Friday July 10, 2020
Hello Chamber Members and Partners,

Here are the latest updates and resources for businesses and employees during this uncertain time.

Send us any questions or updates you may have, we are here to help provide information, connect the dots and assure those in the North Country that we will get through this together.

Onward and Be Well!
Travel Advisory and Plattsburgh International Airport
Plattsburgh International Airport, in accordance with the New York State Travel Advisory, is implementing state protocols for tracking airline passenger information.

All passengers will be asked to complete a questionnaire and if they are identified as being from one of the Travel Advisory States they will be advised to quarantine for 14 days, following the instructions on the New York State Department of Health Travel Advisory page.

These questionnaires will be collected by New York State Department of Health staff and entered into a statewide database.
Another Promising Candidate in the Fight Against COVID-19 - UPDATE
While a number of vaccine candidates continue to make headlines as companies race to develop an effective immunization against COVID-19, scientists are making equally rapid progress on other therapies, including a cutting-edge antibody cocktail.

Just yesterday, the New York-based biotechnology company Regeneron  announced the beginning of a Phase 3 trial  to test whether the company’s double antibody cocktail can prevent and treat COVID-19 infection. The trial will take place in 100 locations with over 2,000 patients across the U.S.
Soon after the announcement of the Phase 3 trial, the U.S. government threw their weight – and funding – behind the innovative therapy. On Tuesday, Regeneron  signed a $450 million contract  with the U.S. government to manufacture and supply the double-antibody cocktail, should it receive regulatory approval.

Regeneron’s story provides a glimpse into the broader clinical trials process – and the public-private collaboration which supports it – occurring in communities large and small throughout the United States.

American biomedical innovation is one of this nation’s greatest strengths, and the numbers behind the search for coronavirus treatments and cures tell us this story. Right now, there are  513 clinical trials happening in hospitals and medical facilities in all 50 states . Those trials are evaluating everything from new vaccines, to the use of existing innovative medicines, to the efficacy of different therapies.

The trials are sponsored by large pharmaceutical companies, small biotech operations, academic institutions, and hospitals alike. With the most promising clinical efforts backed by the U.S. government as part of Operation Warp Speed, it’s clear everyone shares one common goal: ending the spread of COVID-19.

With the brightest scientific minds, the most innovative companies, and the backing of the U.S. government, we are hopeful that goal will soon be realized.

–Jonathan Weinberger, Executive Vice President, Global Innovation Policy Center
GOVERNOR CUOMO UPDATES NEW YORKERS ON STATE'S PROGRESS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Governor Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The number of new cases, percentage of tests that were positive and many other helpful data points are always available at  forward.ny.gov .

  • Patient Hospitalization - 851 (+10)
  • Patients Newly Admitted - 79 (-5)
  • Hospital Counties - 33
  • Number ICU - 173 (+7)
  • Number ICU with Intubation - 98 (+1)
  • Total Discharges - 71,279 (+94)
  • Deaths - 8
  • Total Deaths - 24,959
 
"New York continues to make progress fighting COVID-19 through a smart, data-driven approach and the thoughtful actions of everyday citizens, who've been practicing social distancing, mask wearing and hand washing,"  Governor Cuomo said.  "But the surge in new cases and hospitalizations throughout the country - and the potential for those people to bring the virus into New York - combined with the complacency we've seen in parts of our own state is a potentially deadly mix. We need to stay vigilant and smart so we don't go back to the hell we experienced just two months ago. We are not out of the woods yet."
DEC REOPENS LAKE COLDEN AREA CAMPSITES AND LEAN-TOS AFTER TEMPORARY CLOSURE
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced that it is immediately reopening campsites and lean-tos in the Lake Colden area in the Adirondack High Peaks, Essex County

Follow the following guidance to reduce potential bear conflicts:
  • Keep campsites and lean-tos as clean as possible
  • Clean up after all meals immediately.
  • Leave coolers and food inside car trunks or truck cabs
  • Store food and coolers in food lockers
  • NEVER keep food, coolers, or scented items in tents when camping
  • Dispose of garbage in the campground's dumpsters every evening.

To report a nuisance bear:
  • When a nuisance bear presents an immediate danger to public safety, call 911;
  • If a bear is damaging property or is reluctant to leave the area, but the situation is not an emergency, call the regional wildlife office during business hours, or call the DEC Law Enforcement Dispatch Center at 1-844-DEC-ECOs (1-844-332-3267); and
  • If bear cubs are known to be orphaned in the spring or summer (before July), call DEC. After that time, cubs generally survive on their own.

For more information, visit DEC webpages on  black bears  and reducing  bear-human conflicts .
Latest Services Sector Numbers Are Encouraging Sign Towards Recovery
The services sector of the economy rebounded strongly in June, according to the  Institute for Supply Management’s non-manufacturing index . The increase in June was the largest on record. The index now stands close to where it was in February, before COVID-19 struck the economy.

The index was:
  • 57.3 in February
  • 41.8 in April
  • 45.4 in May
  • 57.1 in June

The strength in the report was widespread. Nine out of ten sub-indexes improved, with many growing enough to indicate a growing economy. The supply time sub-index was the only one that declined. However, this signals that supply chains are returning closer to normal.

The employment sub-index rose sharply over the month, however it is still firmly in contraction territory. This indicates that businesses are not laying off as many employees as they were, but they are also not hiring at a rapid clip either. This will be an important sub-index to monitor going forward.
The rebound in services is further evidence of an economy that bottomed out in May and began recovering in June. A big caveat—that applies to all data complied last month. The survey was conducted before the recent spike in COVID-19 cases. That could slow the early-stage recovery. We will know more when we get data for later in June and early July.

–Curtis Dubay, Senior Economist, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
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.
QUICK LINKS:

  • Forward NY: Official State Website for opening procedures and guidelines.

  • 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.


  • Now Hiring: Whether you are hiring or looking for work, we have a page dedicated to helping pair potential employees with employers.

  • Webinars: Did you miss one of our webinars, you can find them all here.

  • SCORE: Visit Scores Coronavirus page for webinars and useful articles for small businesses.
Have Questions? We're here to help!

North Country Chamber of Commerce
518.563.1000