migrant farm workers, people experiencing homelessness, visitors from other states with a higher prevalence of the virus, and employees of congregate living facilities such as nursing homes, lodging establishments, grocery stores and other businesses who have direct, daily contact with the public.

 

The Mills Administration also unveiled an alternative to the State's 14-day quarantine requirement for people entering Maine. Keep Maine Healthy rests on three cornerstones: 1) having visitors certify that they have received a recent negative COVID-19 test to stay in lodging establishments, such as hotels, as an alternative to quarantine; 2) increasing symptom checks at places where visitors tend to go; and 3) supporting community promotion of COVID-19 prevention best practices and public health education.  A new standing order and significantly expanded testing also aims to support employees of Maine's tourism industry by ensuring they have access to testing.

 

 

Thank you for doing your part!

 

To reserve your banner ad in the COVID-19 Impact, please contact Melody Rousseau
by emailing
melodyr@mainechamber.org, or by calling (207) 623-4568, ext. 102.

 

Help Those in Need at Wednesday's "Distance Saves Lives" Portland Blood Drive

We are pleased to share that our colleagues at the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce are joining the American Red Cross, MaineHealth, and several area businesses to support the "Distance Saves Lives" blood drive from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. this Wednesday, June 10 in Portland. Amidst the coronavirus epidemic, Maine communities are facing a critical need for blood donations - an unprecedented number of blood drive cancellations have resulted in 300,000 fewer blood donations.

 

Appointments are required. To schedule yours, click here, then select the red 'See Times" button and submit the appointment time you would like to schedule. To learn more about the "Distance Saves Lives" Blood Drive - and the extra precautions blood drive staff will be taking, click here.

 

Thursday, June 11 | The Bottom Line Podcast

with Dan Belyea, Chief Workforce Development Officer
for the Maine Community College System

Dan Belyea, chief workforce development officer for the Maine Community College System, will be this week's special guest on The Bottom Line podcast. He joins The Bottom Line co-hosts Dana Connors of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and John Williams of Williams Broadcasting to discuss the HospitalityMaine Covid19 Restaurant Readiness Course, a micro-credential certification created in conjunction with Eastern Maine Community College and designed to support the State of Maine's Prevention Checklist for Restaurants. The course provides fundamental information needed to help keep employees safe and empower them to mentor and inform guests so they also follow the best practices.

 

To listen live, scroll down to "Listen Online." To listen to the recording, please visit The Bottom Line page on the Maine State Chamber's website.

 

Maine Bicentennial Commission Postpones Commemorative Events To 2021

Delay builds excitement for events when "The 2-0-7 Turns 2-0-1"

Due to uncertainty and safety concerns surrounding public gatherings during the current COVID-19 pandemic situation, the Maine Bicentennial Commission is postponing its commemoration to 2021. All Maine Bicentennial Commission signature events and programs originally scheduled for the bicentennial year of 2020 are now postponed to 2021. Tentative dates, pending any pandemic restrictions in place at that time, are below:

* Maine Statehood Day Ceremony: Sunday, March 14, 2021, Augusta

* State of Maine Bicentennial Parade Presented by Poland Spring: Saturday, May 15, 2021, Cities of Lewiston and Auburn

* Sailing Ships events: Summer 2021 (various dates), ports along the Maine coast

* Maine200 Innovation Expo Presented by Central Maine Power: Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021, Portland

* Maine200 Time Capsule sealing ceremony, Fall 2021, Location TBD

 

Meanwhile, the commission is reviewing applications for the final round of the Maine Bicentennial Community Grant Program and will soon announce the recipients. The commission has awarded a total of $574,545 in grants through this program so far, allowing communities and organizations across the State to plan events and programs that recognize Maine's bicentennial. The commission has extended the period for grant recipients to realize their plans through 2021, as part of the postponed commemoration.

 

Webinar on WorkShare:

An Alternative to Layoffs

 

Tuesday, June 16 | 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

 

The next presentation in our webinar series explores how employers may be able to avoid layoffs by choosing the WorkShare alternative. In lieu of a layoff, employers can temporarily reduce work hours in a particular unit, shift or company from 10% to 50%. To help offset the loss of hours, the affected workers can receive a modified weekly unemployment benefit. Join us to learn more about this program and how it might work for your business. Our presenters for this webinar are Commissioner Laura Fortman and Deputy Commissioner Kim Smith of the Maine Department of Labor.

WEBINAR SERIES SPONSORS: Bangor Savings Bank, Central Maine Power Company,
and Maine Department of Economic and Community Development

 

Additional webinars will be forthcoming, and sponsorship opportunities are available. Registration or general questions can be directed to Angela Arno, director of programs and events for the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, by emailing aarno@mainechamber.org or calling (207) 623-4568, ext. 104.

