WEEKLY BRIEFING
APRIL 24 , 2020
IN YORBA LINDA
Here is the link for the video recording and a pdf copy of the slides from last week’s town hall with Yorba Linda Mayor Beth Haney, Assemblyman Phillip Chen and Yorba Linda Councilman Carlos Rodriguez.
The Recap from the City Council meeting on Tuesday, April 21, 2020 is now available online . To view the April 21 Meeting Agenda, please click here . The video recording is available here . The next regular meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 5, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. [ City of Yorba Linda ]
COUNTY, STATE & FEDERAL REGULATIONS
A MESSAGE FROM SENATOR LING LING CHANG
Dear Neighbor,
Many of my constituents are suffering from loss of income, isolation, and the stress of dealing with COVID-19 and the economic shutdown. Please let me know what your challenges are by taking this survey so that I can more effectively work with Governor Newsom and fellow legislators to craft solutions.
As always, please do not hesitate to call 714-671-9474 or email  Senator.Chang@senate.ca.gov if you need any assistance.
Sincerely,
Ling Ling Chang
29th District
Questions About COVID-19?
 Teleconference Town Hall: Wednesday, April 29 at 2PM
RSVP here to hear from healthcare experts on COVID-19. Due to the volume of callers we are expecting, live questions will not be possible. Please submit your questions to Senator.Chang@senate.ca.gov . 
On Tuesday, April 21, the OC Health Care Agency (HCA) announced the launch of the OC COVID-19 Testing Network, which offers COVID-19 testing. The Network coordinates and expands testing across Orange County to create a safety net for any community member who is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms but is unable to receive testing through a health care provider. Initial locations include:
·     AltaMed Medical Group, Anaheim
·     AltaMed Medical Group, Santa Ana/Bristol
·     Nhan Hoa Comprehensive Health Care Clinic, Garden Grove
·     UCI Health, multiple locations
A continually-updated list of test sites, with information on scheduling and the appointment process, can be found at www.ochealthinfo.com/novelcoronavirus (click on COVID-19 Testing and Screening) or by calling the HCA’s Health Referral Line at 1(800) 564-8448 . 
Effective at 12 a.m. on Friday, April 24, 2020 , all employees of any grocery store, pharmacy/drug store, convenience store, gas station, restaurant, food preparation establishment, or retail store in Orange County who may have contact with the public must wear a cloth face covering while at work. The Orange County Board of Supervisors approved on Tuesday the directive from Vice Chairman Andrew Do, First District Supervisor, pursuant to Government Code section 8634 that will apply countywide. Employees must comply with this regulation for the health and safety of all in the community as it is enforceable by law enforcement per Government Code section 8665 .
On April 16, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Executive Order N-51-20, creating a COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave that requires employers, who are covered by Industrial Welfare Commission Wage Orders 3, 8, 13 and 14, Health & Safety Code section 113789 and have 500 or more employees, to provide up to two weeks of supplemental paid sick leave to food sector workers unable to work due to COVID-19. The total amount of supplemental sick leave time a qualified employee may take depends upon the number of hours that individual normally works.
Congress has struck a deal to replenish the emergency loans available to small business through the CARES Act. The bill infuses more aid into the economy, including $320 billion into the Paycheck Protection Program, which had run dry. It’s critical relief for small businesses who are struggling to find the resources they need to survive this economic pause. Where can small business owners turn for help? How should companies operate in this low-cash environment? And how and when should businesses plan for a return to work?
Every Friday, at noon ET (9 a.m. PDT) , Inc. and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce join forces for a virtual National Small Business Town Hall to help guide business owners through the resources available to them. Click HERE to sign up for the next National Small Business Town Hall. [ U.S. Chamber of Commerce ]
Employers are becoming familiar with the new Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which provides new COVID-19-related federal emergency paid sick leave and emergency family and medical leave. As employees start using the new leave, it’s important for employers to collect and maintain proper documentation, not only for their own records, but also to claim the new tax credits available to them. [ HR Watchdog ]
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued its most recent guidance on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).
Calculating leave hours for employees with regular schedules is straightforward. The FFCRA provides eligible full-time employees with 80 hours of emergency paid sick leave, and employees are considered full time if they’re scheduled to work at least 40 hours per week. Part-time employees with regular schedules are entitled to the number of hours equal to the hours they are normally scheduled to work over two workweeks. Calculations get a little more complicated for employees with varying schedules . [ HR Watchdog ]
CalChamber Executive Vice President and General Counsel Erika Frank, and employment law expert Jennifer Shaw discuss the difference between “restricted” and “unrestricted” on-call shifts, and what issues may arise with the Paycheck Protection Program if employers place workers on on-call shifts.
Orange County COVID-19 Public Information Hotline and Health Referral Line: 1 (833) 426-6411 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.
