Tuesday April 20, 2021
SBA Webinar: Restaurant Revitalization Fund Program
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is awarding funding through the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) program to restaurants, bars, and other similar places of business that serve food or drink. The purpose of this funding is to provide support to eligible entities that suffered revenue losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the program has not yet begun accepting applications, on Thursday, April 29th, join the North Country Chamber of Commerce and SCORE for a FREE informational webinar on the RRF program that will cover the following:
  • An Overview of the Program
  • Who can Apply
  • How to Apply
  • Documentation Required to Apply
  • Calculating Your Funding Amount
  • Eligible Use of Funds
  • How the RRF Interacts with Other SBA Programs (PPP, SVOG, EIDL)

Staff from the SBA will be on the call to provide the most up-to-date information to our members and business community, as well as, answer your questions.

  • DATE: Thursday, April 29th
  • TIME: 10am

Due to time constraints and the amount of material that will be covered, questions will only be accepted ahead of time, using the “REGISTER TODAY” button below; questions submitted during the webinar may not be answered.
Any questions, please contact Joel or call (518) 563-1000.
Capacity at Museums, Movie Theaters to Increase
New York officials will increase the allowable capacity at movie theaters, museums, zoos and indoor sports arenas as the COVID-19 positivity rate has continued a steady decline in recent weeks and more people are vaccinated, Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday announced. 
Museums and zoo capacity will be increased to 50% next Monday, April 26, Cuomo said. Movie theater capacity will increase to 33% next week as well. 
Quebec-Ontario Border Closed Monday as Provinces Battle Variants
The Legault government has responded to Ontario’s decision to close its border Monday by doing the same thing in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19 between the provinces.
And Premier François Legault has pledged to fully co-operate with the government of Ontario and Premier Doug Ford “to ensure the safety of our citizens.”

“The variants know no borders,” Legault tweeted late Friday following Ford’s announcement earlier in the afternoon. “We are all working to break their third wave.”
Area Vaccine Locations and Dates
Clinton County COVID-19 Vaccine Locations

  • Wednesday, April 21 in Saranac
  • Wednesday April 28 in Keeseville
  • Wednesday May 5th in Altona
 
Click HERE to register for any of the Clinton County events

Franklin County COVID-19 Vaccine Location

  • Thursday, April 22nd in Malone

Click HERE to register for the Franklin County event

Essex County COVID-19 Vaccine Locations

  • Thursday, APRIL 23 in Town of Jay
  • Wednesday, April 29 in Port Henry
 
Click HERE to register for any of the Essex County events
Analysis of the Paycheck Protection Program in New York
The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is a loan program administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) first authorized by Congress in March 2020 to respond to the economic hardships faced by small businesses and not-for-profit organizations due to the pandemic. It provides low-interest loans for payroll and other qualified expenses, such as rent and utility payments. The loan can be forgiven if the business maintains employment levels and meets other conditions, essentially turning the loan into a grant. The program was initially funded at $349 billion. Subsequent reauthorizations modified requirements and eligibility, and added $320 billion in April and $284 billion in December 2020. The American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) of 2021, signed into law in March 2021, added $7.25 billion for a total authorization of $960.3 billion. The ARP also expanded eligibility to nonprofits that have more than 500 employees. Eligible entities can apply for a PPP loan until May 31.

SBA reporting for the first three rounds of funding through April 11, 2021, indicates $755 billion in loans have been approved for 9.6 million borrowers across the country. Detailed data are available for $679 billion in loans made through the end of February. Below are the key findings for New York, with the associated figures available as a printable PDF.
Warm Weather Politely Adirondack Resources
The ROOST team has prepared the “Politely Adirondack” signage for our business and community partners to use during these unprecedented times. The posters and printouts have been customized for each of the different marketing regions to help get the word out about the guidelines and expectations for people when they are in our communities.

In the toolkit below you will find all the warm weather Politely Adirondack signage.
To help the North Country reopen safely and meet the state and local mandates, The North Country Chamber of Commerce has created a comprehensive list of resources to navigate state and local requirements. Check out the home page for details. There is also a series of webinars available for businesses to help educate and provide answers to common questions.
Today's Dose is Generously Supported By:
QUICK LINKS:
  • NYS Vaccination Updates: Official Site for making an appointment to get the COVID-19 Vaccine.
  • Forward NY: Official State Website for opening procedures and guidelines.
  • NYS Travel Advisory: Stay up to date on the latest NYS Travel Advisory Updates.
  • Looking for Supplies: If your business is looking for hard to find protective products, we have created a list of businesses offering hand sanitizer, gloves, wipes, masks and other items.
  • SCORE: Small business owners are resilient and can power through this challenging time, with SCORE by their side.
Have Questions? We're here to help!

North Country Chamber of Commerce
518.563.1000