Wednesday January 6th, 2021 |
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Update on NYS Progress During The COVID-19 Pandemic |
Governor Cuomo updated New Yorkers on the state's progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
"Defeating this beast once and for all means winning the footrace between vaccine implementation and the infection and hospital capacity rates," Governor Cuomo said. "New York is doing everything it can to not only ensure that the vaccine is being distributed as quickly and fairly as possible, but to also ensure we are prepared for widespread vaccinations of the general public once they are eligible. The issue here is the UK strain is highly problematic, and it could be a game-changer. Even if the lethality doesn't go up, the fact that it is so much more transmittable is a very real problem and makes it as important as ever that New Yorkers stay smart. Remember - behavior matters and the behavior of your community drives how fast the infection spreads and how many people get sick. So, let's stay tough, stay united, and collectively do what it takes to defeat this invisible enemy."
Today's data is summarized briefly below:
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Test Results Reported - 152,402
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Total Positive - 12,666
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Percent Positive - 8.31%
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Patient Hospitalization - 8,590 (+339)
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Patients Newly Admitted - 898
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Hospital Counties - 56
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Number ICU - 1,392 (+35)
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Number ICU with Intubation - 851 (+8)
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Total Discharges - 105,379 (+440)
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Deaths - 149
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Total Deaths - 30,802
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Update on COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Efforts in NYS |
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts. By the end of this week, the state will have distributed approximately 911,000 first doses of the vaccine to providers for administration to eligible New Yorkers.
Additionally, the Governor announced that to date, 3,762 providers have applied and been approved by the state to serve as vaccination sites. Currently, 636 locations are now activated and are able to begin vaccinating eligible New Yorkers. To prepare for the next phase of eligibility, the Governor is encouraging essential worker groups such as police departments, fire departments, educators, and public transit organizations to begin developing plans to vaccinate their workforce. Plans will ease the burden on hospitals and other vaccination locations when the general public becomes eligible to receive a vaccine.
In addition, the Governor renewed his call on the federal government to test all travelers from outside the United States. Despite the fact that the highly transmissible UK strain has been identified in 33 countries, as well as here in the state of New York, the federal government has yet to learn from mistakes made in the spring and mandate testing for international travelers entering the country.
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SBA Extends COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan Application Deadline through Dec. 31, 2021 |
The U.S. Small Business Administration today announced that the deadline to apply for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program for the COVID-19 Pandemic disaster declaration is extended to Dec. 31, 2021. The deadline extension comes as a result of the recent bipartisan COVID-19 relief bill passed by Congress and enacted by President Trump on Dec. 27, 2020.
To date, the SBA has approved $197 billion in low-interest loans which provides working capital funds to small businesses, non-profits and agricultural businesses make it through this challenging time.
“Following the President’s declaration of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the SBA has approved over 3.6 million loans through our Economic Injury Disaster Loan program nationwide,” SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza said. “The EIDL program has assisted millions of small businesses, including non-profit organizations, sole proprietors and independent contractors, from a wide array of industries and business sectors, to survive this very difficult economic environment.”
EIDL loan applications will continue to be accepted through December 2021, pending the availability of funds. Loans are offered at very affordable terms, with a 3.75% interest rate for small businesses and 2.75% interest rate for nonprofit organizations, a 30-year maturity, and an automatic deferment of one year before monthly payments begin. Every eligible small business and nonprofit are encouraged to apply to get the resources they need.
The SBA has not yet reopened the application for EIDL Advance Grants. Keep an eye on Today's Dose and our website for more information.
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ESD Announces "Raise the Bar" Restaurant Recovery Fund |
Empire State Development (ESD) announced the more than $3 million “Raising the Bar” Restaurant Recovery Fund to assist restaurants in New York State during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The “Raising the Bar Restaurant Recovery Fund” will help eligible restaurants adjust their operations to the impacts of COVID-19 and adherence to New York State’s public health and safety measures during the winter months when outdoor dining is limited.
“Raising the Bar” grant funding can be used for COVID-19-related improvements and equipment that will allow the business to comply with social distancing guidelines, expand take-out/delivery operations, or accommodate outdoor dining such as plexiglass barriers/partitions, signage promoting social distancing and hygiene protocols, heaters, heat lamps, weatherization upgrades and insulated delivery bags; improvements that will allow the business to continue operating through the winter months such as filtration system upgrades and food heaters to maintain temperature for to-go orders and purchasing PPE and sanitation supplies necessitated by the pandemic; and COVID-19 related business improvements like patio heaters or contactless technology.
