VRLTA COVID-19 Special Update

DAILY VRLTA UPDATE 4/16/20

LEAD NEWS: Paycheck Protection Program funding is gone - Action Needed

The CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program funding has been depleted . With the program now out of funding, it’s critical that we push on Congress to allocate additional resources to this program.

You can take action here .

More information:

CBS News - Paycheck Protection Program is out of money
CNN - PPP is gone. Now what?
Wall Street Journal - Funding Exhausted

Local Governments Providing Economic Relief Grants and Loans

VRLTA has been in communication with the Virginia Municipal League (VML), and Virginia Association of Counties (VACO) and encouraging them to ask the localities that they represent to create local economic relief grants and loans for hospitality and tourism related businesses. VML and VACO have shared with us several programs that localities are creating, including one in Fairfax County , City of Richmond , City of Norfolk , the City of Danville and the Town of Middleburg . We are in the process of getting these resources listed by region on our website as well.

VA House and Senate GOP Leaders Urge Governor Northam to Allow Businesses to Reopen

The House and Senate Republican Leadership in the Virginia General Assembly are calling on Governor Northam to allow businesses to reopen and create a plan to both protect public health and allow business operations to begin to return to normal.

You can view the House Republican statement here.

You can view the Senate Republican statement here.

Recent News Coverage

A story from WTKR in Hampton Roads about the Governor's two-week extension of business closures; features member restaurant Omar's Carriage House
A WAVY-TV story on hotel impacts in Hampton Roads and around the state
A Nasdaq.com article detailing a COVID loan tracker
Forbes offers a Top 10 FAQ about CARES Act loans
Another Forbes story detailing results of a Harris Poll on Americans' future travel plans
And, one more Forbes story about long-term changes in travel.
A piece from Hospitality Net with a detailed checklist for hotel operations in the age of COVID

Support the VRLTA Restaurant & Hospitality Relief Fund

VRLTA's industry relief fund will aid workers displaced by the recent restaurant and hospitality industry shutdowns and also help affected businesses.

The Virginia Restaurant & Hospitality Relief Fund will be providing direct cash support to workers that have been laid off due to the recent COVID19-related business downturn in Virginia and affected businesses. The VRLTAEF will be funding the new trust with donations from individual donors and grants from local private foundations and corporate partners. Donations may be disbursed to organizations around the state which can connect the support to individuals, or, in some cases, made directly to affected individuals/businesses.

All donations to the Fund are fully tax-deductible, subject to applicable laws and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations. If you would like to direct your donation to a particular area, please reach out to jim@vrlta.org for assistance.

Donations can be made through VRLTA's websit e at https://www.vrlta.org/donations/donate.asp?id=19606 .

Virginia is for Restaurant Lovers Merchandise Supports the VRLTA Relief Fund - Make a purchase to show your support today!

VRLTA has also partnered with the Virginia Tourism Corporation to create a Virginia is for Restaurant Lovers t-shirt, and other merchandise, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Fund.

Click here to see the options.

Continue to visit https://www.virginiaisforrestaurantlovers.com for more information about the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on the tourism and hospitality industries. We are working to add additional resources, links, and news articles as they become available.