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The COVID-19 Edition for Thursday, June 18, 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!

 

 

Protecting Businesses from COVID-19 Liability and Lawsuits

As businesses in Maine and across the country are working hard to reopen safely - and taking all the necessary precautions to keep their employees and customers healthy amid the COVID-19 pandemic - many small business owners are becoming increasingly worried about the possibility of lawsuits. According to a recent U.S. Chamber and MetLife Small Business Coronavirus Impact Poll, two-thirds (67%) of small businesses with 20-500 employees and a majority (51%) of small businesses with 5-19 employees are worried about the possibility of lawsuits related to the coronavirus.  

 

The business community is asking for temporary "safe harbor" protections at the federal level to give employers some degree of assurance that, if they have taken reasonable steps to follow public health guidelines, they won't face further financial hardships through unwarranted, needless lawsuits. The Maine State Chamber of Commerce will keep Maine businesses updated on "safe harbor" protections as those work their way through the U.S. Congress.

 

To learn more about why temporary coronavirus liability relief is needed for American businesses, please visit the U.S. Chamber's resource page and watch the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's video series of first-hand accounts from small business owners who share their experiences and concerns about reopening. If you'd like to have your voice heard in this video series, please reach out to Amanda Hyman at ahyman@uschamber.com.

 

Changes to the PPP Program Aim to Provide Borrowers With More Flexibility

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has updated its Guide to PPP Loan Forgiveness. This guide reflects recent substantive changes made by Congress and the administration to the PPP program to provide borrowers with more flexibility. These changes include:

* Extending the time to spend PPP funds from 8 weeks to 24 weeks;

* Lowering the amount that must be spent on payroll from 75% to 60%;

* Extending the deadline to restore FTEs and payroll from June 30, 2020, to December 31, 2020; and,

* Setting the repayment term for loans made after June 4, 2020, at five years.

 

The U.S. Chamber's updated Guide to PPP Forgiveness reflects all of these changes, as well as others made in recent guidance issued by the Department of the Treasury.  It is designed to help employers more easily understand the forgiveness application process. However, please note that while this guide reflects all of the most recent changes, it is possible that further changes could be made. Therefore, this guide will be updated as needed.

 

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.

 

BIW Delivers First Six Swab-Making Machines to Puritan Medical Products

Yesterday, Mainebiz reported that Bath Iron Works has delivered six of the 30 machines being built for Puritan Medical Products so the medical swab company can rapidly expand its ability to meet demand for COVID-19 testing components. Guilford-based Puritan, the only U.S. manufacturer of the sterile swabs used in COVID-19 testing, has been tasked by the federal government to increase its production to meet a nationwide shortage. Bath Iron Works, owned by General Dynamics Corp., builds destroyers and sophisticated systems for the U.S. Navy. But in an unusual venture outside its core industry, BIW was hired by Puritan to manufacture the machines necessary to ramp up swab production. The U.S. Air Force, which is coordinating contracts under the Defense Production Act, identified Bath Iron Works as uniquely capable to build the machinery within the required timeframe. Another delivery of machines is scheduled for later this week, according to a news release.

 

Fitness Centers, Nail Salons, Tattoo Parlors Reopen in Southern Maine

Wednesday was reopening day for such businesses in Cumberland, York and Androscoggin counties, but many decided to wait.

According to a story in today's Portland Press Herald, Wednesday was reopening day in Cumberland, York and Androscoggin counties for fitness centers, nail salons, tattoo parlors, brewery tasting rooms and restaurant dining rooms. Gov. Janet Mills lifted restrictions on indoor dining and exercise, as long as the facilities follow health and safety guidelines designed to slow the spread of COVID-19 infection.

 

Gyms and fitness centers originally were scheduled to resume more robust operations on June 1, but the Mills administration adjusted its plans after studies raised concerns about virus transmission among people exerting themselves indoors. On June 12, gyms and fitness centers in the 13 Maine counties with fewer cases of coronavirus were allowed to reopen.