Orange County Economic & Business Recovery Call Center: (714) 480-6500, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday
California COVID-19 Hotline: (833) 544-2374, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 7 days a week
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Governor Gavin Newsom announced the formation of a state Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery. The Task Force will be co-chaired by Governor Newsom’s Chief of Staff Ann O’Leary and philanthropist, environmentalist and businessman Tom Steyer, who was also appointed Chief Advisor to the Governor on Business and Jobs Recovery. Members of the Task Force include Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, Senate Minority Leader Shannon Grove, Assembly Minority Leader Marie Waldron, former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, Walt Disney Company Executive Chairman Bob Iger, former head of the Small Business Administration Aida Álvarez and dozens of prominent leaders in business, labor, health care, academia and philanthropy.
The Small Business Administration said Tuesday that the personal information of more than 7,000 business owners applying for economic injury disaster loans was potentially seen by other applicants on the SBA website on March 25. The SBA said only the disaster loan program was affected, not the Paycheck Protection Program, which did not begin until April 3 and which is handled by a separate system.
Restaurants say their industry needs its own targeted recovery fund because the bailout package Congress passed last month is making it more attractive for their staff to draw unemployment benefits than to continue working. The National Restaurant Association told Congress Monday that more than 60 percent of restaurant owners believe existing assistance programs, including PPP, are insufficient to keep employees on payroll and asked for $240 billion in aid targeted to their industry. In addition, the National Restaurant Association asked Congress to permit businesses to defer the start date of PPP loans until after local stay-at-home orders are lifted, and to allow more than 25 percent of the loans to be spent on fixed costs like rent and utilities.
[ Politico ]
Shoppers, you’ve got two weeks to stock up on meat, and prices are rising fast.
Why? More U.S. slaughterhouses are being forced to close as workers get sick with COVID-19. “Meat shortages will be occurring two weeks from now in the retail outlets,” Dennis Smith, a senior account executive at Archer Financial Services, said, citing industry sources. “There is simply no spot pork available. The big-box stores will get their needs met, many others will not.”
Demand is “falling off a cliff,” said Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which represents independent truckers. The group is lobbying for more assistance, including seeking additional funding for disaster and small business aid and asking Congress to waive certain taxes and fees, such as a use tax on heavy vehicles.
While working from home may help “flatten the curve,” employees could also be putting themselves at risk for injury, so remind them to practice good ergonomic habits to avoid injuries such as those that occur with repetitive motion. Fortunately, the Be Well at Work – Ergonomic Program has put together an Ergonomic Tips for Laptop Users flyer with suggestions for setting up your laptop for frequent use. They also crafted an Ergonomic Tips for Working at Home flyer, with pointers on creating both a dedicated workspace and boundaries between work and home. Consider emailing these flyers to remote workers to remind them to practice good ergonomic habits. [ HR Watchdog ]
Nominate a small business that you think deserves to be the small business of the year. Or if you’re a small business owner, apply yourself. The Dream Big Awards program honors the achievements of small businesses and highlights their contributions to America’s economic growth. The 2020 Small Business of the Year award winner will receive national recognition and a $25,000 cash prize! Learn more here . [ U.S. Chamber of Commerce ]
IMPORT / EXPORT
Presented by the U.S. Department of Commerce in collaboration with National Textiles Association and the State of California Governor’s Office (GoBiz), the webinar will provide information about resources available to California textiles and apparel companies in the current health crisis.
When: Friday, April 24 , 2020 at 11:00 a.m. PST
There is no cost to view this webinar. Participation is via your computer and phone line.
Register HERE . 
California Export Connect is a new state-centric platform created in partnership with the State International Development Organizations (SIDO) and Getting to Global . It is a consolidated online toolbox for California companies to connect them with local experts, tools, financing, and government resources they need to go global. You will find all the California-based resources your business needs to export smarter. [ Getting To Global ]
WHITE HOUSE, US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION ALLOW 90-DAY NORMAL TRADE RELATION DUTY DEFERRAL FOR CERTAIN IMPORTERS
The White House on April 19 released the text of an Executive Order allowing the temporary extension of deadlines for importers suffering significant financial hardship because of COVID-19 to pay certain types of duties.
On the same day, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released a temporary final rule to implement the Executive Order and to create a new section to 19 CFR 24.1 . CBP also released two CSMS messages: 42421561 and 42423171 . Under the Temporary Final Rule, CBP is amending the CBP regulations to temporarily postpone the deadline for importers of record with a significant financial hardship to deposit specific estimated duties, taxes, and fees that they would ordinarily be obligated to pay as of the date of entry, or withdrawal from warehouse, for consumption, for merchandise entered in March or April 2020, for 90 days from the date that the deposit would otherwise have been due. 
Europe’s recovery from the coronavirus should focus on strengthening the “strategic autonomy” of its industry to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, according to a “roadmap” from EU leaders. The document stresses the need to make the bloc greener and more digital, and to “invest in strategic value chains and to reduce over-dependency on third countries.” The roadmap stops short of suggesting the size of the recovery fund, which would be proposed by the European Commission — the executive body — and linked to the EU budget. [ Politico ]
For information about events in Yorba Linda, please visit these links: