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!
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THREE REGIONS READY TO BEGIN REOPENING - NORTH COUNTRY REMAINS CLOSED
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Governor Andrew Cuomo
revealed today that three upstate regions are in full compliance with the seven health related criteria for a region to be eligible for the first phase of re-opening: Mohawk Valley, Finger Lakes, Southern Tier.
The North Country is closed but making steady progress and will hopefully reach eligibility for the start of re-opening soon.
We thank our county
health departments
, our
hospitals
and health care providers and the state for the active collaboration now underway.
Stay tuned!
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May 15, 2020 - 10AM
Course Description
: Based on the federal mandates and the states individual rules for essential workers currently working as well as those trying to get back open after the COVID pause there is a need to provide competent person training.
Due to Federal Workplace Safety requirements ALL companies must provide training to assure competency of their employees anytime there is a recognized hazard that is causing, or likely to cause, death or serious physical harm. As the government allows businesses to resume operations following the COVID-19 shutdown there will be requirements for training and oversight within these businesses to assure compliance with these standards.
- DATE: May 15th
- TIME: 10am
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After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Funding Provided By:
New York State Occupational Safety and Health Hazard Abatement Board through the OSH T+E Fund
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Quebec Delays Reopening in Montreal
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Faced with the volatile
COVID-19
situation in the greater Montreal region, the Legault government has again put off reopening schools, daycares and non-essential retail outlets.
At his pandemic briefing Thursday, Premier François Legault said the planned reopenings — which have sparked anxiety in the city and the education network — now will be delayed until May 25 and will proceed “if, and only if, the situation improves.”
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The U.S. Chamber and MetLife released the monthly
Small Business Coronavirus Impact Poll
—which surveys how small businesses nationwide are adapting their operations in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among other key insights, the most recent poll finds that to mitigate the financial impact of the pandemic:
- 27% of small businesses have shortened their hours
- 26% of small businesses have asked customers for support or started a crowdfunding campaign
- 19% of small businesses have adjusted employee salaries or hours
- 19% of small businesses have applied for a working capital loan, an almost five-fold increase since last month
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Please Share Supply Leads!
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With the first phase of reopening hopefully coming for the North Country before too long, we can anticipate a spike in demand for PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT for returning employees, including face masks, hand sanitizer and, in some cases, face guards.
Please help us add to the list of both LOCAL and OUT OF AREA sources now on the
"LOOKING FOR SUPPLIES?"
section of our website by sharing leads with us that you know of.
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Adirondack Health, Trudeau Institute Partner on COVID-19 Test Supplies
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Adirondack Health
received 2,000 COVID-19 test kits developed and manufactured at
Trudeau Institute
, which expanded testing capacity at Adirondack Medical Center’s COVID19 clinic by nearly 1,000 percent.
The timing of this delivery could not have been better, having come shortly after the New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH) issued guidance that widened the criteria for COVID-19 testing to include 40 categories of “essential workers.”
This significant number of new test kits is helping the hospital to meet those new testing guidelines. In adherence to the latest NYS DOH guidance, clinicians at Adirondack Health updated their testing algorithm, a complex flow chart that lays out which kinds of patients with which kinds of symptoms get tested, and how. Like surrounding North Country hospitals, Adirondack Health had previously limited COVID-19 testing to those individuals with symptoms severe enough to be admitted to Adirondack Medical Center as inpatients, due to the limited availability of test kits nationally.
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The home page of the Chamber's website is now your go to resource for all things Coronavirus related. From information to help your business, health insurance, employee guidelines, restaurant offerings and CDC resources, our website will hopefully make things a bit easier for you during this challenging time.
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- 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.
- How to Help: If you are looking for a way to help the North Country, we have created an ever growing list of needs in our community. And if you are a non-profit, health care organization or a business helping those in need, email us with your needs, contact information and we will be happy to add you to our growing list.
- SCORE: Visit Scores Coronavirus page for webinars and useful articles for small businesses.
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Have Questions? We're here to help!
North Country Chamber of Commerce
518.563.1000
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