THE LATEST NEWS:
- Our latest local COVID-19 numbers: The current tally, as of 10 a.m. this morning, 215 county residents tested, 25 positive, 175 negative, and 15 waiting on test results. Of the 25 positive cases, 16 are males and nine are females.
- The Ross County Health District will be the guest on Mayor Luke Feeney's Facebook Live sessions on Friday. Health Commissioner and Medical Director Dr. Christopher Brown and Director of Nursing Michelle Long will appear to update the public and take questions. The Chamber's Mike Throne was the guest on Wednesday. Click here to listen to that discussion.
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BREAKING: Gov. Mike DeWine says
'plan to start Ohio back' begins on May 1
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Gov. Mike DeWine started today's COVID-19 press conference with a discussion about the prospects of opening up the state. He stopped short of saying the state would "re-opening the state, in that sense."
"We have a plan to start Ohio back, and we're going to start doing that - implementing that plan - on May 1. So it's going to be gradual, it's going to be rolling out one thing after another as we can do it ... but we want to do in a way that engenders confidence" from residents, he said.
Here are the bulletpoints:
- "We must get people back to work" and open up the economy, he said. But he also cautioned that it must be done the right way or we risk disaster in the form of a new spike upward in cases.
- The virus is still with us, he said, and it will remain with us until we have a vaccine. (Note: It's very clear it will be a long time before a vaccine is realized.)
- DeWine was briefed by his economic advisors this morning and said the state has learned a lot from essential businesses who have remained open during the stay-at-home order. Many safety precautions are in place at these businesses to protect employees.
- Safety precautions will be crucial to re-opening businesses. Dr. Amy Acton, headed of the Ohio Department of Health, said face masks will be a big part of the future.
- The path ahead will consist of several phases, Acton said. (Note: This likely means that some businesses may open up on May 1 where others may need to wait to re-open.)
- It's clear that the plan is in formation and more information will be coming out in the coming days.
- DeWine also said more information about the rest of the 2019-2020 school year should be revealed next week.
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'Save Small Business Fund' can help provide short-term relief across Ross County
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The story of Chillicothe's resurgence as an Ohio powerhouse lies in our small businesses. Downtown has surged forward based on our small businesses, but it's not unique to downtown - across the city and county, small businesses are leading the way.
In fact, across America, small businesses are the foundation of our communities and our economy. Employing nearly half the American workforce, they keep our neighborhoods running and make them feel like home.
The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have wrought unprecedented financial uncertainty. These businesses need resources and relief — and they need it now because every dollar counts.
That’s why the
Save Small Business Fund
, a grantmaking initiative funded by contributions from corporate and philanthropic partners, is providing $5,000 in short-term relief to employers across the United States. These one-time supplemental cash grants are for businesses that have between three and 20 employees and operate in an economically vulnerable community. It's a program started by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
Grants will be awarded weekly until all funds have been used. Once the grantee has been notified and submitted payment information that meets compliance checks, it will take 3-5 days to process the payment. The number of grants awarded will be scaled in proportion to the demand and available funds.
Fortunately, all Ross County ZIP codes qualify. The grant application will go live at 3 p.m. Monday, April 20. To learn more about the Save Small Business Fund and to apply for a grant, visit
savesmallbusiness.com
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*NEW*
Information for small business owners
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*NEW*
RESOURCES
- One of our favorite podcasts for small business entrepreneurs is "The Pitch" from Gimlet Media. Yesterday's episode "How Startups can Succeed in a Pandemic" is particularly good and offers some good, practical thoughts on how to think outside the box to make money while we're staying at home.
FREE WEBINARS
:
- *NEW* Friday, April 17 at noon - Fourth installment of Inc.com National Small Business Town Hall (webinar link)
- *NEW* Wednesday, April 22 at 10:30 a.m. - U.S. Chamber Workshop Wednesday on employee engagement and company culture. (webinar link)
- Wednesday, May 6 at 9 a.m. or noon - Grow with Google session: Manage Your Business Remotely in Times of Uncertainty (webinar link)
- VIDEO: The Big Picture: Road Map to Re-opening the Country. To learn more about the U.S. Chamber's Path Forward series, click here.
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Miss one of these updates?
Click here
to catch up!
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Missed our COVID-19 Zoom seminar?
That's OK, we have the video for you
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The Chamber, Downtown Chillicothe, and Greater Chillicothe and Ross County Economic Development hosted a COVID-19 small business resource Zoom session, but many of you couldn't be there.
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Coronavirus numbers, facts and figures
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Links to information:
- Looking for a job? The state has a job page on its Coronavirus page that helps connect those out of work with jobs.
- The Ohio Channel YouTube page, where the Governor, Lt. Gov. and director of the Ohio Department of Health give regular updates at 2 p.m. on most days.
- Governor's Stay at Home Order (Link)
- The Chillicothe Ross Community Foundation's Coronavirus Fund needs donations, and can potentially help non-profits with some of the costs of helping the community cope with the impact of COVID-19 in the area.
- The United Way of Ross County is awarding micro-grants to non-profits working to address community needs due to COVID-19's impact.
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See what's happening on our social sites:
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