COVID-19 Response Update 14
Good Morning,
Another "work-week" down not that any of us are working a typical week or will for quite some time. We know that the uncertainty of this entire situation and how long it may last is not making anything easier but you need to know; that you are not alone, many of us are in similar situations, and we are are having the same thoughts and worries. Your Chamber of Commerce remains here to help you through this, don't give up as our community will be here for you.
We are happy to see the supports that the Province of NS announced yesterday and are eagerly awaiting further information and applications to open up. We believe that the Wage Subsidy will be beneficial to many, but we need to see the remaining details and how this will work.
We also feel it's important to express how important it is to continue physical distancing and proper sanitation procedures in place in an effort to limit community spread. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development says that for each month of containment efforts, there will be a loss of 2 percentage points in annual GDP growth for the average economy. We therefore feel as though its imperative that we ensure the public health measures are effective and they be followed so that the virus can be contained quickly and the economy open back up. We want to encourage you to communicate to your staff, families, customers and the community at large the importance of following the public health directives so that we can get onto the work of kick-starting the economy.
We are here to help you navigate all of the supports available and advocate on behalf of the local business community.
Please reach out should you need any assistance or someone to talk through your business challenges with.
Thank you,
Rick Allwright
cell: 902-740-5251
rallwright@yarmouthchamberofcommerce.com
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NEW INFORMATION HERE
Province of Nova Scotia - Department of Business
PROVINCIAL STATE OF EMERGENCY EXTENDED
Government has extended the State of Emergency for another two weeks. The new order will take effect at noon, Sunday, April 5, when the current one was set to expire, and will extend to noon, April 19.
MORE GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR WORKERS AND BUSINESSES
April 2, 2020, government announced two new programs valued at an estimated $40 million to further support small businesses and workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nova Scotians have a long and proud history of helping each other in tough times. For some workers, Covid-19 has meant job losses and lay-offs and trouble paying bills and meeting basic needs like food and shelter. While we already have programs in place to help many people in need, we want to prevent others from falling through the cracks.
The Worker Emergency Bridge will help people who are no longer working and need help as soon as possible. Nova Scotians laid off or out of work on or after March 16, 2020 due to Covid-19, and ineligible for Employment Insurance, are eligible for a one-time, $1,000 payment to help them meet their basic needs.
Eligibility for the program is not affected by a person or business being enrolled in another provincial program or the federal initiatives. For example, this can be combined with the Canada Emergency Response Benefit(CERB). .
Application portal will be available later next week.
Those eligible for Employment Insurance are not eligible for this program.
Small Business COVID 19 Impact Grant - for employers ($20 million)
This flexible, onetime, upfront grant can be used by the business owner as they determine, for their business to weather this unprecedented period.
The Covid 19 Small Business Impact Grant can be combined with all other federal and provincial support for small business.
Application portal will be available later next week.
Role of Dalhousie University
The province has partnered with Dalhousie University’s and its Faculty of Management so the university can implement the two programs announced today - the Small Business COVID 19 Impact Grant program and the COVID-19 Worker Emergency Bridge.
Dalhousie and its partners in post secondary education throughout NS are well positioned to provide expertise and extra capacity during these unprecedented times.
There will be accountability and government oversight through a Contribution Agreement.
COVID-19 MAP AND GRAPHIC DATA ONLINE
A number of graphs and a map to show the number of positive tests for COVID-19 in the province are now online at
https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/data
. The graphs provide information on the number of cases in the province by day, the current COVID-19 situation (number of positive tests, number of negative, hospitalized, recovered), percentage of cases by age, and percentage of cases by gender. The map provides a break down of the number of positive tests by each Nova Scotia Health Authority zone.
COVID-19 RENT DEFERRAL PROGRAM
We continue to see participation in the rent deferral program and are pleased to see landlords and tenants working together during this difficult time. As of today, April 2, 180 landlords from across the province representing 505 tenants have entered into agreements that will see $4 million in rent deferred.
EMPLOYER ASSESSMENT TOOL
We have heard businesses and non-profits need clarity on how they can comply with the Public Health Order. An on-line tool to quickly help employers determine if they may remain open, in compliance with current workplace safety requirements, has been posted to the provincial coronavirus website.