Qualifying purchases and expenditures must be from September 1, 2020 onwards to be eligible. Initial round of grants are up to $5,000.
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Today's Dose Sponsorship Opportunities |
In 2020, and amidst the pandemic, the North Country Chamber of Commerce upgraded their communication offering to a two times a week enewsletter called “Today’s Dose”. This enewsletter has quickly become the go to resource for our business community, with a readership over over 4,000 people.
Because of this we want to extend a few advertising opportunities to our members to reach this incredibly engaged audiences. Below are a few statistics about the enewsletter as well as opportunities that are available.
Today’s Dose Stats:
- Sent twice a week (Tuesday and Thursday)
- Sent to over 4,000 contacts
- Reached Clinton, Essex, Franklin,Hamilton, Northern Warren Counties, Akwesasne and Southern Quebec
- Average readership around 50%
- Click rate is 30%
These spots will go fast, so contact Adriana today to reserve your space!
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Restaurant Survival Strategies |
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January 13th 9am - 10am
The SUNY Canton Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the North Country Chamber of Commerce and The Hoffman Eells Group CPAs are teaming-up to
help restauranteurs and food service providers.
The virtual event called “Restaurant Survival Strategies” will take an in-depth look at how to run a successful restaurant during the Pandemic. Consider innovative ideas for attracting and keeping customers, along with a back to basics look at using financial numbers to accelerate your profits and generate cash flow.
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Date: January 13th
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Time: 9-10am
The event is FREE, and open to the public. Advanced registration is required.
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Understanding Your Small Business Financial Dashboard |
January 13th 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Knowing your small business financial position is extremely important. Are you staring at a bunch of numbers and don't really understand what you're looking at? What are the KPI's (key performance indicators) that you should be focusing on? We understand. Let's change that!
The three fundamental financial statements for most businesses are the Income Statement (also called a Profit & Loss Statement), the Balance Sheet, and Statement of Cashflow. The information in those reports serves as the roadmap to tell you how healthy your business is, where it’s been, and where it’s heading.
In this session you will learn:
- What are the most important numbers/ratios for me to focus on?
- What are they telling me about my business now?
- What do they suggest for the future?
We are excited to have Matt Cleare from Davis & Hodgdon as our speaker as we dig into understanding your small business financial dashboard.
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Moving from Surviving to Thriving in 2021 |
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January 14th at 10am - 11am |
2020 was all about surviving, getting through, and waiting for better days to come. Now that recovery is in sight plans can and should be made for what comes next.
Join us for an informative webinar that will help you assess your current financial position and develop strategies to move forward in the New Year.
- Getting your financial house in order – debt, credit, budget, cash flow
- Positioning your business for success in 2021 and beyond – setting goals, adapting to change, building cash reserves, examining markets for your products and services, evaluating future needs, outreach to current customers and vendors
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Date: January 14th
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Time: 10am -11am
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January 22 9am-10am
If you are skipping that trip to Hawaii this January, join Jaci Kelleher, Esq. of Stafford Owens Law Firm in a webinar which will cover:
- Update and status of COVID-19 related laws
- What is changing for 2021 in New York, including salary and wage updates, Paid Family Leave and Paid Sick Leave
- Overview of what may be coming at the federal level that will affect employers
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Date: January 22, 2021
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Time: 9am-10am
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Cost: $10.00 (member) and $20 (non-member)
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Forward NY: Official State Website for opening procedures and guidelines.
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NYS Travel Advisory: Stay up to date on the latest NYS Travel Advisory Updates.
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Looking for Supplies: If your business is looking for hard to find protective products, we have created a list of businesses offering hand sanitizer, gloves, wipes, masks and other items.
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SCORE: Small business owners are resilient and can power through this challenging time, with SCORE by their side.
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To help the North Country reopen safely and meet the state and local mandates, The North Country Chamber of Commerce has created a comprehensive list of resources to navigate state and local requirements. Check out the home page for details. There is also a series of webinars available for businesses to help educate and provide answers to common questions.
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Have Questions? We're here to help!
North Country Chamber of Commerce
518.563.1000
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