COVID-19: Today's Sneak Peak
Governor Walz Press Conference Scheduled for 1:15 PM Today

We will send a more complete update after the press conference with links to guidance and business assistance updates.

What we know:
  • State of MN passed business assistance Tuesday
  • Dakota County Board passed business assistance Tuesday
  • Federal assistance is looking more promising
  • Covid 19 Case positivity in MN is coming down
  • MN Covid Deaths remaining high, hope they will come down with lag time to case positivity
  • Minnesota is still in the red zone on White House Coronavirus Task Force map
  • Minnesota still considered a global hotspot for Coronavirus

Goals of new guidance:
  • Facilitate getting elementary students back to school January 18th
  • Improve quality of life for Minnesotans

New Guidelines (to be announced at 1:15):

Indoor gatherings: max of 2 families/10 people with facemasks

Outdoor gatherings: 3 families and social distancing, facemasks if no social distancing

Gyms: 25% capacity, up to 100 people, 12 ft social distance, facemasks at all times, no group fitness through January 4th

Youth sports: resume practice January 4th

Outdoor entertainment venues: 25% capacity, up to 100 people

Indoor entertainment venues: remain closed through January 11th

Bars, Restaurants and Breweries: remain closed for indoor through January 11th

Outdoor dining: 50% capacity, seated only, 4 to a table, tents must have 50% side openings for airflow

We will send a follow-up with links to guidance this afternoon once they are released.

COVID-19: ICYMI
Stay Tuned for Business Relief News This Week
The Burnsville Chamber is strongly advocating for relief for businesses experiencing shutdowns due to Executive Order 20-99. This help needs to come from local and federal government for our businesses to survive.

MN RELIEF PROPOSAL
The MN Legislature is scheduled for a special session on Tuesday and will be reviewing the relief package below:

US RELIEF PROPOSAL
The Minnesota relief package is only a bandaid to provide short term relief. Businesses and their employees need federal relief in order to stay in business and pay their bills. Congress is considering an aid package that will provide aid to businesses and they need to act this week before they adjourn for the holiday break.

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
If your business is experiencing closure due to Executive Order 20-99, please reach out to your representatives before Tuesday. Make sure they understand the impact and need for immediate relief. Click Who Represents Me to find your State and Federal representatives and their contact information. Both State and Federal representatives need to hear how you, your business and your employees are being impacted.
#EndThe Pause Campaign
The Burnsville Chamber is a partner in the MN Ready Coalition. We believe that Burnsville businesses have the protocols to open safely and we are advocating in favor of the #EndThe Pause effort.

MN Ready Coalition Message: Minnesota businesses are #MNReady to reopen their doors while keeping customers and employees safe. We need to keep businesses afloat and allow employees to earn a living NOW. We urge Governor Walz to #EndThePause.

We expect the Governor to make his announcement on Wednesday and we encourage you to make your voice heard. Join us in sharing this message on social media HERE
Highlights from December Small Business Sounding Board
In addition to public health and relief updates, the feedback from Burnsville businesses continues to reflect the impact of COVID-19 on our community.  

Overview of what we learned from businesses:
  • Businesses that center on in-person gathering including restaurants, fitness, entertainment, recreation and hospitality continue to be down in revenue anywhere from 50 - 90% depending on their ability to pivot to virtual, take out and delivery services. This is not sustainable and the lost revenue cannot be replaced. Assistance will be necessary for the businesses impacted by shutdowns to survive.
  • Professional services are impacted by a decline in business because they serve businesses impacted by COVID shutdowns.
  • Any business that has employees dealing with distance learning is impacted by employee stress, distraction and performance issues.
  • Retail stores have seen some improvement in traffic over summer and fall, but the recent shutdown slowed things down.
  • There is frustration and concern about the constant change in guidelines for PPP and other CARES grant funds. In particular, taxation of these funds will hit especially hard for businesses that are just trying to hang on.
  • Businesses have developed strong safety protocols and are ready to re-open next week safely.  

The Chamber, City, elected and appointed officials expressed their commitment to business relief and safe re-opening.

Public health update from Dakota County:

For Dakota County health questions, call 952-891-7834 (10 a.m. - 4 p.m.).
Chamber Events: This Week
Real Time Solutions Webinar: Laughter is the Best Medicine!
Wednesday, December 16
8:00 - 9:00 a.m.
Zoom

Spend 30-minutes laughing with and listening to 4 local comedians about the importance of humor in the workplace.

Thank you to our Event Sponsor: Dakota Electric

FREE! Register to receive Zoom invitation.
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