 

July 1 Opening for Maine Bar, Tavern Indoor Service May be Moved Back

This afternoon, Mainebiz and the Portland Press Herald both reported that two COVID-19 cases tied to indoor bar service in other states may spur the state to move back the projected July 1 opening of bar and tavern indoor service in Maine. Nirav Shah, director of Maine CDC said Wednesday that outbreaks in Florida and Idaho, along with elements that make bars susceptible to COVID-19, have caused the state to "re-evaluate the timeline" for opening indoor service here. He said no definite decisions have been made on the reopening, but health officials are following the cases.

 

State officials have said from the beginning that the timeline is a guide, but will change as metrics concerning cases and testing are evaluated throughout the course of the pandemic. Shah said at his daily briefing Wednesday that a "constellation of factors" has prompted the state to re-evaluate that timeline as to when bars can safely reopen. He said that other states, including Massachusetts and Vermont, are doing the same thing.

 

Thursday, June 18 | The Bottom Line Podcast

with Commissioner Pender Makin of the Maine Department of Education

Commissioner Pender Makin of the Maine Department of Education was this week's special guest on The Bottom Line podcast. She joined The Bottom Line co-hosts Dana Connors of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and John Williams of Williams Broadcasting to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on the delivery of education in Maine and the department's recently-released draft "Return to Classroom Instruction" plan.

 

To listen to the archived recordings, please visit The Bottom Line page on the Maine State Chamber's website. In addition, The Bottom Line podcast can be heard on iTunes, iHeart Radio, Soundcloud, Stitcher Radio, Spotify and radio.com.

 

Maine DOL Updates Claims for Unemployment Compensation for the Week Ending June 13, Cancels Thousands of Suspected Fraudulent Claims

View the Maine Department of Labor's Briefing to the Maine Legislature by Commissioner Laura Fortman and Deputy Commissioner Kimberly Smith on Thursday, June 18, 2020.

For the week ending June 13, the Maine Department of Labor recorded about 3,000 initial claims filed for state unemployment insurance, and an additional 2,900 initial claims filed for federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). These claims represent about 4,850 individuals filing an initial claim. About 66,700 weekly certifications, or continued claims, were filed last week for state unemployment. In addition, about 23,800 weekly certifications were filed under PUA. Weekly certifications must be filed by claimants every week in order to continue to receive unemployment benefits. Data is preliminary and subject to revision.

 

Between March 15 and June 13, the Maine Department of Labor has seen nearly 159,000 initial claims for the state unemployment program and almost 70,000 initial claims for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. There have been about 1.3 million weekly certifications filed, and the Department has paid out more than $807 million in federal and state unemployment benefits.

 

The Maine Department of Labor is continuing to work with its state and federal law enforcement partners to investigate criminal unemployment imposter fraud. During the week ending June 13, the Maine Department of Labor cancelled about 3,500 initial claims and 8,400 weekly certifications suspected of being fraudulent. To date, the Department has received over 21,400 reports of unemployment imposter fraud, some of which are duplicates if both the employee and employer reported the fraud. The extent of potential unemployment imposter fraud remains under investigation. The Department announced last week that some claims were flagged for potential fraud, and that those claimants would need to submit ID verification documents to the department, to be reviewed by law enforcement officers.

 

To date, the department has received close to 13,000 emails with supporting documentation to prove an individual's identity. Many are duplicates from claimants sending in verification multiple times. The Department requests that anyone trying to resolve a claim only submit their documentation once, as multiple submissions could cause further delays. To date, almost 7,300 claims have been verified and reinstated. By the end of the week, the Department expects to complete the verification of emails sent in so far, thanks to the partnership with the Department of Corrections. Moving forward, there will need to be continued maintenance as new potentially fraudulent claims are identified and documentation will need to be verified.

 

The Department and its partners are vigorously pursuing cases of unemployment imposter fraud. The investigation is ongoing, and new incidences of potential fraud are identified every day. The Department encourages anyone who believes that someone else has used their or their employees personal information to file a fraudulent unemployment application to notify the Department immediately using this form.