 

Covid-19 Disruption of Summer Employment and Internships Prompts Free Resilience Badge Offer for University of Maine System Students

Demonstrated proficiencies are the future of candidate assessment and social-media engaged professional networking. The free 21st century skill Resilience Badge provides incoming and existing students an opportunity to start building an industry-recognized set of proficiencies

University of Maine System is offering existing and incoming students a chance to improve their resiliency skills and earn an industry-recognized digital badge of proficiency that employers use to assess candidate skill sets. Initiated by the Career Services offices at Maine's public universities, the free offer to earn a 21st century skill Resilience Badge comes in response to lost student employment and internship opportunities resulting from Covid-19.

 

Participating students will have an opportunity to learn and practice a 21st century skill valued by employers, demonstrate proficiency through a workplace challenge, and claim and share their badge on resumes and Linkedin profiles. The University of Maine System was selected to participate in the Education Design Lab's BadgedToHire campaign, funded by the Lumina Foundation. Employer partners include Bangor Saving Bank, Northern Light Health, and Bath Iron Works. Registration for the free, online course begins June 2 for any learner with a university email address. The self-paced course on resiliency takes about 15 hours to complete and will be available throughout the summer.

 

Four Portland Businesses Change Licenses To Reopen Earlier

Four bars and tasting rooms in Portland have changed their state licensing so they qualify as restaurants and can reopen in June.

The Portland Press Herald reported today that, while bars and tasting rooms have not been allowed to reopen in Cumberland, York and Androscoggin counties because of continuing concerns about coronavirus risks, four businesses in Portland have found a way to start serving drinks again despite the state's broad restrictions.

 

Novare Res, Sagamore Hill Lounge, Tomaso's Canteen and Rising Tide Brewing, which were all previously licensed as Class A lounges, have been issued restaurant licenses, allowing them to reopen before other bars and brew pubs. According to the licensing and housing safety manager for the city of Portland, Jessica Hanscombe, the businesses that have been allowed to open all met the state requirements to downgrade their licenses from Class A lounges. Hanscombe said the state is allowing the changes.

 

Anticipating Farm Labor Shortages, Maine Ad Campaign Targets Newly Unemployed

Today, Mainebiz reported that the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and the Department of Labor have teamed up with the Wild Blueberry Commission, Maine Dairy Industry Association and Maine Aquaculture Association to introduce FarmingForME (#FarmingForME), an agricultural labor awareness campaign.

 

The initiative responds to the COVID-19 pandemic and to longstanding agricultural labor supply problems, according to a news release. The campaign seeks to fill possible agricultural labor voids with workers from within the state, providing seasonal employment to the recently unemployed and allowing Maine's food production to continue full steam ahead.

 

The FarmingForME campaign began June 3 and includes emails, social media marketing and graphic materials to create word-of-mouth awareness. The initiative encourages employers and job-seekers to take advantage of the free use of the Maine JobLink platform, a web-based job-matching and labor market information system.

 

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.

 

Providing Books to Maine Students

Maine educators were recently surveyed about critical needs of their students. Books were highlighted as a top priority for students of all ages. Supporting reading is essential for students to continue to thrive in schools. Making certain that our students, particularly our youngest readers, have easy access to books during the end of the school year and throughout the summer is crucial for preventing summer slide.

 

Even with yeoman-like efforts by Maine teachers and a hands-on approach from the Maine Department of Education to ensure all Maine students have been able to continue learning remotely during the pandemic, we know that learning over these past few months has inevitably been disrupted. In addition to the school year disruption, student achievement often widens during the summer, an outcome referred to as summer slide. Summer slide accounts for as much as 85 percent of the reading achievement gap between lower income students and their middle- and upper-income peers. Providing students with appropriate books will help address this challenge. Not only does summer reading enable students to continue practicing foundational skills, but it opens the world to students through stories and knowledge building around topics of interest. We need your help to ensure students across our 16 counties have access to books, an essential commodity.

 

Here are a few ways you can support Maine students:

 

1 2020 Maine Books Challenge: Educate Maine is leading this initiative to provide students with books while supporting local bookstores. You can purchase an online or physical gift card at one of Maine's independent bookstores. Every $10 donation provides a book for a Maine student. Every donation will be matched by the Law Offices of Joe Bornstein up to $5,000. Teachers across Maine will help coordinate book distribution to students. If interested in supporting this effort, please email Katherine at katherine@educatemaine.org.

 

2 Scholastic Books: This company has offered significant discounts to help get books to Maine students. For example, a $1000 donation can support 300 books for 100 students. A $5000 donation can support 1,500 books for 500 students. If interested in supporting this effort, please email Megan Diver at mdiver@mainechamber.org.

 

3 Community Book Donations: Gently used books are also needed across Maine. We are seeking community drop off spots at local employers throughout the 16 counties. If your business is interested in becoming a location for books to be collected, please email Megan Diver at mdiver@mainechamber.org.

 

Books will be distributed to students directly through their schools and at local meal sites throughout the summer. Additional information about summer literacy initiatives can be found here. Thank you for supporting Maine students.

 

 

To join these advertisers in the COVID-19 Impact, please contact Melody Rousseau
by emailing
melodyr@mainechamber.org, or by calling (207) 623-4568, ext. 102.

 

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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
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    • The Bottom Line
    • The Maine Take
    • Making Maine Work
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