NOVA SCOTIA TENDER NOTICES
Are you a business that can supply products and service in support of Nova Scotia’s response to COVID-19? If so, we want to hear from you. A procurement portal has been developed and includes a list of products and services we’re looking for. For more information, visit
https://procurement.novascotia.ca/ns-tenders.aspx
GOVERNMENT BUSINESS NAVIGATORS
USEFUL RESOURCES
Government of Canada toll-free information line 1-833-784-4397
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Federal Programs
Finance Minister Bill Morneau, the Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, Mary Ng, and the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Navdeep Bains, announced the details of the proposed
Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy
.
Here are the quick facts:
- Qualifying businesses receive a 75% wage subsidy for up to 3 months, retroactive to March 15, 2020
- Applies to the first $58,700 normally earned by employees, representing a benefit of up to $847 per week. Please note if you and your staff earn more than $58,700 per year, you will receive less than 75% in wage subsidy.
- Program would be in place for a 12-week period from March 15 to June 6, 2020
- Eligible employers:
- Employers who suffer a drop in gross revenues of at least 30 per cent in March, April or May, when compared to the same month in 2019, although Minister Morneau acknowledged in interviews that if there were no revenues last year that revenues from January and February 2020 would be considered.
- Employers of all sizes and across all sectors of the economy, with the exception of public sector entities
- The 10% wage subsidy is still available if you have not lost 30% in revenue
- Not-for-profits: government will continue to work with the sector to ensure the definition of revenue is appropriate to their circumstances. Further details will be announced soon.
- Eligible employers would be able to access the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy by applying through a Canada Revenue Agency online portal. More details regarding how to apply for the program will follow, but we would suggest you sign up immediately for direct deposit with CRA.
Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)
- If you have lost income because of COVID-19, the CERB will provide you with temporary income support. The CERB will provide you with $500 a week for up to 16 weeks. They will start accepting applications on April 6. Prior to April 6, individuals who are without work and are eligible for EI can continue to apply for Employment Insurance. Eligibility includes those:Who have stopped working because of COVID-19 or are eligible for Employment Insurance regular or sickness benefits;
- Who had income of at least $5,000 in 2019 or in the 12 months prior to the date of their applications
- Who are or expect to be without employment or self-employment income for at least 14 consecutive days in the initial four-week period. For subsequent benefit periods, they expect to have no employment income.
Canada Emergency Business Account
The Federal Government has also announced a number of programs, including an interest free loan of up to $40,000 to small businesses and not-for-profits to help cover operating costs during this period of unrest, where their revenues have been temporarily reduced. This loan will be forgivable up to $10,000.
Find more details here.
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Funding Search Tool updated for COVID-19
Through NSBI’s website, the
Funding Search Tool
now enables businesses to keyword search any funding tools locally and across the country specific to the current COVID challenges to business – just use the keyword COVID-19
Business Support from Saint Mary’s University Entrepreneurship Centre
In response to COVID-19, Saint Mary’s University Entrepreneurship Centre is offering
free virtual one-on-one strategy sessions to Atlantic Canadian entrepreneurs
. The sessions aim to provide support, insight, and additional resources to help entrepreneurs overcome current challenges.
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Chamber Plan Business Resources Page
Chambers and their members are faced with unprecedented challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. That's why Chambers Plan has created a COVID-19 Business Resource Centre, with the advice, tools, and latest updates to support Canadian businesses in this difficult time.
Resources included
> Responding to COVID-19
> Financial Resources
> HR & Legal Issues
> Supporting Your People
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Canada Business App
Download the
Canada Business App
, from the Government of Canada, to see how easy it is to navigate government services, get recommendations tailored to your business, set up personalized notifications and find the answers you need to start up, scale up and access new markets.
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Canadian Chamber Summarizes Business Advocacy Activity
In the
attached document
, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce has summarized the completed and on-going advocacy being undertaken on behalf of the national chamber network. You will note many of the concerns highlighted in the recent
ACC Survey of Atlantic businesses
and advocated on their behalf to elected officials as well. It also references responses by the government to concerns expressed by the business community.
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