 

Senators Collins, King Announce $1.4 Million to Combat Mental Health and Substance Abuse in Maine

U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced earlier this week that the Maine State Department of Health and Human Services has been awarded a total of $1,477,750 to support mental health and substance abuse programs throughout the state. This funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS). 

 

This investment will support accessible mental health programs across Maine, improve outreach and case management programs, and ensure that scientifically-established findings and practice-based knowledge are applied in preventing and treating mental health and substance abuse disorders. Administered by HHS�s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), this funding aims to prevent and treat mental health disorders. 

 

Collins, King Join Bipartisan Group in Calling for Permanent Expansion of Telehealth Following COVID-19 Pandemic

Telehealth Use Among Medicare Beneficiaries Up More Than 11,000 Percent In Just Over A Month

Earlier this week, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King joined a bipartisan group of 30 Senators in calling for the expansion of access to telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic to be made permanent. Cosponsored by Senators Collins and King, provisions of the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act were included in COVID-19 relief legislation. These provisions, which expand coverage of telehealth services for Medicare beneficiaries, are set to expire following the pandemic.

 

In their letter to Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the Senators highlight the growing use and benefits of telehealth during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, as patients seek to avoid traveling to hospitals and other providers and instead receive care at home. New data shows that the number of Medicare beneficiaries using telehealth services increased by 11,718 percent in just a month and a half during the pandemic.

 

Register Today for Next Week's Webinar!

 

An Employer's Guide
to COVID-Related
Return-to-Work Issues

 

Tuesday, June 23 | 11:00 a.m. to Noon

Maine employers have been faced with many challenging issues from the COVID public health emergency. In this webinar, we now turn our focus to the return-to-work phase, which raises many employment-related concerns, such as properly preparing the workplace for the new reality under OSHA and CDC recommendations, determining how employee recalls will work, ongoing unemployment, accommodation claims and disability related issues, potential other leave application, and similar topics. This session will navigate these and other related issues and provide an opportunity for questions. Hosted by the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, our presenter for this webinar is Anne-Marie Storey, partner at Rudman Winchell.

 

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.

 

WorkShare Program as an Alternative to Layoffs Topic of Tuesday Webinar

THANK YOU TO OUR
WEBINAR SERIES SPONSORS:

 

Bangor Savings Bank

 

Central Maine Power Company

 

Maine Department of Economic and Community Development

On Tuesday, June 16, the Maine State Chamber of Commerce hosted a free webinar with Maine Department of Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman and Deputy Commissioner Kim Smith on WorkShare. WorkShare is a program that allows employers to retain employees during slowdowns in lieu of layoffs by temporarily reducing work hours by 10% to 50%. To help offset the loss of income, affected workers can collect a partial, or modified, unemployment benefit.

 

Fortman and Smith outlined WorkShare eligibility requirements for employers and employees, the benefits of WorkShare, how employers can set up a WorkShare program, and more.

 

"It is important that Maine employers and workers are aware of the benefits of WorkShare during a temporary slowdown like we are experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic," said Maine Department of Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman. "For employers, taking advantage of WorkShare can help them keep trained workers instead of having to institute layoffs, furloughs, or let employees go entirely. For employees, it can help them stay connected to their jobs and maintain their skills, while offsetting the loss of income with a partial unemployment benefit."

 

"There are several benefits to WorkShare and the Maine State Chamber thanks the Department of Labor for sharing the ins and outs of the program on Tuesday," said Peter Gore, executive vice president at the Maine State Chamber of Commerce. "During this unprecedented pandemic, many Maine employers are navigating entirely new territory on many fronts, including how to stay connected to their workforce. The WorkShare program can be very helpful in achieving this."

 

It is important to note that employee unemployment benefits under WorkShare are not charged to the employer at this time due to COVID-19 emergency legislation passed in mid-March that is in effect until one month after the end of the Governor's declared civil emergency.

 

If you missed the live event, the webinar recording and slideshow presentation can be viewed here. Interested employers are encouraged to call WorkShare's contact line at (207) 623-6783. Helpful information to have before calling includes the number of employees who would participate and the proposed percent reduction in work hours.

 

 Thank you for doing your part!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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
    • 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