COVID-19 News Update - April 27, 2020
New York State Plans for Re-opening
In yesterday's briefing, Governor Cuomo began to talk about plans for reopening the state in phases, with a regional analysis and determination. The first phase will be to reopen construction and manufacturing with low risk. The second phase will add more business re-openings and most likely include schools. There will be at least 14 days between phases to monitor and correct if necessary. During both phases no attractions or openings that draw a large number of visitors from outside the local area will be allowed.
 
TCAD is working with the Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council to provide guidance on regional planning for re-opening. We will share additional information as it becomes available.
 
To learn more about Governor Cuomo's plan click HERE
 
Businesses will need to design a “new normal.” Here are some things you should be thinking about to re-open or expand production safely:
  • On-site health screening and protocols for sick employees
  • Procuring PPE for employees and visitors
  • Cleaning protocols
  • Modifying the workplace layout and flow to maximize social distancing
  • Continuing remote work for high risk employees

In addition, federal guidelines for considering re-opening can be found here
Federal Government Authorizes
Additional Funding for EIDL and PPP
On April 23rd, the federal government approved the  Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Act,  a smaller bill that we are referring to as CARES 3.5. The act authorized additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program and the Emergency Injury Disaster Loan Program as follows:
 
Paycheck Protection Program
  • Additional $310 billion in funding
  • $30 billion carve-out for lenders with assets between $10 billion and $50 billion
  • $30 billion carve-out for small lenders with less than $10 billion in assets
  • Additional $50 billion for SBA Disaster Loan Program

 
Emergency Injury Disaster Loan Program
  • Additional $10 billion in funding (on top of $10 billion in CARES Act)
  • Expands eligibility to agricultural enterprises with less than 500 employees
Masks Available for Essential Workforce
Per Governor Cuomo's Executive Order 202.16, essential businesses must provide face coverings for employees in direct contact with customers or members of the public. The Tompkins County Emergency Operations Center has cloth masks available for distribution to essential businesses in Tompkins County . Read more here

New Unemployment Insurance Application for NYS
A new application for New Yorkers to apply for traditional Unemployment Insurance or the new COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) has been instituted. This will connect New Yorkers with the benefits they deserve faster, without requiring them to call the Department of Labor. Apply for Unemployment Insurance

The PUA program provides unemployment benefits for individuals who are ineligible for traditional unemployment insurance. PUA Fact Sheet
Fuzehub - COVID-19 Manufacturing Grants
FuzeHub, the statewide New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NYMEP) center, has launched the  COVID-19 Manufacturing Grants . These grants will assist existing New York State (NYS) small to medium-sized manufacturing companies with increasing capacity in current operations as well as to pivot production in an effort to build and assemble critical COVID-19 need items: specifically, N95 respirators and ventilators.  
COVID-19 Resources
Visit  www.tcad.org  for a full list of business resources.
Tompkins County's  Workforce ReDirect, is the local Job Board  to help workers connect to opportunities in essential industries serving the County at this time.
Programs and Grants Supporting Small Businesses, Startups and Manufacturers
The  JumpStart Program  partners NYS small businesses and startups that have well-defined technical problems with Cornell materials scientists, faculty and staff, who have the expertise to help solve these problems. Since 2005, 106 NYS businesses have benefited from this program. To help further small businesses, the companies' cash contributions have been decreased by half for the fall 2020 projects!

Each project lasts for one semester and has a $15,000 value. This fall, the projects will receive 50% of CCMR/NYSTAR funding ($7,500). Companies' contributions will amount to 17% in cash ($2,500) and 33% in-kind ($5,000).

Applications will open on June 1st for the projects to start in September 2020.  Deadline: June 30!
NYSEG and National Grid have partnered with the Alliance for Manufacturing
and Technology (AM&T) to offer grants designed to help Southern Tier manufacturers with process improvements.  Read More
Local Businesses in the News
Transonic Systems ' biomedical flow measurement technology is being used to more effectively treat  COVID19  positive patients. Find out more about how their technologies are being used in the medical field to save lives. Read More  
Incodema   is producing re-usable face masks for healthcare workers including the Cayuga Medical C enter staff who traveled to NYC last week to help care for COVID-19 positive patients. Read More
Ecolectro , a startup located in the Cornell Business & Technology Park has begun to make hand sanitizer in 9 oz and 32 oz bottles. If you would like to purchase hand sanitizer contact Gabriel Rodriguez .
ShrubBucket is a local online company which hand delivers plants to 17 states. In a recent Wall Street Journal article ShrubBucket said they had 2,023 orders last month compared with 57 in March of last year. “Any time there’s an economic downturn, gardening goes up,” says Heidi Mortensen, who co-founded the online business in 2015. Read More
CARES Act Funding for Local Organizations
Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, airports across the country are receiving stimulus money. Ithaca Tompkins International Airport (ITH) will receive $1.7M to help fund the continued operations of the airport during the COVID-19 crisis. Read More

Flights have been reduced at ITH, but service is still available. The airlines are planning for increased flights in July and August if current restrictions are lifted. ITH is positioning itself to support the reinvigoration of our local economy with convenient, clean, and connected service.
Cornell University will receive $12.8 million from the CARES Act “Education Stabilization Fund.” One of the  provisions of the act  is that at least 50% of the money received must be reserved to provide students with emergency financial aid grants to help cover expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus. Cornell has far exceeded that requirement, pledging that 100% of the CARES Act funds will go to support students in need of financial assistance . Read More
Tompkins County Area Development | 607.273.0005 | info@tcad.org | www.tcad.org